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Google Patent Proposes $2 Fee To Skip Commercials
theodp writes "A day after Google debuted its new Google TV website, the USPTO issued U.S. Patent No. 7,806,329 to the search giant for its Targeted Video Advertising invention. Among other things, the patent proposes having viewers take 5-10 minutes to 'fill out a consumer survey and perhaps to provide additional information such as a mailing address survey before starting the program' to avoid having to watch 10 minutes of commercials. 'As another alternative,' the patent continues, 'the broadcaster may offer the users an option to pay $2 (such as through a micro-payment system, such as GBuy) to exchange for skipping all commercials.' More from the patent: 'The system may allow a user to skip all of the promotions that they want to skip, but may also require the user to fully watch at least four promotions before the program will continue. Likewise, the system may require the user to follow activities that generate a certain amount of advertising revenue or advertising points (e.g., that may correspond directly or indirectly to advertising revenues) before the program will continue.'"
Citation necessary, we don't live in a capitalist society. The government regularly intervenes on behalf of business interests against the voters. Resulting in massive bubbles and a working class that can't afford to work. What's worse is that even as the working classes suffer more than at anytime in decades, the rich continue to get welfare from the government and whine about how they're not getting enough hand outs.
Adam Smith would be rolling in his grave if he heard you assert that this has any resemblance to what he envisioned as capitalism.