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Microsoft Seeking to Patent Automatic Censorship

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the tom-petty-free-playlists dept.

theodp writes "Microsoft is back at the USPTO, this time seeking a patent for the automatic censorship of audio data for broadcast, a system and method for automatically altering audio to prevent undesired words and phrases from being understandable to a listener as originally uttered."

8 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. That's a ________ idea! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I ____ _____ that Microsoft would _____ ____ customers and _________ something like ______ ________!!!

  2. Well, sounds like a good idea by moochfish · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sounds like it will be used primarily for Xbox Live to make sure 9 year olds don't get cussed out by some pissed off gamers. Sounds like it'll be a feature most consumers will welcome.

    This sounds a lot more novel than most of the other patents they get that tend to get highlighted on Slashdot. Is it totally novel? Well, I can't speak for any of the experts out there, but at least it's not blaringly obvious, commoditized technology.

  3. So I guess... by 7macaw · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...no more talking about Linux on the radio, eh?

    --
    Grundes!
  4. Sounds very sick by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What kind of fucked-up parent lets their 9 year old play XBox Live in the first place?

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
  5. Censorship by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let us take a fine example from the wonderful lore of Douglas Adams and simply replace every one of our cuss words with the galaxy's worst word: Belgium.

    Belgium to those Belgiuming Belgiumers who censor our every Belgiuming word!

  6. won't someone think of the children by soupforare · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it."

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    --- Do you believe in the day?
  7. Most. Trollish. Slashdot. Article. Ever. by Mr.Bananas · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wow, I didn't think it would be possible to bring together so many things that Slashdot readers love to hate into one single post, but this article has almost done it:

    - Microsoft
    - Software Patents
    - Censorship

    Now, if only Microsoft could extend or apply this patent to automatically censor the topics "evolution" and "open source" ...

  8. Re:New Words by xixax · · Score: 5, Funny

    Someone ought to Gates those Clippys up the Allchin and kick them in the Balmers for coming up with an idea that's so WinFS.

    --
    "Everything is adjustable, provided you have the right tools"