Online classifieds technology provider AdMission now owns a digital media file patent that could have serious implications for online advertisers, site publishers and ad technology firms, reports ClickZ. Last month, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 6,895,557 - "Web-based Media Submission Tool" - describing a process for collecting media objects (digital photos, video and audio files, even text) from remote contributors.

The patent faced six years of legal obstacles, with objections that it was being interpreted too broadly, covering in general terms the method for media files' being uploaded, undergoing server-side processing and being displayed on the web. AdMission uses the technology for its advertising applications that let users add images to a publisher's online classifieds, yellow pages and e-commerce sites.

The company licenses its platform to eBay, and hosts applications for Cars.com, Realtor.com, The Washington Post, Knight Ridder Digital, Tribune Interactive, and the New York Times. The patent covers all automatic resizing and formatting of digital images, as well as the generation of a thumbnail image to allow a user to verify the file to be submitted.