XBL avatars to adopt pets?

Source: A Microsoft patent application reported on by Siliconera proposes a system that would compensate users for swapping out their avatars with corporate mascots, possibly with virtual food for their virtual pets.

What Gamespot.com heard: With the next Xbox Live update set for August 11, Microsoft will begin monetizing its system-wide avatars by selling virtual clothes and accessories for actual money. The company is looking into more ways to pull money from Xbox 360 players’ counterparts, as its patent application reveals.