Brands: Internet developments - hot links - the Shetland News and Shetland Times case

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Hot links


The dispute between the Shetland News and the Shetland Times over the copyright implications of links between Web sites has settled. The case caused some concern after the Court of Session in Scotland granted an interim interdict preventing the Shetland News from linking news headlines from the Shetland Times into its Web site, the suggestion being that unauthorised links constituted copyright infringement. Given that the essence of the Web is the many links between sites, the implications of the case were potentially very serious. Under the settlement terms the Shetland News may link into the Shetland Times site provided that an image of the Times masthead is shown and the words "a Shetland Times story" are used on each occasion.