An old patent filed by Microsoft for the upcoming Kinect bundled with the Xbox One may serve as a very restrictive and annoying form of visual DRM.
The technology at work in the patent will utilize Kinect's always-on camera to determine how many people are sitting in an area watching a movie on the Xbox One. If the number of people exceeds the maximum number of viewers permitted by the film license, the user will be prompted to pay an additional fee to upgrade the license.
The additional fee is based on a per movie license that the user agrees to when they rent or purchase a film through the Xbox One and is based on a per film or per movie studio setting.
Again, this is an old patent, but sources in the UK gaming industry told MCV within the past month that the system will be included with the Xbox One. Microsoft's only statement on the matter says that the company "regularly applies for an receives patents as part of its business practice, not all patents applied for or received will be incorporated into a Microsoft product." That can also be read as "we're not saying yes this is included, but we're also not saying it isn't."
The technology at work in the patent will utilize Kinect's always-on camera to determine how many people are sitting in an area watching a movie on the Xbox One. If the number of people exceeds the maximum number of viewers permitted by the film license, the user will be prompted to pay an additional fee to upgrade the license.
"The users consuming the content on a display device are monitored so that if the number of user-views licensed is exceeded, remedial action may be taken."
The additional fee is based on a per movie license that the user agrees to when they rent or purchase a film through the Xbox One and is based on a per film or per movie studio setting.
Again, this is an old patent, but sources in the UK gaming industry told MCV within the past month that the system will be included with the Xbox One. Microsoft's only statement on the matter says that the company "regularly applies for an receives patents as part of its business practice, not all patents applied for or received will be incorporated into a Microsoft product." That can also be read as "we're not saying yes this is included, but we're also not saying it isn't."
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