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Microsoft Patents the Mother of All Adware

Posted by Zonk on from the clippy-has-a-couple-cheap-watches-to-offer dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Ars Technica has an article on the mother of all adware patents filed by Microsoft: 'It's such a tremendously bad idea that it's almost bound to succeed. Microsoft has filed another patent, this one for an "advertising framework" that uses "context data" from your hard drive to show you advertisements and "apportion and credit advertising revenue" to ad suppliers in real time.' Ars discusses this disturbing concept, which was originally unearthed by Information Week and we first discussed last week."

10 of 378 comments (clear)

  1. "Context data" by InvisblePinkUnicorn · · Score: 5, Funny

    I wonder, if my hard drive is filled with pirated Microsoft software, will they show me advertisements for The Pirate Bay?

  2. Best news all day by ajs · · Score: 4, Funny

    We can only hope that this makes it into an early service pack for Vista, and that Microsoft announces it poorly, resulting wholesale defection of their corporate user-base to Apple and Linux-based desktops.

  3. Yes, they will but... by neoshroom · · Score: 3, Funny

    I wonder, if my hard drive is filled with pirated Microsoft software, will they show me advertisements for The Pirate Bay?

    Yes, you will get advertising for The Pirate Bay, but don't be fooled -- every other computer near you will get advertisements for the BSA.

    --
    Big apple, new Yorik, undig it, something's unrotting in Edenmark.
    1. Re:Yes, they will but... by InvisblePinkUnicorn · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Yes, you will get advertising for The Pirate Bay, but don't be fooled -- every other computer near you will get advertisements for the BSA."

      And then I'll start getting advertisements offering to have Jack Abramoff simultaneously lobby for and against my defense.

  4. Re:More reasons by solevita · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's hope someone gets this bad boy working under WINE.


    /Sarcasm

  5. Re:Prior Art by erroneus · · Score: 3, Funny

    Could that be what they have in mind? A free OS I mean?

  6. Adding a few words by Andy_R · · Score: 3, Funny

    Given that patents can be awarded for '(existing idea) but on the internet', I wonder if the formulation '(existing idea) over my dead body' is also allowable?

    --
    A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
  7. Conclusion. by neoshroom · · Score: 3, Funny

    The only thing between us and quiet dinners is a patent on telemarketing.

    The only thing between us and world peace is a patent on warfare.

    And, the only thing between me and a karma deficit is a patent on insightful commentary.

    --
    Big apple, new Yorik, undig it, something's unrotting in Edenmark.
  8. Re:microsoft to users by InvisblePinkUnicorn · · Score: 3, Funny

    "involving your ass with some ascii: Microsoft -> you (pre-patent) ( o ) microsoft -> you (post-patent) ( O ) any questions?"

    Are you saying my fluffy bunny tail will get even fluffier after the patent? Woohoo!!!

  9. Re:Prior Art by Ucklak · · Score: 5, Funny

    [microsoft_speaking]

    Well, you only paid for a license to use our software based upon our terms.
    We're changing the terms of the license. Pray we don't alter the terms any further.

    [/microsoft_speaking]

    --
    if you steal from one source, that is plagiarism, if you steal from many, well, that's just research.