Would you buy a Kindle ebook reader from Amazon if you received a free, ad-supported version of a book for each physical copy purchased? The U.S. Patent Office has published several Amazon patents in the past 30 days that could lead the online bookseller in that direction.

Two additional patents filed by Amazon, published July 2, describe incorporating targeted advertising in on-demand generated content. These patents, filed in Dec. 2007, provide an example for advertising on Kindle.

The patents clearly note that Amazon would insert advertisements throughout the ebooks, from the beginning to the end, between chapters or following every 10 pages, as well as in the margins. A cross-reference feature would add annotations, supplemental reference materials, and illustrations, as well as the ability to print on-demand paper copies in PDF and other format files. Kindle relies on Sprint to download content to the reader.

Oh well. Amazon should give the user the option to buy an ad free version of the book for $9.99 or buy the book free but supported by ads. So the choice will be left to the consumer. The concept has been around forever in magazines and newspapers and does not really affect the user experience. It is great way to increase readership while bringing down the cost for the consumer. With videos and banner ads delivered through AdSense or other technology, it will be a great way to build a brand for the publisher.