Microsoft patents the super cookie
Yesterday, the USPTO awarded Microsoft a patent for tracking usage behavior in computer systems. Similar to what's known as web beacons and domain cookies, Microsoft's new patent describes ways to track users through invisible images and tiny cookies.
US Patent 7039699, as it is formally known, will provide developers with an Application Program Interface (API) which can be called from languages such as JavaScript, ASP, and VBScript. The permanent cookie will can contain four data types consisting of bits, counters, dates, and strings. In the patent description, Microsoft also notes that the cookie is flexible enough to allow for new data types in the future. But boring technical details aside, what is Microsoft's goal with the patent? Nothing but the obvious.
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