Re: Link-off

[Audrie Krause <akrause@igc.apc.org>]

  I find this very troubling in light of the Clinton administration's decision
  to let the Internet business community regulate itself.  These disputes, and
  others that will undoubtedly arise, will be decided in courts, by judges who
  are, for all practical purposes, accountable to no one once they've been
  appointed.  Yet the ramifications of these court decisions will effect the
  whole Internet community.
  
  Seems to me that public forums, such as regulatory processes, would be a
  better way to arrive at policies that benefit the public as a whole.
  
  Audrie Krause  
  
  
  
  >Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:38:38 -0500 (CDT)
  >From: rd@cottonwood.com (Rick Dahlgren)
  >To: antitrust@essential.org
  >Subject: Link-off
  >Message-ID: <v01510100afdfed499e6e@[204.248.25.35]>
  >
  >On page B-6 of today's (July 2, 1997) Wall Street Journal, Rebbeca Quick
  >reports on efforts underway to prohibit linking to sites on the internet.
  >In the article, titled "Can't Get There From Here May Be Web's New Motto",
  >Quick reported on the squabble between Ticketmaster and Microsoft's
  >Sidewalk link to Ticketmaster's site without a linking agreement, implying
  >that Ticketmaster holds that Microsoft should share ad revenues from
  >advertisements placed on the Sidewalk page linking to Ticketmaster with
  >Ticketmaster.
  >
  >Quick also reported on a lawsuit filed by Bruce P. Keller on behalf of,
  >among others, Dow Jones & Co., publisher of the Wall Street Journal against
  >TotalNEWS for improper linking. (TotalNEWS apparently was providing links
  >within a frame on screen along with other TotalNEWS branded material in
  >adjacent frames).
  >
  >Ironically, on the same page of the Wall Street Journal where the Quick
  >article appears, the Journal also published an insert article titled
  >"Watching the Web" that provides links to various internet sites.  Adjacent
  >to "Watching the Web" are several advertisements for web related entities.
  >
  >
  >Is Dow Jones sharing the revenue from those ads with the companies whose
  >links they published?
  >
  >Let's all hope that absurdity isn't the newest online virus.
  >
  >Rick Dahlgren
  >
  
  --
  Audrie Krause  <<NetAction>>  E-MAIL: akrause@igc.org
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