So called 'Deep Linking' Illegal??

[Terr]

Deep linking is perfectly allowable, in my mind. The problem is when they link through frames or attempt to pass the information off as their own, which isn't too common.

[underlost]

Technically isnt chsh, ammo and even bucket doing this exact same thing these people are trying to crack down on? This just shows how impossible it would be to even enforce. Also, most pages usually have a "home" or a simialr name link which takes you to the homepage of the site. If not that, users can always just type in the homepage if they would choose to do so. After all, its up to the user to even decide to go to the link. Shouldn't the owners just be happy that they are even getting traffic on their site?

[redgore]

The point about frames shouldnt really be applied due to the fad of them going away thanx to the W3C. If your using frames you should give your users the option to open it in a new window...

[chsh]

Originally posted here by bucket
Here is a link to an interesting linking case (The style of the case is something like Ford Motor Company vs. 2600 Magazine.) :

http://www.2600.com/news/display.shtml?id=1225

Ford, which opposed linking, was the loser here.

Yeah, I thought about that when I read the article actually.

Originally posted here by zepherin
This isn't my opinion and I'm all for deep linking but I can see where they are comming from. Some sites will link you to another site but copy over the banners of the site that they linked to or put the site in some lame frames. This does hurt the profits of the site that relys on banners and ad clicking for money.

Very true, I can understand that completely. However, there are at least half a dozen ways to ensure your banners are displayed regardless of how the page is loaded. To me, that's a site design problem, and not an issue with bypassing anyone's ads. If you want it to guaranteedly show up on every page, a simple Javascript, some ASP, or some PHP can determine all of that for you.

Originally posted here by Palemoon
If this is the case then I simply ask one thing. Without linking how would anyone person, system find them, their ads or what ever? Link is a pointer to info nothing more or less just cause your a dot com they want everyone to know their addy, or their words. A dot com assult upon the root of the very web. We can only see the web as a dot com says legeally we can? Ok two quesions shoot me!

Palemoon, this is completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand. They're not saying that linking in and of itself is illegal, they are saying that 'deep linking' (that is, linking to a page other than another site's main page) is illegal.

Originally posted here by Terr
Deep linking is perfectly allowable, in my mind. The problem is when they link through frames or attempt to pass the information off as their own, which isn't too common.

Very true, and again, with proper site design, these issues disappear. There's a reason I use PHP or ASP on all of my sites now, even if it's entirely static content.

Originally posted here by underlost
Technically isnt chsh, ammo and even bucket doing this exact same thing these people are trying to crack down on? This just shows how impossible it would be to even enforce. Also, most pages usually have a "home" or a simialr name link which takes you to the homepage of the site. If not that, users can always just type in the homepage if they would choose to do so. After all, its up to the user to even decide to go to the link. Shouldn't the owners just be happy that they are even getting traffic on their site?

Yes. Again, I think it is entirely a case of poor site design, and not malicious in any way.
I remember surfing the 'net back in early '94, and things were great then. Sure, we didn't have all this spiffy stuff, but along with this spiffy stuff comes the BS, and damn it is disconcerting to see so many people who don't understand something attempt to legislate it.

Another thing, as Tedob said, what exactly would this do to search engines? A lot of the time I pull up google searching for tips on this, or a tutorial on that, and it will link me to a page other than the main one. Does this mean google will be breaking the law? Come on, these guys need to get a grip. I'd bet good money that the people arguing the case used deep linking during their research phase.

[str34m3r]

Um... why is your entire statement posted twice... in the same reply?

[redgore]

Forgive him as he is a canadian and obviously cant cope tih middle button paste in linux :P

[chsh]

Lol! I didn't notice that. Odd, I just went to add in the "as Tedob pointed out" part (to make it sound less like I hadn't read his post, and more like I wanted to discuss the matter further) and it duplicated it for me after I hit submit.

BTW, I'm at work on Win2K atm, so it wasn't paste with middle, you british bastard!

[Juridian]

I agree with chsh...better site design can fix what they are bitching about.

But then I also think that part of the problem (not mentioned in the article) is simply the fact that you are pointing a link to their site. Alot of companies don't like people putting links on your web site to theirs because they think that it might affect their corporate image. If you run say a porn site and put a link to martha stewarts web site....they will probably send you a nasty note because they do not want to be affiliated with you in any way.

By saying that it screws up user navigation and that they lose revenue for this, they have better ammunition to make you stop linking to them and to possibly take further legal action against you if they need to.

[Quad]

As long as its public information and your not claiming that "you" wrote it. At least in the US they dont have a legal leg to stand on. As far as the linked sites "loosing ad money" boo ****ing hoo, there ad's drive traffic from there site.

I guess it was just a matter of time before the freedom of the internet (one of it's greatest assets), is being overrun and dictated by money hungry pigs who line the pockets of lawmakers to get legislation passed.

[Magus255]

So just what is it they expect you to do instead of deep linking? send the people that are looking at your site to theirs and wish them luck finding what you were talking about? seems like they are just looking for another thing to complain about.