Here’s How Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Could Revolutionize How You Pay For Entertainment

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) was in the news Tuesday over its new Xbox One gaming and entertainment console, but it seems that much of the post-launch discussion was not as positive as one might have thought. We could certainly assess that the launch event was considered a bit underwhelming in some corners. Perhaps only time will tell whether the gaming public will defy the reports and  flock to the stores to get the latest console from a company that hadn’t updated its console in several years.

But if a certain trademark application goes through with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will likely raise some eyebrows in the gaming and entertainment space. The application was recently discovered and it showed Microsoft pushing to trademark a “per-user-view” payment system, which would essentially grant  temporary licenses  for users to watch certain content and if the limit is exceeded, a user would have to pay for a new license.

Can you imagine Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) holding people to watch “House of Cards” just once on the current subscription, and users could not go back to it until it pays an additional amount? Yep, that is how we’re seeing this looking like.

To be a bit more specific, it appears that the application would allow a single user to buy a temporary license to consume content (a game or a movie, for example) with a menu of options, for a certain price.

If that license is exhausted, then the user loses the license and the ability to use the content until it pays for another license. So far we can’t tell whether multiple people can use the same license or whether the license is limited to a single physical address or a single Xbox unit, so we may have to see how this plays out. If a family wanted to see a show and each member of the family was watching it at different times, would each member have to use their own licenses, or can a single user license apply to all members of the household?

Still some questions about this, but it certainly seems that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is looking to take a novel approach with its entertainment options.

What are your thoughts? Let us know about Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and this latest patent application in the comments section below.

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