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A campaign has been started in response to the Digital Economy Bill and also those websites and news organisations who cite copyright issues about linking to content on their websites.
Right2Link.org has been set up to ensure that linking to websites remains free to all.
Whilst few people would argue with the rights of a news publisher to charge for their content, or any business for that matter, the problem begins when the owners of that content start to demand that all “signposts” to that content are removed.
Links are the stitches that hold together the fabric of the Web, allowing all of us to find and share content of interest. For digital marketers, links are a vital part of our marketing strategies, and establishing links on reputable sites is of prime importance.
The current situation, which is developing rather quickly for most people’s liking, is that certain large corporations are endeavouring to take control of how and where links are placed, restricting access to certain content, and preventing a free flow of movement around the web. The search engines are being accused of benefiting financially from links to copyright content, whilst the media corps tend to forget that it is through the search engines that the majority of their users will find that content in the first place.
What do you think? Should anyone be allowed to place a link to any item of content, anywhere? How do those of us in new media, rather than news media, ensure that we are permitted to continue to share links with our readership to pertinent items, wherever these items are found on the Net?
Has the Digital Economy Bill, inadvertently or otherwise, stepped into the world of censorship and restriction of freedom of speech that should not have a place in a free, democratic society?
If you have any concerns about the way this may be going, check out the Right2Link campaign today.
