[BubblePuppy]

This Kinect Patent Is Terrifying, Wants To Charge You For License Violation.A patent filed by Microsoft last year, but only made public last week, wants to turn your Xbox 360′s Kinect into an instrument via which large companies can monitor your media usage and, if you're found to be in violation of something, charge you for it.

And no, I am not making that up.

The patent application, titled "CONTENT DISTRIBUTION REGULATION BY VIEWING USER", is a means of using Kinect to monitor not just what you're watching (or listening to) on your Kinect, but more importantly, how many people.

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2012/11/th...ng-wants-to-charge-you-for-license-violation/

I'm not sure this is "terrifying" but just a bit (a very very small bit, if at all) worrisome.

 

[Shades228]

I smell FUD

 

[djlong]

Yeah, there's FUD there but there IS something at the bottom of this.

As I read the info - it would appear that MS wants to have a tool that will make sure that a 'residential' license for something like Netflix or MLB.TV isn't being used in a bar for public exhibition. They seemed to mention 'streaming services' a lot.

Now, like *any* tool, this can certainly be abused.

 

[BubblePuppy]

All it takes is an idea and the technology to implement it and there will be those who will take it to the extreme. Especially when there is $$$ to be made.

 

[dpeters11]

Of course plenty of patents never see the light of day in actual use.