Science Marches On: Patent to "force ads" on a viewer

TehBorken · Apr 18 06 08:39

Let me be the first one to say "f*ck you, Phillips!"
[hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"]According to New Scientist, Philips has filed a patent for technology to [a href="vny!://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn9011-invention-the-tvadvert-enforcer.html"]force viewers to watch the ads[/a] in a program. Basically they plan to add extra flags to the Multimedia Home Platform that would stop controls from working until the ads are finished.

From the article: "[a href="vny!://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220060070095%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20060070095&RS=DN/20060070095"]Philips' patent[/a] acknowledges that this may be 'greatly resented by viewers' who could initially think their equipment has gone wrong. So it suggests the new system could throw up a warning on screen when it is enforcing advert viewing. The patent also suggests that the system could offer viewers the chance to pay a fee interactively to go back to skipping adverts." [hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"]Also in the works is a patent for "paying us because we say so" and another for "a device that cuts out your eyelids" said one Phillips executive as he vanished in a cloud of his own vomit.

(I made that last part up, BTW)

kitten · Apr 19 06 07:35

Agreed, TehBorken. That amounts to legalized assault. I think a massive boycott of the advertisers would be in order for any company that used such an underhanded method. In my opinion, if the product is good enough, there would be no need to use such tactics. If the product isn't good, then we don't want to know about it, and shouldn't be forced to watch it.

TehBorken · Apr 19 06 09:43

kitten wrote:
If the product isn't good, then we don't want to know about it, and shouldn't be forced to watch it.
For me it's more a matter of having them impose an arbitrary set of controls on me in order to make money. They figure if they can shove enough ads down your throat you'll buy something. They don't care what it is, as long as they can sell advertising.