| United States Patent Application |
20040267556
|
| Kind Code
|
A1
|
|
Larson, Stephen C.
|
December 30, 2004
|
News subscription method
Abstract
The present invention provides a business method allowing for newspapers
to expose archival content to popular search engines and to prevent
revenue loss from users utilizing the free newspaper content provided by
public libraries by allowing free access to archival content and charging
a fee for recent content.
| Inventors: |
Larson, Stephen C.; (Clifton Springs, NY)
|
| Correspondence Name and Address:
|
STEPHEN C. LARSON
17 PLEASANT ST.
CLIFTON SPRINGS
NY
14432
US
|
| Serial No.:
|
610062 |
| Series Code:
|
10
|
| Filed:
|
June 30, 2003 |
| U.S. Current Class: |
705/1; 705/14 |
| U.S. Class at Publication: |
705/001; 705/014 |
| Intern'l Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
I claim:
1. An on-line news method providing users free access to archival content
and access to recent content on a paid subscription basis.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein recent content is published within a
specified number of days from the current date and archival content is
published before the specified number of days from the current date.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the specified number of days is seven.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention relates to a business method allowing for
newspapers to expose archival content to popular search engines and to
prevent revenue loss from users utilizing the free newspaper content
provided by public libraries by allowing free access to archival content
and charging a fee for recent content.
[0002] The present application is futher related to U.S. application,
"SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INCORPORATION OF PRINT-READY ADVERTISEMENT IN
DIGITAL NEWSPAPER EDITIONS", LARSON, Ser. No. 092674, SERIES CODE: 10,
FILED: Mar. 7, 2002 and to U.S. application, "METHOD AND APPARATUS TO
DISPLAY PAPER-BASED DOCUMENT ON THE INTERNET", LARSON, application Ser.
No. 10/404,499, FILED Apr. 1, 2003.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Modern newspapers are struggling to redefine themselves now that
the Internet provides an inexpensive means for publication. According to
the web site owned and maintained by Caslon Analytics Pty Ltd, of
Australia, Analysphere.com, the business model of offering free Internet
content and supporting the cost by advertisements has failed. They
suggest a solution comprising of charging a fee for archived content
(older content) while only offering for free headlines and teaser items.
The concept of charging a fee for archival content and offering only
selected headlines for free has been adopted world-wide with
international papers such as the Australian Financial Review, the London
Times, the Financial Times, and the South China Morning Post adopting
this model.
[0004] There are two problems arising from this model. First, public
libraries offer archival content from local and national libraries for
free. Therefore, a user can bypass paying for archival content by simply
obtaining a library card.
[0005] The second problem created by this model is that the archival
information becomes hidden behind a firewall. Popular search engines will
not have access to the information and will fail to provide users with
the information about the articles existence and the newspaper will
potentially lose customers.
[0006] There is a need therefore for a business method allowing for
newspapers to expose archival content to popular search engines and to
prevent revenue loss from users utilizing the free newspaper content
provided by public libraries.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is directed at overcoming the problems set
forth above. In particular, the present invention provides a business
method allowing for newspapers to expose archival content to popular
search engines and to prevent revenue loss from users utilizing the free
newspaper content provided by public libraries by allowing free access to
archival content and charging a fee for recent content.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention provides a business method allowing for
newspapers to expose archival content to popular search engines and to
prevent revenue loss from users utilizing the free newspaper content
provided by public libraries by allowing free access to archival content
and charging a fee for recent content.
[0009] Newspapers are engaged in the publication of news, opinions, and
curiosities associated with local, national and global events. By the
term "recent content" it is meant: publications created within a defined
time interval occurring before the current time. By "archival content",
it is meant all other content published or, equivalently, content
published on or before recent content.
[0010] To practice the present invention it is recommended that some
thought be given to the time interval that defines the boundary between
archival and recent content. In a preferred embodiment, it is recommended
that newspaper management poll newspaper readers regarding how much they
would pay for recent content over a continuum of the time intervals that
define recent content in comparison to archival content. Newspaper
managers can then construct demand curves as a function of price and time
interval to maximize their profit.
[0011] Once the time interval is defined, the web site need to be
constructed such that the archival content lies outside the firewall and
available to the public. Recent content should be stored inside the
firewall, available to users that have paid a fee or equivalently paid
for a subscription.
[0012] Refer to FIG. 1. To determine whether content 30 is recent or
archival, as a preferred embodiment, the following algorithm is applied.
The newspaper management first determines the threshold time interval 10,
TI. Next the current time is calculated, T0, 50. If the time of the
content creation 20, TCC is less than the time difference T0-TCC, 40,
then the content is considered recent, and the content must be published
50 within the firewall and a fee must be charged for public access.
Otherwise, the content is published 50 outside of the firewall and no fee
is charged for viewing.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment these time intervals are calculated daily
and the units associated with all time intervals is days since 2000 years
before the birth of Jesus Christ.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a diagram representing a decision algorithm to
determine if content is new or archival.
Parts
[0015] 10 Time Interval--The amount of time that must elapse before
content is considered archival
[0016] 20 Creation Time--The time at which content is considered to be
created
[0017] 30 Content--written expression of news, opinions, and curiosities
associated with local, national and global events
[0018] 40 Recent or Archival Classification Algorithm
[0019] 50 Publishing Step
* * * * *