electronic tv program guides, NetTopBox & patents

[<xdrudis@tinet.org>]

Not that I know much about TV, but I though somebody might be
interested. Looks like another attempt to control the media, 
with patents. 


"Electronic Program Guides are a little-known area, but a pretty crucial
 one as consumer media starts to meet the Internet. You wouldn't think
 that the idea of a directory of programs on the tube would be novel,
but
 the Patent Office, after a careful search of their own files,
determined
 that no patents had been issued and this was therefore new and then
 proceeded to award a few hundred patents.

 That means the gateway into your television is now the private property
 of a couple of big media companies. And, if you look at TV Guide®, you
 can see that innovation isn't exactly flourishing in this area."

 Carl Malamud is one of the founders of the Internet Multicasting
 Service, and is currently working on NetTopBox -- an attempt to route
 around the heavily-patented, multi-billion dollar Electronic Program
 Guide (EPG) industry and build a distributed, open media guide. 

 http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2002/05/10/malamud.html

Xavi Drudis Ferran
xdrudis@tinet.org