You can "pair" the little remote to your macbook.
This means that your remote will only work with your macbook.
To do this take the following steps:

• Get extra close to your Mac (about 3 or 4 inches away).
• Point the remote at the Apple logo on the front of your Mac.
• Press and hold the Menu and Next/Fast-forward buttons simultaneously on the remote for 5 seconds.

Your Apple Remote is now paired with your computer. You can tell the remote is paired because you will see a chain-link style lock.

To delete a pairing between the remote and your Mac, open System Preferences, click Security, and then click Unpair in the Security pane. (You may have to enter your Administrator password to make changes in the Security panel.