Google Patent Suggests it may “Paint Over” Billboards in StreetView
The patent [link corrected, 2/3/10 per comment] is titled “Claiming Real Estate in Panoramic or 3D Mapping Environments for Advertising ” and has prompted many to suggest Google will sell “updated” ads to either those who represent the originals or to different advertisers. An example in the patent suggests updating movie theatre marquees. There is of course no reason to limit the geography to be replaced to actual billboards; the front a building could host an ad. Some are concerned about the highest bidder gaining control over a neighborhood. Others, like Molly Wood on Buzz OutLoud note that this sort of use could prevent the use of StreetView for planning, anthropologic and other studies that want to see the actual scenes. On the other hand, introducing such ads could make other services that do not offer such augmentation more interesting to that part of the market.
