You know it's time to stop watching TV

It's hard to figure out where to start pointing out just how ridiculous this story is. Philips has patented a system for inserting flags into television broadcasts that would prevent you from changing the channels during commercials or prevent you from fast forwarding if watched on a DVR. Yes, this is a "feature" that not a single person in this world would want -- except perhaps folks like former TV exec Jamie Kellner, who once said that people who went to the bathroom during commercial breaks were "stealing" TV. To deal with the fact that this is a feature no one wants, Philips has the positively lovely suggestion that when such "forced" advertisements were playing, a note can pop up on the screen giving you the opportunity to pay extra to change a channel or fast forward. It's not hard to imagine how that would go over. Who would actually buy a TV that had such functionality included? What will they work on next? A couch that won't let you stand up and walk away during commercial breaks? Or how about a toilet seat that won't open during commercials? However, more to the point, why is this patentable? The idea isn't unique or innovative. It's pretty obvious. It's just absolutely pointless.