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Microsoft Pockets Patent for Encouraging TV Viewing

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the you-know-you-want-to dept.

theodp writes "Through its WebTV unit, Microsoft was awarded a patent Tuesday for a system and method for encouraging viewers to watch television programs, such as offering viewers frequent-flier miles for identifying the name of a sponsor or the color of an announcer's shirt. In other news, Microsoft took a District Court to task for failing to recognize the existence of prior art for the Eolas web plug-in patent, resulting in a $521 million judgment against the software giant."

6 of 266 comments (clear)

  1. Incentives?? by SIGALRM · · Score: 4, Insightful
    methods and apparatus for encouraging viewers to pay attention to television programs, commercials in particular, by offering viewers some incentive to watch
    The best incentive would be decent programming.

    One more reality show like "Wife Swapping" and I'm going to kill my TV...
    --
    Sigs cause cancer.
  2. Huh? by Tsali · · Score: 3, Insightful

    We actually need to encourage people to sit around and watch television? Come on....

    Sedentary life is its own reward.

    --
    This space for rent.
  3. The good old days by filtur · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I remember when good tv shows used to be the incentive to watch tv.

  4. I call shenanigans! by DeepHurtn! · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When was TV anything else besides a barren wasteland of corporate-enforced mediocrity?

  5. Local News... by changa · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I thought local shows have been doing this for years with contests?

    "Just write down the the name of the visitor in today's show and send a postcard to Win a CAR P.O. blah blah..."

    I seem to remember these as far back as the 80's.

    That and local news pulling similar tricks to get you to watch.

  6. Re:Come on by Metallic+Matty · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "ITs getting to a point that Microsoft is going to have a patent on everything."

    You think Microsoft has a lot of patents? Check out IBM.