New Patent From RightDot Dramatically Changes Internet Search: For the first time, patent allows Internet users to distinguish between official and non-official Web sites through inclusion of a registered seal and additional tools on search page results Advisory board exploring partnership and licensing opportunities

While search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN have essentially become gatekeepers of the Internet, the search experience itself has failed to keep pace. As the sophistication and manipulation of search engines has dramatically increased, persistent concerns about Web site rankings, legitimacy, fraudulent activity and difficulties managing the ever increasing number of new sites continue unabated. Consumers, businesses and search engines themselves are being poorly served and are in need of a better solution.

WESTPORT, Conn. (BusinessWire EON) April 18, 2007 -- While search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN have essentially become gatekeepers of the Internet, the search experience itself has failed to keep pace. As the sophistication and manipulation of search engines has dramatically increased, persistent concerns about Web site rankings, legitimacy, fraudulent activity and difficulties managing the ever increasing number of new sites continue unabated. Consumers, businesses and search engines themselves are being poorly served and are in need of a better solution.

Search engines have failed to provide Internet users with a way to verify that they've really found what they're looking for when conducting a search

On March 13, 2007, such a solution arrived, in the form of United States patent number: 7,191,210 -- “Computer implemented system and method for registering websites and for displaying registration indicia in a search results list” -- otherwise known as “RightDot.”

“Search engines have failed to provide Internet users with a way to verify that they’ve really found what they’re looking for when conducting a search,” said James Grossman, RightDot inventor. “In addition to clearly indicating legitimate, “official” sites, RightDot enables verifiable, faster, actionable and more useful searches, providing new tools that improve the experience for users, businesses and the search engines themselves,” Grossman added.

Some of the patent’s key, game-changing claims include:

• Web-Site Search Result Identification and Validation – On initial Web search results pages, Web sites of legitimate, official validated organizations or individuals are identified in any of a variety of visual, audio or other methods. As stated in the patent, this may include “distinctive marking indicia consisting of a seal; a color; a symbol; embedded data; a hyperlink; a highlighting; biometric data; a type font; a type size; a graphical layout; graphical data; audio data; video data; a product identification; a product model; a logo; a slogan, and combinations thereof.” In addition to providing powerful new and enhanced search capabilities and branding opportunities, this addresses head-on the problems of deceptive and misleading “fake” sites posing as legitimate brands to mislead and defraud consumers. It additionally alleviates difficulties finding desired sites due to search engine clutter and search engine spammers trying to inappropriately improve search results through keyword and other search engine manipulation.
• Inclusion of Immediately Actionable Information Within Search Results – Either through verifiable seal display, visual scroll over or other techniques, useful information about a verified Web site is made instantly available on the search page site description itself. This could include specific product or retail location information, third party recognition, affiliated Web site identification, immediate email contact/response links and additional branding and marketing tools to facilitate the immediate exchange of information.

These and other RightDot patent search innovations provide clear benefits to consumers, businesses, search engines and marketers, including:

Internet Users

• Immediately identifies and verifies “official” Web sites so users can be sure they are directed to their desired sites
• Increases Web search speed though more transparent and precise search targeting and identification, while incorporating new actionable tools directly from search page site description
• Clearly provides users with exactly what they are searching for - not what search engines currently determine that their users should see
• Ability to easily sort and identify official, registered sites

Business

• Online brand identity protection, validation and enhancement
• Certified, validated, official identification designation increases brand strength and alleviates concerns about look-a-like and deceptive sites
• Inclusion of additional useful tools on search result site description allows for new, valuable, targeted interaction with users
• Eases persistent concerns about trademark and intellectual property infringement
• Significantly limits the ability of illegitimate players to game the system through overly aggressive search engine optimization keyword manipulation and site production techniques

Search Engines

• Provides faster and more transparent results for their users
• Provides a host of new revenue streams easily integrated into existing products and services while providing innovative new and exclusive functionality and features
• Official site verification and other features provides true differentiation from competing search engine players and a new powerful compelling value proposition for their users

Marketers

• Enables increased branding opportunities through integrating graphics, audio or video and embedding marketing messages into search results, allowing for immediate customer interaction and response
• Immediate email linking and other exclusive elements contained in the patent allow for deeper connections with target audiences and improved customer relationship management (CRM)
• Newly available reporting and measurement capabilities provide critical data to improve marketing effectiveness
• Includes related offline branding opportunities utilizing visual or embedded representation of the RightDot validation seal

Potential partnership, licensing and marketing options for RightDot are currently being explored by Mr. Grossman and the RightDot Advisory Board. Those interested in participating or learning more should visit www.rightdot.com or contact Mr. Grossman directly at jim@rightdot.com.

To view the RightDot patent, please click here.