Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Wins Hyperlink TV Pause Battle
TripMaster Monkey writes "The Register is running an interesting story on a patent recently granted to Microsoft. This patent, which covers 'pausing television programming in response to selection of hypertext link', among other things, has been in contention for over twelve years, and the language used in the patent reveals its age ('The Internet has recently exploded in popularity,' and, 'a computer user with a modem can get on-line.'). Despite its age, however, this patent, which covers 35 claims in all, will be of major importance in the impending IPTV battle in the States."
I'll just set up a network in India, Venezuela, Iran, etc. where you press a button on a remote control, which speed dials a number to an operator (standing by, of course) who clicks on a hyperlink on their screen which pauses, changes channels, adjusts volume, etc. for you on your PVR/TV/Media Center/WhatHaveYou!
And I'll base the headquarters in Cuba where they couldn't give a rat's patoot about IP laws.
Problem solved.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
You can easily work around this patent by slowing down the TV
stream by factor of 1000,0000,000 instead of just pausing it.
Who needs pause anyway?
During the last 12 years we all have improved our abilities
to multitask while surfing online. This is proven on a daily basis
by countless geeks masturbating *while* klicking hyperlinks (and
sometimes even while @ work). This is progress!
--- Eat my sig.
Pretty useless strategy if the people suing you don't actually do anything other than sue people for patent violations, and are therefore not violating any of your patents. Unless you somehow manage to get a patent on suing people for patent violations.