Banbuser's Hans Eriksson on the pros and cons of Apple camera blocking technology.
With Glastonbury kicking-off in a little under a fortnight, 2011 could go down as the last one at which festival-goers can film their on-stage idols for free.
In a little-reported move, Apple is developing infrared technology that will prevent iPhones from photographing or recording copyrighted material. At first glance it’s a very clever and positive move that empowers the music and film industries to clamp down on commercial piracy – a stance that’s hard to argue against.
Apple is yet to outline its plans, but it’s assumed that once installed in a venue, an infrared beam will detect your iPhone and simply turn off its camera when you walk inside.
It’s assumed – but not confirmed – that you’ll still be able to make calls, at the very least to the emergency services. But again, we wait for news from Apple on this point.
Potential uses range from the laudable and sensible – preventing filming in cinemas for example – to the much more contentious area of preventing filming at live concerts.
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It’s on this topic – videos taken at gigs on phones – that Apple risks alienating tens of millions of music fans across the globe who simply want to share their experiences with family and friends.
Anyone with a passing knowledge of YouTube knows these videos are strictly amateur – but legally they breach copyright law. However, what they do have is immense personal value as they feed into our increasing need to connect with our peers and showcase what we're up to as quickly as possible.
Until recently this ability to instantly communicate – to boast what we’re up to – was restricted to sending texts and still photos. But now it's possible to broadcast live onto the web using your mobile, a development that's obviously caught Apple's eye.
Apple has a long history of leading the technology sector and once again they may have stolen a march on their rivals. As we become increasingly connected, the use of technology to control copyright will become progressively more important.
To an anaemic music industry, Apple’s controversial technology may seem like the Holy Grail, granting them the ability to both protect their copyright – while at the same time providing a new revenue stream.
Looking over the horizon, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the development of a 'pay per listen' scheme at each venue. Concert goers would pay a premium on top of their ticket price – say a pound or two – and be guaranteed a quality 3G / WiFi signal, supplying them with a reliable way to connect instantly with their friends.
But to do so also risks alienating their most loyal and cashed up customers – music fans. No-one yet knows how they’ll react to the news that they’ll have to pay for something that up until now has not only been free, it’s been viewed as an unalienable right.
Before we get too worked up, it’s worth taking a deep breath and remembering Apple applies for a lot of patents – and there’s no guarantee this technology will ever see the light of day.
The other point to remember is that Apple only has around a fifth of the total smartphone market in the US and Europe. Unless other manufacturers follow suit the reality is most music fans won’t be affected.
But deep down I fear that, sooner rather than later, we’ll see the end of badly framed and out of focus stage-diving and crowd-surfing videos forever.
Instead, what we may see emerging from the mosh-pits is high quality live videos of gigs – and a much-needed injection of cash for bands and venues alike!
* Hans Eriksson is executive chairman of Bambuser – a live video service that allows users broadcast, watch and share live video through mobile phones and computers.
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