Kindle patents lay out plan for ads

Amazon.com has filed for a number of patents that hint at ad-supported books for its Kindle e-reader--more specifically, a free or discounted ad-supported e-book for customers who buy the physical version.

Amazon Technologies, a subsidiary of Amazon, filed for a patent ("Method and system for access to electronic version of a physical work based on user ownership of the physical work") in December 2006. It was approved last month and makes it possible for buyers of a physical book to have an e-book bundled with it.

But two additional patents, filed a year later by Amazon employees (and not yet approved), are the more interesting ones: these, according to MediaPost, "clearly note that Amazon would insert advertisements throughout the e-books, from the beginning to the end, between chapters or following every 10 pages, as well as in the margins."

It looks like the story first surfaced on Slashdot last Friday.

Presumably, this could be a way to guide potential Kindle customers through the transition--which some find daunting--from consuming primarily physical books to digital ones, subsidizing the price of either or both of them in the process.

Ad money would be an additional revenue stream for Amazon too.

This post was updated at 10:14 a.m. PT.

[Richard4RollTide]

Yeah, sorry, that still won't get me to buy Kindle. I'd rather have a book I can make quick notes in, tab it, or do whatever to it. And it definitely won't get me there if I have to see ads. I already make my life as ad free as possible.

[monkeyfun14]

You know a page marking feature or something to be able to jot notes down on a virtual page wouldn't be a bad idea and probably not hard to implement.

[istill316]

Amen.

If I'm reading a book, get the ads away!

Virtual notes would be very convenient.

[Xenophons_Gunny]

OH BOY! just what I'm looking for, more dang ads in my life. This comes in and I may decide my Kindle has all the content it needs.

[Xenophons_Gunny]

Er, monkeyfun14, the Kindle (at least my Kindle 1) aready has that feature.

[sodablue]

Why do you think the books will be free? Since Kindle is a closed system, they could still display ads even if you paid full price for the books. Much like how every DVD you buy now includes about 20 minutes of previews and other ads.

[tech_crazy]

The difference being that on a DVD you can use the menu to go directly to the movie and bypass the ads and trailers.

[bluemist9999]

@tech_crazy
You can only jump to the main menu in the DVD past the ads and trailers if the maker of the DVD allows you to. I've had DVDs where I cannot jump to the menu until I (at least) fast forward through the ads and trailers.

[bfrench1]

I'd take a free Kindle if it ran ads until the costs were fully subsidized. I'd let the ads continue if it earned my credits towards future ebook purchases.

Don't forget, advertising lubricates the gears of commerce. An ad-free or ad-minimal world is a pipe dream.

[El_Segfaulto]

I must have missed that memo as I was installing adblock, noscript, and flashblock. I will be damned if I become reduced to a commodity to sell to advertisers. I have more than enough ads in my life. I was having trouble deciding between a Sony reader and the Kindle, my decision has just been made far easier.

[Stefaninafla]

Honestly, so long as it is clearly stated as an ad supported service, I have no problems with it. I'll put up with a few ads for a good or service I get for free.

[aka_tripleB]

The minute that I get a Kindle, buy a "book" and find an ad in the book is the minute I can Amazon demanding my money back for the book. There's not enough of a discount for ebooks for them to also demand I have to see ads. I would go and get a new library card and not pay a dime for books and only pay for the ones I want to keep from some other store than Amazon.

[Inconnux]

I get ads too with the overprice kindle??? wow just what the kindle needs! I still state that the kindle is only a black and white text reader and should be priced at $50 max. Buy a netbook, you get a gadget with 100x the functionality at a far cheaper price.

[istill316]

I want an e-ink netbook.

[Josh_K_2222]

The ads are a definite drawback to an otherwise awesome product. It's interesting that this came out through their patent applications. For more on patents, see http://www.generalpatent.com/patent-enforcement