A newly-published Apple patent application suggests the company is looking at offering ad-supported video content on its devices. Titled “System and Method for Video Insertion Into Media Stream or File,” the patent describes a system by which video files, such as TV shows, would feature built-in segments, that could be filled with various forms of advertising. According to the patent, segments past the next scheduled ad break could be locked until the user watches the set of ads related to that segment; the ads could be bundled separately from the media itself, and could be removed from the content stream upon reaching a set expiration date. As with all Apple patents, this filing does not necessarily represent any future product release from Apple, but offers evidence of the company’s research in this area. [via Patently Apple]
