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Philips Patents Technology to Force Ad Viewing

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the pure-evil dept.

An anonymous reader writes "According to New Scientist, Philips has filed a patent for technology to force viewers to watch the ads 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: "Philips' patent 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."

3 of 823 comments (clear)

  1. Re:offensive by DrinkDr.Pepper · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I hate the forced adverts on DVD. what pisses me off even more is when they aren't even advertising products, they're just forcing me to watch their "copying DVDs is piracy and is the same as mugguing someone so don't do it" bullshit, on a DVD I've just fucking copied anyway.

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    0xfeedface
  2. Hooray! by theonetruekeebler · · Score: 1, Redundant
    This is the greatest patent ever! Do you know why? Because if anybody else tries to make you watch an entire ad, they get sued by Philips!

    This is the best thing that ever happened ever, and I can't wait to buy me a Sony!

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    This is not my sandwich.
  3. Re:Still fine by me by jadavis · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Don't worry about getting your money back. It will be a FreeVee.

    ("Running Man" reference)

    --
    Social scientists are inspired by theories; scientists are humbled by facts.