Case Study: Patent for Content Syndication
The main limitation and benefit of content syndication is that the content that you publish is the same everywhere. This gives you control over that content but lacks when you want a unique experience for a certain partner.
The innovation was the target (needs work)
I spent a lot of my time encouraging the use of content syndication and this hurdle of customization became a constant blocker in gaining acceptance. In one of those moments where necessity generates an idea, I came up with the novel idea of using the domain name as the variable. What if our content syndication system was smart enough to look at the landing page, grab the URL, and then deliver the relevant version of the content? I started digging into this idea, talking to developers about feasibility, security, and finally built a simple prototype to prove that the idea was possible.
Was the concept novel?
Once I proved that this idea actually worked I started to wonder if this had been done before. It seemed like such a simple solution. The internet delivered nothing so I reached out to Apple’s legal department to ask if this idea was patentable. After some explanations, debate, and demos they determined that the idea was worth pursuing and we created a provisional patent application for “Techniques For Syndicating Customizable Content To Recipient Entities.” This title really rolls of the tongue. A provisional patent application was completed, signed, and submitted to the US government.
The patent in action with Beats by Dre (an Apple subsidiary)
The Beats Studio Buds are available in a variety of colors but Target, Amazon, and Best Buy each have an exclusive color. The dynamic syndicated content would contain variable content for each partner, delivering the same core content but adding images or messaging specifically calling out the exclusive color for that partner. The current way to do this would be to create duplicate content for each unique situation which adds complexity, time, organization overhead, and resources.
In the example (never executed), you can see that the format of the content is the same across all four partner websites. The first site (left: Costco) receives the baseline content. The second, Best Buy, is dynamically altered showcasing its custom ocean blue colorway. The third, Amazon, highlights the moon grey color that is unique to them. The last site, Target, features the sunset pink. With one core content asset and variables, each partner can have an immersive, customized experience.
The first step in a journey
I’d love to tell you that this concept changed everything all at once. That’s not how the story goes. It’s more complicated, with more twists and turns, and an unresolved cliff hanger of an ending. I moved on from Apple and I’m still waiting to hear about the status of this patent application. I still believe the idea has value and in the right circumstances could save a lot of time while elevating the product experience.