DRM is a bitch when it comes to copying music for a friend, but pretty soon we’ll have another reason to hate it. Apple recently filed a patent suggesting that in the near future you might not even be able to charge a friend’s iPod, let alone slip him a few tunes.

Apple’s patent outlines plans for providing each and every iPod with a specific charger, without which that iPod (or iPhone) won’t charge. Each charger will come equipped with a simple circuit to determine if and when power can be supplied to the attached device. The plan behind this seemingly totalitarian scheme is actually rather benign; it’s all about protecting your iPod from theft. Actually, on second thought, it might still get stolen, but hey, at least it won’t charge. Good thinking, Apple!

According to the patent, if your iPod is plugged into an unauthorized charger, leaves a specified geographical location, or if a timer expires, and no PIN is entered, it won’t charge, causing it to slowly wither and die, producing yet another beautiful Apple paperweight.

How exactly Apple decides to implement this technology will also determine how many people they will piss off as a consequence. If Steve decides that he needs even more money, this patent might allow them to “pull a Sony,” and force customers into buying only Apple chargers, docks, and peripherals. However, if they want to avoid any more bad press about this “anti-theft” idea, then it would behoove them to license this at a moderate price to third-party manufacturers, along with having users enter a PIN before charging the device, so that it can still be used with a friend’s charger.

However, if this patent falls through, or if you just want to feel more secure, a better approach to protecting your iPod would be to simple disguise it, preferably like something that no one would ever want to steal: a brown Zune! If that sounds crazy enough to work, check out Hide-A-Pod.