Liable For Links
The Security and Exchange Commission, the SEC which regulates the US stocks markets and all companies traded on any company publicly traded in the US, is proposing that:
Companies should be liable for content linked from the company's website as explained in this 47 pages PDF document from the SEC's website.
What's that got to do with me? I'm not a publicly traded company, I'm not registered with the SEC, I'm not under the jurisdiction of the SEC, and I'm not even residing in the US! Actually most country under the World Trade Organization rules are under "equivalent" copyright laws. Most countries in the WTO have reciprocal copyrights laws with the US.
A securities issuer can be liable for any misstatements on linked pages if "the context of the hyperlink and the hyperlinked information together create a reasonable inference that the company has approved or endorsed the hyperlinked information."
- Since lawsuits are flying left, right, and center in the US. The rule is: "If it moves, you sue and see what happens afterward..."
- I do supplies photos to some Canadian companies that are publicly traded in the US stock markets.
If this goes to pass, you can be sued for your website being linked to their website or for linking to their website. Do I hear the copyright infringements police and the RIAA coming?
Until today, the more link you had, the higher ranked with Google and with Yahoo. If this come to pass, it will be a very different Internet world.