I tried Facebook ads for the first time today and was surprised to see a CPC bid model. Google paid Yahoo millions in stock to license the CPC bidding model covered by patent 6,269,361 (also called patent 361 for short). Has Facebook done a deal with Yahoo to license 361? Or is this patent ignored by ad networks these days?
I'd like to know what the view is on this patent because it prevents a lot of entrepreneurs from innovating in the CPC bidding space.
Screenshot of Facebook CPC bidding:
http://i.imgur.com/xdVfX.png
The patent:
http://1.usa.gov/eEFi2Q
WebProNews article discussing 361 and that it may be the cause of Microsoft's interest in Yahoo (back when the rumor was flying that MS was going to buy yahoo).
http://www.webpronews.com/microsofts-yahoo-interest-patently-paid-search-2008-07
Googling the patent and Facebook yields a deafening silence, unless I missed something.