[opendtv] Re: Philips' invention blocks DVRs, set-tops from skipping TV ads

Hi, 
Bert Manfredi: 
> So it was a Philips-USA invention. It wasn't anyone smoking illegal
> substances in Eindhoven after all.

No, if you read the patent: 

United States Patent Application        20060070095 A1 
Newton; Philip Steven ;   et al.        March 30, 2006 
Apparatus and method for preventing switching from a channel during an 
advertisement display 
Inventors: Newton; Philip Steven; (Eindhoven, NL) ; Kelly; Declan Patrick; 
(Eindhoven, NL) 
Correspondence Name and Address: 
    PHILIPS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & STANDARDS
    P.O. BOX 3001
    BRIARCLIFF MANOR
    NY 10510 US

It is (or was ?) customary to file US patents from the Briarcliff address. 

The original European patent is from 2 years ago: 
  WO-2004054259 A1   Publ. date: 2004-06-24 



This news made a headline on the front page of last Friday's local 
newspaper, coincidentally the same day that I've met our CEO in person. 
I thought it better not to bring up the subject...  Anyway, I have yet 
to meet anyone who does not see this as a (bad) joke. So relax... 

> Possibly, broadcasters could lobby the FCC or Congress to make this
> function mandatory in new TV appliances. Because, again, I can't imagine
> why consumers would possibly demand products with such features.

Thing is, if anybody ever wants this, they gotta pay us for the invention. 

But IMO it's 99% likely that nobody is ever going to implement this. 

> If word gets around, it could backfire. What if confused consumers think
> this stuff is already built into Philips sets?

Judging from the angry reactions, it is already backfiring.  :-( 
But that is to be expected. ANY measures for content management are not 
going to be appreciated by the public, who want everything to be free. 
I suppose that deep in our heart we are all communists ? 

Best regards, 
-- Jeroen

+-------------------------------+------------------------------------------+
| From:     Jeroen H. Stessen   | E-mail:  Jeroen.Stessen@xxxxxxxxxxx |
| Building: SFJ-5.22 Eindhoven  | Deptmt.: Philips Applied Technologies |
| Phone:    ++31.40.2732739     | Visiting & mail address: Glaslaan 2 |
| Mobile:   ++31.6.44680021     | NL 5616 LW Eindhoven, the Netherlands |
| Skype:  callto:jeroen.stessen | Website: http://www.apptech.philips.com/ 
|
+-------------------------------+------------------------------------------+


 
 
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