Microsoft Patent Monetizes Your TV Remote

theodp writes "Microsoft, reports GeekWire, is seeking a patent on monetizing the buttons of your TV remote. In its application for a patent on 'Control-based Content Pricing,' Microsoft explains how one can jack up the cable bill of those who dare fast-forward past a diaper commercial or replay a sports highlight. From the patent application: 'If a user initiates a navigation control input to advance past (e.g., skip over) an advertisement, the cost of a requested on-demand movie may be increased. Similarly, if a user initiates a replay of a sporting event, the user may be charged for the replay control input and for each subsequent view control input.'"

Comments

too late

[alphatel]

I skipped this article.

Re:too late

[tqk]

At the end of a commercial break there will be a series of questions to see if you were paying attention.

I can think of *so* many ways to leverage this kind of thinking:

i) shoes that detect when they're being put on, automatically debiting your chequing acct. for each use, and for each step taken in them.

ii) Shirts that detect when they're being buttoned up. Ditto for zippers. Add modifiers for when used long sleeved, or rolled up.

iii) sunglasses that charge per solar day.

iv) clothing that detects seasons and charges by the year.

v) & etc.

I'm glad I'm not going to live long enough to see that world. The rest of you are welcome to it.

Re:too late

[BurningFeetMan]

They've already got you. You're clearly unhappy with the service, yet continue to subscribe...

Listen to your subconscious and give up the cable!

let's be consistent

[tverbeek]

Does the patent cover giving the customer a refund if she pushes the "off" button?

Re:let's be consistent

[MacTO]

You don't get it. Pushing the off button is equivalent to skipping all of the advertising, so you will have to pay even more.

I will always make sure...

[Anonymous Coward]

...that my TV is receive-only. No pay-TV, no on-demand, just unencrypted broadcasts. If you can't deliver that, I will just stop watching. Your move.

Re:Fortunately I don't habe a TV remote

[Anonymous Coward]

Obligatory Onion
http://www.theonion.com/articles/area-man-constantly-mentioning-he-doesnt-own-a-tel,429/

Re:Pointless, will not work without a monopoly

[fish waffle]

why would anyone use a service that forced them to pay to skip ads

You mean like slashdot subscriptions?

Might be a "Good Thing"...

[X!0mbarg]

Think about it this way: If anyone does try to implement this type of thing, they have to pay Micro$oft for the Patent.
Now, if they don't wish to put such a financial burden on a system such as this, (thus increasing its cost, and reducing its appeal to the end user), they'd opt to leave such a feature out.
Active DISCOURAGEMENT of a Bad Idea by Patenting it, so they can actually DENY it to folks, and the right to Sue if anyone actually Infringes!
Big Oil has been doing this for years, tho: Buying up high fuel efficiency ideas, patenting them, and Denying them to anyone, and suing them into the ground if they try to bypass their patent.

Not that I'm For such a "feature" on any system I'd subscribe to. This would be a decent way to head such a heinous money-grab off at the pass!

Maybe "Uncle Bills' Kids" aren't as bad as we all thought...

That, or I'm simply seeing a possibility that others are far more likely to Implement than avoid...

In THAT case, say Hello to rampant 'Product Placement' as revenue! After all, I don't see ANYONE wanting a system like this anywhere near their wallet!

A better way of advertising

[msobkow]

One thing advertisers don't seem to understand is that I actually like catching a new ad when I watch TV at a friend's place. Many of them are very artistic, cute, and funny.

But even a good joke told 5-6 times per day wears thin.

It's the broadcast time that is the majority of the expense for most advertisements, not the creation of the content. Stop torturing people with the same joke 50-60 times per week for a month at a time, and maybe they'll stop skipping over the ads. Show a new ad each day, or at least once a week.

But stop trying to hammer your "message" into us by repeating yourself ad-nauseum at full volume dozens of times per week. All you're doing is pissing off people and forcing them to use torrents and PVRs to escape your tripe.

Modern advertising is as annoying and effective as a two or three year old yelling "Mommie, mommie, mommie, can we..." over and over for three hours straight, trying to wear down their parents.

It's my money in the end. I'm not going to spend it on your products or give it to you just because you nag like a child. In fact, I'm likely to use your competitor's product because they're not insulting my intelligence and harassing me.

Alternate motive?

[kpainter]

I wonder if they plan use this to charge people for skipping Windows 8?

Re:Pointless, will not work without a monopoly

[Nerdfest]

Actually, if you participate regularly, SlashDot gives you the option to skip ads even without being a paying subscriber. Because of that, I don't block their ads.

next thing you know...

[s0litaire]

...we'll start getting "Drive by Rewinds"

A bunch of geeks high on red-bull and cheesy puffs in a 4x4 armed to the teeth with universal remote controls.
Driving the suburbs, Sega beats blaring from their iPhones, aiming their remo's at the houses pressing the rewind button.

Costing the poor householder $$$ in MS rewind fees...

Re:well fuck you!

[Opportunist]

When I pay for pay-per-view, then yes, I feel kinda entitled to watch the damn movie without them meddling with it. When I buy a DVD, I feel kinda entitled to watch the damn thing without first having to clean the kitchen to avoid the unskipable ads.

Get the idea?

When you sell me a product, I feel damn well entitled to use it!