The US Patent and Trademark Office has recently published an application from Google to patent a one-click pay-per-call advertising system for mobile phones.
Google’s proposed system would make it possible for users of web-enabled handsets to click once on an ad, and have their call routed directly to that advertiser. The increasing convergence of cell phones with the internet is increasing the potential profit of such a business model. Survey data suggests that 71% of small to mid sized businesses would rather pay for a phone call than a click to their website, which furthers the case for the pay-per-call advertising model.
Whether Google will be able to get a patent on their idea, however, is far from a sure thing. The USPTO is notoriously strict about issuing business method patents, with an average approval rate of just one in ten applications.
Despite these odds, patent attorney Aaron Chatterjee, believes that Google’s request is specific enough that it could be approved. “I think they have a chance,” he was quoted as saying.
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