Ultramercial Granted a US Patent for its Attention-for-Access Internet Advertising...

Ultramercial Granted a US Patent for its Attention-for-Access Internet Advertising Model

The Company Plans to License its Model to Online Content Providers
LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
Ultramercial LLC has been granted US Patent 7,346,545 describing
their Attention-for-Access Internet advertising model and ad unit
introduced in 2002. Under the model, online viewers can access
copyrighted video, music, text or online services for free by
requesting and completing an interactive ad. The viewer's attention
acts as "payment" in a value exchange that gives the viewer incentive
to complete the ad and repositions the advertiser as the provider,
rather than the interrupter that viewers often skip, block or ignore.

"Ultramercial is a socially-engineered value exchange," said Dana
Jones, Ultramercial's founder, who filed the original patent
application in May 2000. "By making the value of the ad explicit and
honest, we win the respect of the viewer. 80% finish the ad they
start, nearly 5% click-through for more information about the
underlying advertisers, and the average viewer spends more than a
minute engaging with the sponsor."

"This patent award acknowledges the powerful efficiencies our
business model brings to online publishers and advertisers," Jones
continued, "With 5-1/2 years in the marketplace we've proven that
viewers prefer a user-initiated ad format over other intrusive forms
of advertising. And with it comes our guaranteed engagement for the
sponsor."

Some successful examples of Ultramercial's business model include
its Site Pass, first utilized at Salon.com, The Economist and with
Time Magazine's Person-of-the-Year; sponsored WiFi access at major
hotels, cafes and airports like Denver International; Virgin Mobile's
Sugar Mama program where users "earn" free airtime minutes by engaging
with sponsors in a two-way format that provides valuable viewer
feedback.

The company intends to license the patent to content providers
having difficulty monetizing their assets online, such as traditional
print and broadcast companies and social networking sites.

"We believe the newspaper and television industry can re-invent
themselves with this model," stated Paul Grusche, Ultramercial's COO.
"We bring the double-truck ad online in a full-screen format along
with guaranteed interactivity and accountability for newspapers. This
same format is a natural progression for video content, providing an
accountable two-way experience that has been lacking in broadcast and
in pre-rolls online," Grusche added.

"Our model can monetize the premium services that social
networking sites offer, as well," said Grusche. "We offer a strong
financial engine packaged within a refreshingly honest user
experience."

About Ultramercial, LLC

Ultramercial, LLC markets its patented business model and ad unit
that grants Internet users free access to premium content after
choosing to engage with its full-screen commercials. Ultramercial, LLC
is privately held, headquartered in Palos Verdes Estates, California
with offices serving Los Angeles, New York and Detroit. The company
maintains contracts with a network of online publishers and
advertisers. Information is available at http://www.ultramercial.com.
Ultramercial is a registered trademark of Ultramercial, LLC.
Ultramercial's business model is protected by US Patent 7,346,545.

Ultramercial
Paul Grusche, COO
310-431-5600
paul@ultramercial.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008