Google tries to patent Web syndication ads

Google is claiming that it has invented a unique way to distribute online advertising via syndicated news feeds--and it wants a patent for the technology.

Link to article

If granted the patent Google could monopolize the RSS ads industry. I think that this time they have gone too far and I really hope that the patent office does not grant G this patent otherwise it would seriously hinder competition and innovation.

google HAS gone way too far on this one

The point is they are on about context sensitive. not advertising in general.

http://www.searchgrub.com/2005/07/30/google-patents-advertising-in-rss-feeds/

Dave

If they are first in line to request a patent on the technology, I really see no reason why they would not get it...

Not that they neccessarily should get it, but if their first in line, they are really supposed to be able to pull it off..

I'd have to agree with you also... if google can come up with a way to keep their idea out of the "public realm" - then they should be able to patent it.

FYI - Most patentable ideas must be new enough that they are not common knowledge. The time frame for this is typically a year.
(Interesting example: Fleece - a company on the east coast actually created the idea and marketed it before they had a patent. Before long, plenty of other companies were producing Fleece also. Too bad the original company failed to patent it, they missed the boat on that one.)

-Scott Fish