We have ad-supported e-reading today, but the ads always sit on the periphery
at most. That makes us more than slightly nervous about a newly-granted
Microsoft patent for contextual e-book ads. The development would make
the pitch based on not just targeted pages but the nature of the book in
question: a sci-fi novel might try to sell lightsabers,
and characters themselves might slip into the ads themselves if there's
a fit. Promos could be either generated on the spot or remain static.
Before anyone mourns the end of unspoiled literature, just remember that
having a patent isn't the same as using it -- Microsoft doesn't have
its own dedicated reading app anymore, let alone any warning signs that it's about to pepper our digital libraries with marketing. If the Newco partnership results in copies of
War and Peace bombarded with
Black Ops II ads, though, we'll know where to place the blame.
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