Say you post a scrappy one-man-band Web site on the pros and cons of pet sweaters. Like any good Webmaster, you add links to pages on outfitting pooches in ponchos so people can track down additional information--a move that captures the essence of the Web.
Imagine your surprise, then, when you receive a letter from one of the sites you directed people to, which says posting such links is illegal without first seeking written permission.
Similar scenarios are happening around the globe as a growing number of organizations and publishers crack down on deep linking, or the practice of sending people to pages other than a home page. Publications such as The Dallas Morning News have claimed that deep linking creates a host of problems, including violating copyrights, depriving them of ad dollars, redirecting traffic, and generally confusing Web surfers.
Attempts to control traffic and site navigations through deep-linking bans are occurring outside the United States as well. A court in Copenhagen, Denmark, is set to rule Friday in a case that pits the Danish Newspaper Publishers' Association against Newsbooster, an online news aggregator fighting to link to stories in the association's publications.
Critics say such clampdowns could threaten the very nature of the Web.
"Linking obviously has become an essential component of the functioning of the Internet," said Lawrence Walters, a free-speech attorney with Weston Garrou & DeWitt. "Without linking, the Internet would cease to function."
So what do you guys think? Is it the end of the internet as we know it (as has been wildly projected) or is this simply unworkable? Let us know what you think...
News source: ZDNet
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