Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft Patents the Censoring of Speech

Posted by Soulskill on from the %$!#-!%-!%!$-##%-$@#! dept.

theodp writes "On Tuesday, the USPTO awarded Microsoft a patent for the Automatic Censorship of Audio Data for Broadcast, an invention that addresses 'producing censored speech that has been altered so that undesired words or phrases are either unintelligible or inaudible.' The patent describes methods for muting offensive words and replacing them with less offensive versions, and 'a third alternative provides for overwriting the undesired word with a masking sound, i.e., "bleeping" the undesired word with a tone.' After all, there's nothing worse than being subjected to offensive speech when you're shooting someone in the head."

4 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. Re:How original by Kifoth · · Score: 5, Funny

    You don't have to use Microsoft products, just switch to ###########

  2. Re:Useless by 4e617474 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Trust me when I say you can come up with new curses faster than you can code them into an automatic censorship proram...

    Pondering this make me feel a whole lot better about the whole enterprise. I'm all in favor of protecting budding young minds from the use of profanity as a substitute for creative expression... by teaching them that profanity is the inspiration for expressing yourself creatively. Also I like the thought of someone going to their manager and saying, "I need a ruling on 'defecating masonry'. Can we let that go?"

    --
    Finally modding someone offtopic when they rant about what "Begging the Question" means: priceless.
  3. Re:Oh come on..... by 4e617474 · · Score: 5, Funny

    What is next? "Microsoft wants to eat your babies"?

    No, no, no. "Microsoft Sues Baby Eaters for Copyright Infringement". Pay attention.

    --
    Finally modding someone offtopic when they rant about what "Begging the Question" means: priceless.
  4. Re:Useless by BrokenHalo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Pondering this make me feel a whole lot better about the whole enterprise.

    Good thinking. I often think the standard of cursing in this language tends to be woefully inadequate, consisting of the mindless and dull repetition of combinations of the same four-letter words. For once, Microsoft could be doing something positive to improve articulacy of profane expression. It might not be what they intend, but I won't lose any sleep over that. ;-)