Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft Patents Interactive Entertainment

Posted by timothy on from the getcher-patents-get-'em-while-they're-hot dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Embedded-Watch is carrying a story regarding the award of patent number 6,571,390 to Microsoft. The patent would seem to cover pretty much any implementation of a video-on-demand system that you (or at least I) can think of. Read for yourself to decide whether this patent either is not original work or is blatantly obvious to the most casual observer. The patent could certainly be invalidated by the courts on either point, but that'd take a fight in court that won't be cheap."

6 of 466 comments (clear)

  1. what's better? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    (a) interactive entertainment

    or

    (b) sex with a mare
  2. moderators on crack! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    (a) interactive entertainment

    How can that be off-topic? How ???

  3. revamping slashdot sections by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    Why is there an apache section on slashdot? It gets a story maybe once a month. And why still have a radio section? The last story was a year ago!


    I propose they be dropped, and replaced with a sex section, and a business section.

  4. Blatantly obvious? Grammar nitpick by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Read for yourself to decide whether this patent either is not original work or is blatantly obvious to the most casual observer.

    I don't normally pick on grammar issues (such a habit could quickly drive someone to insanity on Slashdot), but this one is particularly common, particularly annoying, and totally incorrect.

    Something cannot be "blatantly obvious." "Blatant," by definition, is "Offensively obvious." Thus, saying something is "blatantly obvious" is the equivalent of saying it is "offensively obvious obvious." It's like saying "PIN number," or "UPC code."

    *sigh* Sorry, had to get that off my chest.

  5. Re:It's been done before... by The+Bungi · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    I had "Video on Demand" working on my C64

    Look everyone, it's Junis!! He's posting from Afghanistan!!

    Welcome Junis!

  6. Re:registrering common words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Pardon me: sence is not a word; you mean sense.


    I never correct a spelling or grammar error until one person makes the same mistake a third time.