The British Telecom Hot-Link Patent
British Telecom has announced that it will attempt to claim exclusive ownership of the hot-link feature used by virtually every web page available on the internet. It is in the process of going to court against 5 major internet providers in order to get financial compensation from these providers.
British Telecom's announcement that it will pursue its alleged patent on the ever-present internet browser hot link will, if supported by the courts, have a sever impact on the world wide web as we now know it. If anyone using hot links on their web site has to pay royalties on the use of hot links, or worse, on each use by a visitor, the world wide web could very well go dark. Very few companies or individuals will be able to afford to have a web site with the thought of each visitor causing a drain on their bottom line.
Whether this is a valid patent or not, the damage it can do, if pursued to its limit, is incalculable to the dissemination of information on the internet. If British Telecom insists on pursuing its legal options to enforce it, it will not only do damage to the use of the internet, but to British Telecom as they will reap more that dollars but damage to their reputation that cannot be repaired.
02/12/02 ( 539 )
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