Philips forced ads for TV and phones

There’s news around the web that Philips has filed a patent to allow television sets to lock the audience into a commercial break, forcing the couch potatoes to sit through the commercial. Ars Technica takes this one step further and plots out the possible ways for this to actually happen, foregoing freedom of choice, absurdity and providing a unique opportunity to order a product right after it was advertized via mobile phone.

The fundamental downside to merely forcing commercials to run unimpeded is that the viewer retains freedom of movement which would allow him or her to leave the room, cover the TV with a blanket, or eat or use a product in direct competition with an advertisement. For the propaganda to be most effective, the device needs to work in concert with the couch to prevent any unauthorized activity or movement while a commercial is running. Ideally, all phones in the vicinity would also be put on hold, and it would become impossible to deactivate the TV, even if unplugged.