“Move over Al Gore. British Telecommunications is claiming
that it invented the hyperlink.“
“Dusting off a 14-year-old patent, the company is laying claim
to ownership of the linking technology that lets Web users move
around the Internet by clicking on text and pictures. It has begun
sending letters to Internet service providers in the United States
asking them to pay royalties….”
“Indeed, within hours after the news broke this week about
British Telecom’s patent claim, a Florida company said it had been
notified by the United States Patent and Trademark Office that it
will be awarded a second patent that significantly broadens
coverage for its “sales lead generation technology.”