Patent ID: 8515813

Claim:
A method of advertising in a virtual-world, comprising: authorizing, using a data processing system, a user to install an advertising gesture in an inventory of the user only when an advertising agent approves an associated avatar of the user to advertise a good or service represented by the advertising gesture; installing, using the data processing system, the advertising gesture in the inventory of the user subsequent to the user being authorized to install the advertising gesture in the inventory of the user, crediting, using the data processing system, the user with a predetermined payment when the associated avatar performs the advertising gesture and the associated avatar is viewable on-screen when the advertising gesture is performed; determining, using the data processing system, whether an appearance of a different avatar whose appearance deviates from the associated avatar is acceptable to an advertiser associated with the advertising gesture following performance of the advertising gesture by the different avatar, wherein the different avatar corresponds to a modified version of the associated avatar; and crediting, using the data processing system, the user with the predetermined payment only when the different avatar performs the advertising gesture, the different avatar is acceptable to the advertiser, and the different avatar is viewable on-screen when the advertising gesture is performed.