NetZero Gets Patent for Ad Display Process

By Karen Kaplan

Dec. 11, 2000 12 AM PT

Free Internet service provider NetZero last week won a U.S. patent for the process that allows ISPs to display advertisements on a window or toolbar that is separate from a Web browser. The Westlake Village company relies on targeted advertising instead of monthly user fees for the bulk of its revenue. But even pay ISPs such as EarthLink Network and America Online are increasingly dependent on ad revenue, said NetZero Chairman and Chief Executive Mark R. Goldston. The company is investigating whether its new patent gives it the right to extract licensing fees from its competitors, said spokeswoman Allison Chesher.

Technology and the Internet Business

Karen Kaplan

Karen Kaplan covers science and medical research for the Los Angeles Times. She has been a member of the science team since 2005, including 13 years as an editor. Her first decade at The Times was spent covering technology in the Business section as both a reporter and editor. She grew up in San Diego and is a graduate of MIT and Columbia University.

NetZero Gets Patent for Ad Display Process

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