Google Awarded Broad Patent For Location-Based Advertising

Mashable has a report of a patent that just issued (6-1/2 years after filing) — apparently Google now has a lock on location-based advertising. It's not clear that the search company intends to assert the patent against any other companies (such as emerging rival Apple), but it's useful as leverage. Here is the patent. Update: 03/02 14:34 GMT by S : Reader butlerm noted that the incorrect patent was linked. It now points to the correct URL.

Comments

Let's hope they use it.

[Akido37]

I hope Google sues anyone who uses location-based advertising. That way, only Google will broadcast my location to advertisers. Avoid Google's product, and BAM! Privacy.

Seriously, though, Apple is already trying to stop app developers from using location information solely for advertising: http://developer.apple.com/iphone/news/archives/2010/february/#corelocation

Re:Let's hope they use it.

[ls671]

WTF, there is something I still don't get about this. Many low budget sites are already using geoIP to target you better. Have you ever been to a site where there is an add to a dating site showing gorgeous girls that always happen to live in your area ? ;-)

I assume that with just a little bit more money, sites could cross-reference the geoIP data with a real advertiser databases and show real adds from merchants near you. Heck, I am sure a bunch of web advertising companies already use geoIP !

Can anybody enlighten me on how Google was able to obtain a patent regarding this idea ? Also is this patent only valid in the US ?

Re:Apple must have known this was coming

[LostCluster]

Apple hasn't banned location ads, they've just required that in order to access the location, you must have a feature that uses it other than the ads.

WTF? Prior Art! - IP Address-based geolocation

[naz404]

What gives? Google applied for the patent in 2004, but I've been seeing IP Address-based geolocation-targeted ads since way before 2004. You'd be served different different ads depending on where you lived based on your IP address.

How is this different?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geolocation_software

Re:Been done 100 times and more

[somewhere in AU]

.."not yet" being operative word.

So I implemented first mobile POI & friend-to-friend app on WAP handsets in 2000.. and now in 2010 on re-entry to market with GPS enabled iPhone if I want to host ads on top based on location (duh, obvious) I am open to legal threat by Google for even touching this entire concept?

Regardless of intent/preventative aspects its still just a granted land-grab, here I claim all this land west of the river thing..

I can't count the number of times this whole "get ads while you walk down the streets" was pushed and done in various forms in 99/00 dotcom era and while I hated the idea done that way Google shouldn't now be granted in 2010 patent on "location based ads".. shut down the entire world and hand it to them on platter?

Legal wrangling & threats get won by those with biggest pockets.. simple.. de-facto monopoly granting right there in one.. thanks USPTO

Google needs a war chest.

[miffo.swe]

The problem with the current patent system is that Google needs a war chest full of patents to survive. When Microsoft goes on a rampage like they do now, demanding anyone using linux to pay Microsoft its essential.

Having a patents like this makes Google less of a target.

The system is utterly broken but i dont blame the companies playing the game, i blame the stupid politicians who allow this.

Wrong patent

[butlerm]

The link both in the original post and in the cited article (to say nothing of dozens of other articles) cites the wrong patent.

The correct one is patent application 20050050027, but the patent number seems to be harder to track down. In fact I am not sure it has been granted at all.

The incorrectly linked patent is about remote ad selection for broadcast radio stations, which is not particularly relevant here.

Re:Wrong patent

[butlerm]

After a little more checking: The correct patent is patent 7,668,832 granted Feb 23, 2010 as listed here

Note to web log authors: You can't use just any old URL. Some URLs have content that changes over time. The PTO web site may return a different patent every day if you don't actually query (and thus generate a URL based on) patent number.