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BY VICTORIA CRAIG

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Have you ever wanted to know what someone buys with the gift card you gave them? Thanks to a new Amazon patent, you may have that power sooner than you thought. Seattle’s KING explains.

“The company recently received a patent for a new gift card system. It would let you recommend things for the recipient. It would also let you limit things that that person could buy and notify you of their purchases.”

Notifying the gift-giver of your purchases? Sound a little bit big-brotherish to you? You’re not alone. Two Fox Business anchors agree this new ability might not go over so well.

“What do you think Charles - I give you a gift card but I say, don’t buy a blender, or a vacuum cleaner. It’s creepy. That is weird. I don’t, you know, don’t give it to me if that’s the case.”

While the idea of gift card monitoring may be a tad creepy, a writer for Geek Wire advises readers to think beyond the obvious. What if you could control the number or type of video games your nephew buys? Or the amount of Twilight memorabilia your niece snatches up. In that case, maybe it’s not so bad.

“OK, in all seriousness, these are basically parental controls for gift cards — probably not the type of thing you would give to a friend or adult family member. And in that context it’s actually pretty interesting.”

In addition to the purchase monitoring patent, the US Patent and Trademark Office approved another one of Amazon’s unique ideas. PC World explains how the company’s second patent may put an end to regifting.

“Worried that your stodgy, anti-fun uncle will push his eggnog-stained literature on you -- when all you want is a Kindle Fire? Fear not! Another Amazon patent...creates a blacklist for gift-givers. If someone on your blacklist tries sending you a well-meaning-but-principally-awful gift via Amazon.com, you're automatically alerted and can return the item before it's even shipped, all without the gift-giver's knowledge.”

PC World reminds its readers that while these new patents may seem determined to kill joy, they’re still just patents -- and the ideas haven’t actually be enacted by Amazon -- yet.