Microsoft Interrupts This Broadcast...

from the patently-so dept

theodp writes "Microsoft has filed for a patent covering the display of "annoying notifications" that demand payment of your overdue bill when you attempt to change the television channel. Check out the images, which illustrate how the kiddies will be informed Daddy's a deadbeat when they change the channel away from Sesame Street!" It's worth noting, of course, this is just an application, not a granted patent.
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  • identicon
    Joe Smith, 23 Mar 2006 @ 4:12pm

    Spam and Pop-ups

    Convergence is here. Now Microsoft will bring the "benefits" of Spam and Pop-up ads to our televisions.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    DittoBox, 23 Mar 2006 @ 4:37pm

    If this application is granted

    I'm going to lose all hope in the patent system...oh wait I already did!!!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    kossori, 23 Mar 2006 @ 4:48pm

    hehehe

    You've got bills!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Dylan Johnston, 23 Mar 2006 @ 4:56pm

    Microsoft is a whore.
    People who patent shit like this are fucking assholes.
    The US Patent office is fucking corrupt.

    Fuck.

    iddyfuckfuck

    *Err Fingerterretsyndrom.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      The Truth Beacon, 24 Mar 2006 @ 7:33am

      Read the patent

      And you will see that this is not just to deliver an annoying billing popup, but this is actually to deliver any kind of pop-up that is use specific on television. As a few other respondants have pointed out, I believe that this will be used more for preventing issues such as Spam from infiltrating new media experiences such as interactive media PC's. There is obvious room for malicious intent or usage, but there is little these days which does not have such possibilities.

      And as a targeted response to the person above who believes the patent system is corrupt - you are quite misguided. Granted, it is misused for some ideas, it protects people like me who have to come public with an original idea to get the vast funding necessary to develop the idea, without someone else having the necessary resources stealing it and claiming credit for my invention. I have already lost one idea to not being able to patent, because there are far too many greedy and selfish people in the world to do without the patent system, or similar systems of personal protection.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Marshall, 23 Mar 2006 @ 5:16pm

    Wow, stupid.

    Enough said. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Why not just cut their subscription? I'm pretty sure that works just as well.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Onur Kabadayi, 23 Mar 2006 @ 5:54pm

    Privacy issues VS microsoft TV, VISTA

    Check out this interesting post which is revolving around Microsoft's IPTV & Windows Vista



    The decade ahead of us will bring a totally new dimension to all the privacy and security related evil...



    Quite an interesting brainstorming session on what hacking 2.0, dirty marketing 2.0, big brotherism 2.0, and even voyeurism 2.0 might look like, and their implications on our lives!



    Neo Marketing. New Marketing.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    mark, 23 Mar 2006 @ 6:07pm

    Microslob again

    I get the impression Ol' Bill hired alot of employees away from lawschools.....

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Dale Albiston, 24 Mar 2006 @ 12:09am

    not a bad idea actually

    consider this..

    (all assuming the patent is granted)

    microsoft, and only microsoft can do this, and they *will* enforce the patent. thus this should stop a lot of the shadier end of the spectrum being able to do this.

    its a trade off, some irritating ads and not loads, plus of course with fewer sources actually blocking them should be simpler (I hope).

    the whole idea is daft, and will annoy people, but its kind of like if microsoft had a patent on spam email, they could do it but it would reduce others doing so.

    obvious flaw #1: the routine will be cracked and used by people who don't care that microsft has the patent...

    windows messenger service all over again really.

    sigh.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    ?, 24 Mar 2006 @ 1:43am

    Apple?!

    I think it is funny that the images that are provided with this applicaiton require quicktime.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Zeroth404, 24 Mar 2006 @ 8:11am

    Pardon me for stating the obvious (or maybe for not knowing something you all do), but what the HELL dos Microsoft ahve to do with TELEVISION?

    Not a goddamned thing, as far as I know.

    Tell me again why you all still feed money into this machine...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2006 @ 9:46am

    Within 10 minutes of this technology going live, I will get a "penis enlargement" message by a hacker.

    Anyone want to bet against me?

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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