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Apple patent proposes locked ads in video content

updated 11:55 am EST, Fri March 5, 2010

'Free' video service under consideration?


A newly-exposed Apple patent application suggests that the company has been contemplating the prospect of ad-supported video. In particular the filing documents a way of locking down content so that segments are inaccessible until certain ad blocks have been watched. Viewers would only be able to fast-forward, for example, up until a bar on a timeline representing the furthest of the unwatched ads.

The basic concept is already applied at some websites, namely Hulu, which uses advertising to pay for streaming movies and TV shows. It not known what Apple might have in mind for the technology, if it makes use of it at all. The company is however said to be strongly interested in streaming video to iTunes customers, doing away with the need to sync files to every device where video can be watched. Several complex issues exist, such as rights negotiations and whether or not to support universal standards like DECE.



by MacNN Staff

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 patents, video, TV, Apple

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  1. Flying Meat

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2007

    +4
    03/05, 12:30pm | report spam | Reply |

    That would be really bad, Apple.

    Don't do it!

  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +8
    03/05, 12:42pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    but

    Isn't this the same thing that web sites have been doing for years? h***, go to Yahoo to watch a news video, and they insist you watch an ad first.

    So what makes this patentable and not pre-existing art?

  1. ggirton

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 1999

    +4
    03/05, 03:24pm | report spam | Reply |

    If that's not evil

    If that's not evil I don't know what is.

  1. Constable Odo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2007

    +2
    03/05, 03:50pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    I'm perfectly happy with that method...

    I've been using a Korean drama site called www.dramafever.com and they use the same method. I'm completely happy with it. I know the site has to make money somehow. You are offered access to uninterrupted viewing by paying a Premium fee to watch dramas. Since I don't use the site that much, I'm happily willing to watch episodes by watching commercial content. I don't see what the problem is and why this method is considered evil. You have choices. Don't watch at all, close your eyes and ears when the commercial comes on or pay for Premium (no commercial) content. To me, watching the commercial is easily worth being able to watch the content I want to see. Streaming content doesn't come for free, so why would anyone expect those sites to lose money and just go out of business and you'll have nothing.

  1. bauhaus

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2003

    0
    03/05, 05:15pm | report spam | Reply |

    Hulu

    Seriously, Hulu anyone? This is so NOT patentable (or if it is, it should belong to someone else a long time ago because the prior art is huge)

  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -1
    03/05, 06:14pm | report spam | Reply |

    Re: Hulu

    Well, after giving it some thought, it is of course patentable. All those other things mentioned are streamed. Apple's patenting downloaded content. So the medium is just slightly different. (You know, the way those patent trolls get a patent on something because they said "portable music device" instead of 'computing device').

    But it surely should not be something that could be patentable.

  1. howiethemacguy

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2007

    -2
    03/07, 09:46am | report spam | Reply |

    s**** this!

    I just won't use any services that Apple offers that make use of this kind of thing. I won't be forced into watching ads. I don't even do this with other services. Why would I start now?

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