BIG trouble for the web.

MattVortex · **Posted:** October 31st, 2006, 9:11 am

It turns out that IBM own a 15-year-old patent for one of the biggest sources of revenue on the internet: Advertising.

Basically speaking, IBM owns a patent for displaying advertising and information on a single web page. This also extends to making the ads relevant to the page, and choosing ads relevant to the location of the viewer.

Apparently, thats 50% of the web. Billions of websites, and every single webmaster could soon owe IBM money.

This could spell trouble for the entire web.

Big trouble.

More info: http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3848&tag=nl.e622

Adbot · **Posted:** October 31st, 2006, 9:11 am

Sev · **Posted:** October 31st, 2006, 9:35 am

Amazing. I never knew IBM was so powerful.

Kronic · **Posted:** October 31st, 2006, 7:01 pm

7870074 wrote:

Amazing. I never knew IBM was so powerful.

Pssh, IBM is the reason Microsoft is so big today. If IBM hadn't made a contract and shared some of their CP/M operating system technology with Microsoft, Microsoft might not be as big as it is now.

Could be serious for the Net, but you can't deny that IBM pulled a very smart move here.

Kyle · **Posted:** October 31st, 2006, 7:15 pm

Smells like some serious trouble for the web...

Ryan · **Posted:** November 2nd, 2006, 2:00 pm

Internets going down. We better fork up some money. *pulls pockets out*

Guys I'm skint, help?