Apple/US Patent and Trademark Office

If you're sick of having your view of Adele obscured by a thousand iPhones trying to film her, things are looking up. Apple was awarded a US patent this week for a system that can force your iPhone into disabling video-recording functions at concert venues.

The system uses infrared signals to send messages to your phone to tell it to shut down video recording. Apple's patent illustration shows a phone at a concert with the words "recording disabled" on screen. I won't even go into the fact that it shows the person trying to record video in portrait orientation.

Various artists, including Adele, have been outspoken about fans filming their shows, with many claiming that it spoils the experience for other fans.

It's not known whether Apple plans to put the patent into use, and the company did not respond to a request for comment.