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Apple Seeks Patent On Operating System Advertising
patentpundit writes "On April 18, 2008, Apple Computer applied for a patent relating to an 'invention' that allows for showing advertisements within an operating system. The first named inventor on the patent application is none other than Steve Jobs. The patent application published and became available for public inspection on October 22, 2009. If implemented, the invention would make it possible for advertisements to be displayed on a variety of devices, including desktop computers, cell phones, PDAs, and more. In one alarming aspect, the device could be disabled while the advertisements run, thereby forcing users to let the advertisement run its course before the system would unlock and allow further use. In an even more invasive scenario, explained in the patent application, the user could be required to do something, such as click to continue, in order to verify that they are actively watching the advertisement and haven't simply walked away while the ad runs. Whether Apple would implement such an invention is unknown, but it is possible that they think there are others out there who might want to implement such invasive advertising. It is possible Apple wanted to get ahead of the curve and file this patent so that if any company is silly enough to engage in Big Brother advertising, then Apple will get a royalty. I sure hope this is not the future of advertising."
I really hope they get the patent because then nobody else will be able to do it.
In other news, I use linux?
Ze Atomic Device! It iz Ztolen!
So long as there is a Free (not $$$ free) alternative, all they will do is push users to it.
Sometimes the best solution is to stop wasting time looking for an easy solution.
Doesn't putting a logo or a brand name on a product constitute advertising? That's been done all over operating systems since the beginning of time - prior art?
Without collusion that would drive buyers to other OSs.
Not even MS would do something that doucebaggery on their own
.... for an explanation from the apple fan boys why this is so awesome!
I recall reading about "free" PCs running Windows 98 that required the user to click and view ads every 30-60 minutes of computer use.
There were also plenty of "free" dial-up ISPs that required you to click their advertising banner every so often for the connection to stay alive.
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, START
If you don't intend to put ads in your OS, why would you need to protect yourself from someone else patenting it? No, this is a patent to preempt "free" advertising-supported commercial operating systems by competitors, namely Google.
As somebody who avoids Apple products I hope they are granted the patent and it is vigorously enforced. If a company wants to pursue such amazingly stupid advertising techniques like these, I'd be just fine with having them confined to the Apple product line. (What I find interesting is Steve Jobs being listed as the "inventor". Does he have nothing better to do than sit around and come up with ways to screw over his customers?)
Even better is requiring other companies (who also wish to shoot themselves in the face) to pay to license the technology. Stupid company + expensive licensing fees + lost customers = failed stupid company == the system works.
"What do you despise? By this are you truly known." --Princess Irulan, Manual of Muad'Dib
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http://www.ubersoft.net/comic/hd/2000/12/next-logical-step
http://www.ubersoft.net/comic/hd/2000/12/next-logical-step-ii
Apple, if you really want to go forward with this please have your lawyers shower me with cash.
Eviscerati.Org: All Hail the Eviscerati
welcome our advertising-patenting overlords.
Seriously. I hope Jobs all the best in this patent pursuit. If Apple succeeds, then I can avoid occurrences of this amazingly offensive idea by the simple expedient of avoiding Apple operating systems, a course of action I'm already pretty much committed to for ample reasons of Apple's corporate citizenship and customer relations.
As far as I'm concerned, this patent will be the legal equivalent of encysting a noxious parasite for 20 years.
Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
company is silly enough to engage in Big Brother advertising
The Big Brother metaphor has finally been dealt its final blow. Big Brother advertising is propaganda. I think a better term for this new patent would be "Jerk Advertising"
There is prior art from 2002: http://www.bbspot.com/News/2002/10/bsod_ads.html
After all, they are the advertising kings and now they may have to pay royalties to Apple for the right to embed ads in their own Android OS. How embarrassing for them.
The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
Isn't this the definition of adware ?
..so software that creates unwanted advertising pop-ups is called "malware" and the authors of such are prosecuted, but then someone decides to write an operating system that does that by design!? What sort of Bizzarro universe did I wake up into this morning anyway? No fucking way, not even if the OS is free would I put up with that shit!
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
Isn't that anti-slashdot-zeitgeist though? Patenting something simply so someone else can't do it? IMO, that sounds like a "patent troll," just not in the typical usage of the phrase.
And I have a hard time putting so much faith in Apple, which has done plenty to not deserve said faith, that they would not advertise - if nothing else, their own products. Apple is looking for money. Just like Microsoft and Google.
and makes it nearly impossible to install the OS (or first boot) a mac without buying .mac.
I have to experience with the former statements, but this is utter crap. I have installed 2 different releases on my Macbook, and never once did I see more than an ad for .Mac during the install. I was never prompted to create an account. It certainly never hindered my ability to book my machine.
Confine advertising to OSX, sounds good to me.
It would be funny if the ads kicked in when OS X detected installation on non-Apple hardware.
It is possible Apple wanted to get ahead of the curve and file this patent so that if any company is silly enough to engage in Big Brother advertising, then Apple will get a royalty.
So, best case scenario, Apple is a patent troll?
How is this not obvious? There are already devices that lock you out until you watch some advertising. DVD players, for example. This is just a case of grafting something like "in a computer operating system" onto the description of something that's already common. BTW - It could be argued that DVD players have a "primative" operating system
-- "At Microsoft, quality is job 1.1" -- PC Magazine, Nov. 1994
Not to mention the utter lack of any shovelware on a Mac install. No McAfee adds, Quicken shortcuts on your desktop, Printer supplies, etc, etc. There is none of that on any Mac. You get the OS, and no 3rd party crap that has to be uninstalled as soon as you unbox it.
I just don't see Apple pushing any of this into any of it's products, but it can certainly prevent others from doing it as well.
I will pay a significant amount of money (at least a few hundred dollars)
Per month? Because eventually, a home Internet connection that's compatible with an operating system that doesn't display ads will cost that much. Consider Trusted Network Connect, which allows a DHCP server to quarantine traffic until the the ISP can verify that your computer is running specific proprietary software. No ads, no IP address outside 169.254.0.0/16.
Now we will see soon a beowulf cluster of advertisements...
Oh come on, it's patently obvious what product Apple intends to use this on. People blabbering on about ads on their desktop are just engaging in fear-mongering...
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
You mean the same people who paid to software (OS) and hardware combination and didn't ask Apple what the heck that "impossible to change" Google search in OS Default browser will cause a riot against some ads?
What made me more than angry was the first release and later releases of Safari on fscking Windows had Yahoo search option. iPhone/iPod too. Believe or not, Apple is after couple of cents from Google and that is why they include Google by default. Apple, the 1.6 billion profit making company... I understand Mozilla, Opera but NOT Apple. Even MS is decent enough to show you choices in first IE screen.
Isn't that anti-slashdot-zeitgeist though? Patenting something simply so someone else can't do it? IMO, that sounds like a "patent troll," just not in the typical usage of the phrase.
Yes, but in this case it is altruistic patent trolling.
And I have a hard time putting so much faith in Apple, which has done plenty to not deserve said faith, that they would not advertise - if nothing else, their own products. Apple is looking for money. Just like Microsoft and Google.
In my opinion, this seems out of character for Apple. When I bought my HP netbook, it came with all kinds of crap including links on the desktop to websites like eBay. So far, this type of Apple has avoided this type of behaviour.
I agree that Apple is here to make money and ever since my iMac G5 died I have held a grudge against them but I will admit that their products are very nice, clean packages. Their current customers are in general people who can afford to pay extra money for an operating system and a hundred bucks off of a $2000 computer isn't significant.
I just don't see Apple pushing any of this into any of it's products, but it can certainly prevent others from doing it as well.
It's fairly easy to see Apple putting this into one of their products. It's also fairly obvious that that's exactly what this patent is for.
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
You get the OS, and no 3rd party crap that has to be uninstalled as soon as you unbox it.
Not strictly true. There have been third-party apps, such as a version of Omnigraffle and various games that have shipped with Macs and MacOS. However, it's generally not crap, doesn't draw attention to itself through advertising or require removal, it just sits there dormant unless you decide to use it. Apple also puts trial versions of iWork on Macs, and if memory serves correctly, has also pre-installed trial versions of MS Office in the past (but I might be wrong about that one) and definitely shipped with Internet Explorer at one time.
... and then they built the supercollider.
They're welcome to implement any feature they want. It's just business, nothing personal.
But if Apple *does* implement that particular feature, I will join Al Queda. Just sayin'.