If I choose to use my phone to break the law (whether it’s by recording copyrighted material or recording the police), that’s my choice; you have no right to disable something I’ve already paid for.
Now, I realize the patent only refers to disabling the phone’s camera when it detects some infrared signal, and they’re touting this as a solution to surreptitious concert and movie recording.
But it wouldn’t be a stretch for the police to decide that no, you really don’t have a right to record them, and then outfit every patrol car with one of these disabling devices.
Given that Apple has already caved in to law enforcement demands with respect to DUI checkpoint avoidance apps, I don’t think it would be out of character for them to happily provide the police with the ability to circumvent citizen oversight.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Only people with Android phones and Flip cameras, I guess.
Update: ESR savages Apple even further.
Pithy Title Goes Here 
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