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."

Comments

Sounds silly now...

[PhysicsPhil]

...but how did it seem twelve years ago when the patent was filed? Nobody knew what the Internet was capable of, and it may well have been a unique insight. Hell if the patent office had just been granted twelve years ago, it would expire about 5 years from now. With IPTV probably still a few years out, it wouldn't make much difference to how things unfold.

Hypertext Link

[onion2k]

What is a "hypertext link"? My definition of "hypertext" is a series of documents linked together by related words that can be navigated by clicking on highlighted words. As soon as a tag starts doing things like controlling a television the document stops being "hypertext". In purely academic terms, what Microsoft has patented as I understand it is actually impossible.

Okay, so they got the patent.

[CodeShark]

Let the fireworks begin. Bet this doesn't stand for more than six months..., as I would guess that there is some prior art out there to invalidate it.

Like the fact that IIRC there were TV tuner cards back in the DOS/Apple II days, and applications that could write text onto the graphic screen at the same time. I personally wrote an app in Clipper that allowed a user to click on an image from a TV screen capture, and move to different places in the application based on "member data", and that was a not too difficult application by a solo programming newbie at the time. Authoring software anyone? Dragon's lair or Space Ace video games? do they apply?.

What think ye all?

Why is it?

[Swamii]

Why is it that when Microsoft wins a patent-related lawsuit, the Slashdot story's primary icon is the "patent pending on silverware" icon, and yet, when Microsoft loses a patent-related lawsuit, the Slashdot story's primary icon is the "justice" icon (example)?

This kind of journalistic prejudice implies that when Microsoft wins a patent lawsuit, patents are evil, but when Microsoft loses a patent lawsuit, justice is being served. The truth of the matter is that the patent system is being abused and needs to be changed regardless of whether Microsoft is winning or losing lawsuits.