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**DNS Kidd** · 04-13-2003, 03:23 PM

I have just put up a page for a friend, the site is a selling portal for a rock music poster. I would like to put links to the official band sites that are named in the poster (500 bands), but my friend says it may be illegal.

Any limitations on having a link to another site, on your site? It seems it would only add traffic to the destination site, which is generally considered a good thing.

The site name is rockscapesart.com, have a look.

**Tippy** · 04-13-2003, 03:27 PM

I honestly don't see why there would be a problem doing this.

Mike

**Mr Webname** · 04-13-2003, 03:31 PM

1) Seems like a good idea to direct traffic to the official band site and attempt to deflect future C&D problems.

2) Maybe not a good idea if the band take the view that you are trading off of their name and claiming "association" with them.

Not very helpful perhaps but views it from both sides giving you something to think about before a lawyer replies.

**dtobias** · 04-14-2003, 12:36 AM

The tradition, since the start of the Web, has been that anyone can link to anyone, with or without permission. However, there are a few sourpusses that claim the right to threaten to sue linkers they don't like, though there are no clear legal precedents to support that. I discuss some of these controversies in my site at:

http://dan.tobias.name/controversies/cyber/linkit.html

Banned: bidawinner · 04-14-2003, 12:43 AM

Go for it .. thats the Appropriate way to use links.. pointing to sites that are reflective of yours.

If anyone has a problem they wil email you , you simply remove the link..

You have to realize people WANT links..the more links the higher they rank inthe SE's that matter..google.

**adoptabledomains** · 04-14-2003, 12:43 AM

As long as the items being sold are fully licensed and no trademarks are infringed upon, I don't see any problems with links.

If you use logos without permission that may be a different story.

**cshel** · 04-14-2003, 11:29 AM

Some people like to ***** just to hear the sound of their own voices... If you're using the link to offer supplemental or further information to your users, and you're not presenting the information in a way that would mislead people into believing it is your own content (Like putting it in a frame so they can't see the URL they're looking at and your ads are at the top), then there is truly no reason you can't put the links in.

A Gannett newspaper kept threatening legal action if I didn't stop linking into news stories on their site, and for a couple years my lawyer would get a nasty letter, once a month, demanding that I stop, and we just ignored them. If they had a leg to stand on they would have filed and not given me the warning shot across the bow

Link away!

Carolyn

**nameslave** · 04-14-2003, 11:43 AM

As dtobias has mentioned, hyperlinks are actually the backbone of the web since the very beginning; however, some big guys are arrogant enough to dislike them. To play safe, you might want to add a disclaimer saying something like your website is not associated with these band and links are just posted for users' convenience. Better still (if you've got the time), check out EVERY site that you're going to link to and read THEIR terms of usage/service.

**NexSite** · 04-17-2003, 07:39 PM

Place the links, and whoever complains remove the link. I suspect there will be no complainers. Most people want all the links to their site they can get. Isn't that why people advertise? Illegal? Only if the guy who thinks hyperlinks are his patented IP wins in court. Then he owns the internet.