… and, this might not be a bad thing.

In what might see the end of the ubiquitous glow of the smartphone screen at gigs everywhere (and the return of the cigarette lighter?), Apple has won a patent on an infrared technology that will block fans being able to film their favourite shows, reports Pitchfork.

Of course there’s nothing better than reminiscing on the unforgettable moment you missed while immortalising your favourite band in a distorted, 30 second clip (destined to be ignored on your Facebook wall), but fear not, as we know that many patents never reach the market, nor the development stage.

While some people believe there’s no way to capture the energy of a great live performance on an average camera attached to your phone, others who can’t put their phone away may soon be greeted with a “recording disabled” message, as shown in the patent below:

This is of course great news not only for fans tired of watching concerts they’ve paid for through someone else’s screen, but also for artists who would rather not have their concert footage uploaded (and monetised) on YouTube, which is already at war with the recording industry.

Here’s hoping for Beyonce’s sake that Apple are currently working on a way to block Pokemon Go as well…

You can Apple’s patent here.