SOURCE: Local.com

 

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - July 2, 2007) - Local.com Corporation (NASDAQ: LOCM), a leading local search engine, today announced that the company has been awarded patent number 7,200,413 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the method of responding to enhanced directory assistance inquiries using various protocols including voice-enabled and SMS systems. The patent also covers an associated referral advertising model, which is designed to monetize those local searches.

The patent covers a system and method for providing businesses with referral advertising opportunities (such as pay-per-click or pay-per-call) utilizing directory assistance and wireless messaging systems. The model enables businesses to receive search leads on a pay-per-referral basis when their listings are included in a set of search results provided to consumers as a result of an enhanced directory assistance inquiry. The results are delivered to consumers via operator assisted calls, messaging systems such as SMS, WAP, automated voice-enabled systems, or any combination of these. Advertiser listings in this model can be organized by location, referral amount paid, and keyword association.

"In our view, the burgeoning free 411 marketplace is being underwritten by a variety of advertising supported models. Our patent 7,200,413 is directly related to a referral advertising model such as pay-per-click or pay-per-call listings, which are delivered to consumers as a result of an enhanced directory assistance inquiry or local search, where the results can be provided to consumers via many mobile channels, including voice," said Heath Clarke, Chairman and CEO, Local.com.

"Our recently announced patent 7,231,405 was related to the methods used to deliver our highly relevant organic search results. Patent number 7,200,413 is complementary to our local search patent in that it provides us with intellectual property coverage for what's now a widely accepted monetization method -- pay-per-referral -- within the directory assistance marketplace. Local.com believes that ad-supported directory assistance is the future of 411 services in the U.S., and we look forward to working with a variety of companies to deliver innovative new products and services to the marketplace," continued Clarke. "We encourage directory assistance and free 411 companies that are interested in using our intellectual property to enter into licensing agreements with Local.com."

To experience Local.com go to: http://www.local.com.

About Local.com

Local.com (NASDAQ: LOCM) is a Top U.S. website attracting approximately 10 million visitors each month seeking information on local businesses, products, services, people and jobs. Powered by the company's patent-pending Keyword DNA® and patented local web indexing technologies, Local.com provides users with targeted, relevant local search results, including special offers from local businesses, user reviews, local businesses' website links, maps, driving directions and more. Businesses can advertise on Local.com with subscription, pay-per-click, banner and pay-per-call ad products. The site's mobile service, Local Mobile provides local search results via mobile phones and devices. Local.com claims U.S. patent numbers 7,231,405 and 7,200,413. For more information visit: www.local.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this document regarding our anticipated financial position, business strategy and plans and objectives of our management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this report, words such as 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'estimate,' 'plans,' 'expect,' 'intend' and similar expressions, as they relate to Local.com or our management, identify forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to our management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, but not limited to, our ability to monetize the Local.com domain, incorporate our local-search technologies, market the Local.com domain as a destination for consumers seeking local-search results, grow our business by enhancing our local-search services, expand our Advertiser and Distribution Networks, expand internationally, integrate and effectively utilize our acquisitions' technologies, develop our products and sales, marketing, finance and administrative functions and successfully integrate our expanded infrastructure, as well as our dependence on major advertisers, competitive factors and pricing pressures, changes in legal and regulatory requirements, and general economic conditions. Any forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this paragraph.

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss the foregoing risks as well as other important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement for any reason.