U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Awards Significant Personalization Patent to AgentArts, Inc.

Patent Enhances AgentArts' Position as Leader in Entertainment Personalization Technology

Entertainment personalization provider AgentArts, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted the company U.S. Patent No. 6,438,579.

The patent, entitled "Automated content and collaboration-based system and methods for determining and providing content recommendations," covers a content and collaborative filtering system for recommending entertainment oriented content items, such as music and video, to a user based on similarities in profile between the user and other users and between the content indexed in the user's profile and other content in the database. The patent addresses the unique manner in which AgentArts' technology applies real-time and/or historical consumer preferences to determine and present entertainment content selections that might be of high value to the consumer.

"As more and more digital entertainment becomes available through new online services and devices, technologies that simplify the way consumers interact with choice are fast becoming as valuable as the content itself," said Andrew Coates, CEO of AgentArts. "The awarding of this patent strengthens both our value as an advanced technology company, as well as the value of the solutions we bring to our current and future clients. We are pleased that the US PTO has recognized the uniqueness of our technology, and we look forward to playing a major role in helping consumers quickly and easily find the digital entertainment most suited to their unique tastes."

AgentArts is continuing to develop its intellectual property portfolio, particularly with regard to applications for user-friendly content navigation within digital music devices.

About AgentArts. Inc.

AgentArts is a leading provider of entertainment recommendation and personalization solutions. AgentArts' patented technology automatically profiles consumer preferences, and uses this information to provide highly personalized real-time recommendations for music and ultimately video and other entertainment related content. The company was founded in January 1999, and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.