Microsoft and Barnes and Noble recently came to terms on a new way to distribute the company’s ebooks on the upcoming Windows 8 operating system. This will drastically increased the footprint of B&N digital titles, which remain USA only. Microsoft may have found a new way to offer ebooks at a cheaper rate with a new patent to display contextual advertising within the books.
Microsoft said that “Contextual advertisements may provide targeted advertising to consumers using relevant consumer information, as well as contextual information associated with the e-book hosting the advertisement.” So basically, the way the new patent is thought to work is based on the genre of the book you are reading. You will be served advertisements based on the genre. So if you are reading a science fiction book, you might see ads for other books in the similar genre or maybe a new high-tech device. If you are reading an erotica book, you may see furry handcuffs or a cat-of-nine-tails.
Get the full scoop on the exact semantics of the new patent filed HERE.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
