Microsoft patent calls for charging ad skippers
Our sister blog Adjab is running a post about a patent application from Microsoft that it says would apparently allow PVR users to be charged for skipping over ads. The patent can be seen here.
"In addition to the revenue obtained from viewers for monthly content subscriptions and pay-per-view purchases, these advertisements for products and services are a large source of revenue for a provider of the media content," the patent application reads. "However, advertisers will be increasingly unwilling to have their advertising messages communicated with media content that a viewer can navigate to skip over the advertisements.
"Accordingly, media content providers need to provide alternate advertisement revenue models so that advertisers will continue to sponsor advertising messages being delivered with media content for consumer viewing."
So the solution, according to Microsoft's patent application, is to charge people when they skip these commercials and possibly charge them less in monthly fees when they do watch the advertisements.
Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. Excellent idea,
So would also get a price reduction if we fast forward through the boring parts of the program or a pro rated refund if we stop watching it. Of couse then they would get extra money if we repeated a section of the program because some in the room was talkng. Maybe if we fast forward thru the commercial would cheaper than a 30 second skip do to subliminal partial viewing.
If I needed more credit to pay back PPV movie charges, I could watch some prime time commercials over and over again to buld up credits.
The billing possibilities are endless.
I can't wait to get may next 30 page bill showing me my account balacnce based on fast forward,rewind and skip buttons.
Posted at 4:30AM on Nov 22nd 2005 by Bruce
7. Oh, I can't wait for our next Great Depression, when all this hubris is crushed like a cockroach.
Actually, I hope they do this, so I'll have an excuse to stop watching TV altogether (kind of like $8.00 per pack of cigarettes helped me to quit smoking).
Posted at 10:06AM on Sep 27th 2005 by L'Emmerdeur
8. Do we get a discount if we've already seen the commercial 100 times? I'll never watch BBC America again if this happens...
Posted at 5:37PM on Sep 27th 2005 by Paul
9. This just shows how clueless these people are, why not choose your own commericals? Most commericals i watch are irrelavant to me..But its all about restraining technonlogy rather then enabling it. These guys need a common sense class.
Posted at 11:26AM on Sep 28th 2005 by dave
1. I think people are jumping to conclusions. "charging for adds" isn't what i read here, discounts for watching adds is what I see.
Imagine you skip adds and pay the regular subscription price of xx dollars a month.
YOu watch a lot of adds and recieve a credit at the end of the month! Cool beans. . i'm for it.
Posted at 8:40AM on Nov 2nd 2005 by chris