From the patent description: "Many [..] electronic devices are used frequently by their owners, and the electronic devices may contain personal or sensit

From the patent description: "Many [..] electronic devices are used frequently by their owners, and the electronic devices may contain personal or sensitive information stored within them. [..] Accordingly, if the electronic device is lost or stolen, the loss of the electronic device can be exceedingly disruptive to the owner's peace of mind and security. Thus, the owner may desire to find out where the lost electronic device is located or who may have gained possession of or stolen the electronic device." Note the use of the word "owner", not "Evil Empire". What is being described here is a service called "Find my iPhone", which is part of Apple's MobileMe subscription service. (What, you didn't think Apple would be spying on you for free, did you? $99 a year, baby!)