Canada's Research In Motion has filed a patent for technology to prevent "inconspicuous" smartphone pictures, seemingly in a bid to prevent corporate espionage.

RIM filed the patent in the U.S. on Tuesday for "camera-steady focus requirements for preventing inconspicuous use of cameras on handheld mobile communication devices."
"As more handheld devices incorporate camera functionalities, organizations and individuals with privacy concerns are more vulnerable to unauthorized disclosure," the patent reads.

The technology works by preventing someone from taking a picture if "the device has not been steadily focused on the subject in question for a predetermined period of time."
"In short, this process extends the normal camera-taking procedure and thus requires the camera user to take pictures in a conspicuous manner - the rationale being that a camera user would be less likely to take unauthorized pictures if such actions could be easily recognized."

RIM says companies' information technology departments would control the function on employees' BlackBerrys.