Submitted by rlp on Tue, 05/27/2008 - 14:22.
Okay so this company in Singapore is claiming that they own the patent to the "technology" that allows you to link an image from your website to a URL on another website. They feel that everyone who has a website with an image that links to another site should have to pay them a licensing fee.
So they own the patent to a snippet of a commonly used markup language? They own "a href" if you put that in front of an image?
Apparently they have been sending out invoices to people who have images on their websites that link to some other site. Oh, I DO wish they would send me one. They now have a FAQ on their website, explaining why you should pay them to have links on your website.
It is worth noting that the only service Vuestar provides is the questionable "service" of invoicing people for using html.
Thousands of us should gather in their parking lot some morning. Just stand there silently. Then, on signal, we would all point at them and laugh.
I love their tagline: "Good ideas with vision."
rlp
.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
I read through their FAQ. I
I read through their FAQ.
I think they need to get some "good ideas with grammar!"
Vision? I think they need to
Vision? I think they need to make an appointment with their eye doctor.
LOL... I wonder if anyone
LOL... I wonder if anyone gets taken in, though?
Some years ago, my son Dan, when aged about 12, made a small website which he called D-World. A couple of years later he received an official-looking email from a company in the USA who claimed to have all copyright on the letter D followed by a hyphen. They told him he should immediately give up all rights to the site and hand it over to them, or they would sue for some vast amount.
My husband wrote an official letter back, pointing out that we weren't in the USA, and Dan was a minor, and that they could be sued for harrassment... and we never heard any more. But we had a few worrying moments. I imagine many people will have more than a moment's concern if they receive an email from 'Vuestar'.
It gets even better...not
It gets even better...not only are they claiming to have a right to invoice you, but they claim that they can invoice everyone that contributes to the use of that image-link.
From their FAQ (emphasis mine):
My web page uses visual images am I the only one paying the Licence?
No. You are required to have a License, as is your Internet Service provider, your Telco whose phones connected to the web and anybody else contributing to the use of the patent. All search engine portals and web sites that have search facilities and images will require separate Licenses.
This is hilarious!
This is friggin'
This is friggin' mind-blowing.
I'm amazed the World-Wide Web Consortium hasn't jumped up and down these snake-oil sellers er..invoicers.
I wonder if they've had the balls to bust google images for this.
Seems like a version of the
Seems like a version of the classic Nigerian emails scam. Claim a lot. Collect from anyone who is silly enough or inexperienced enough to not know better.
This was was just so outrageously hilarious. Anyone who knows anything about html has to laugh the idea of someone claiming ownership over a selected piece of a markup language.
I bet the person who founded
I bet the person who founded this company was once in the Who's Who. ;)
i tagged you
Gordon - as a punishment for stealing that image I have tagged you - see the rules here http://www.spyjournal.biz/node/533
Cheers Tim
lol, Hey, if I ever got into
lol,
Hey, if I ever got into the tagging thing, I would be in trouble I think. I might get tagged more than I would like. so I'll have to pass. What a boring boy - won't play tag.
;-)
Software patents are an
Software patents are an evil, evil thing. They are often likened to nuclear weapons, and while that may be a little heavy handed, it rings true enough.
Too Funny
This would make the most hilarious spoof website... trying to claim rights to basic HTML.
The only thing that would make it funnier is if someone were really trying to collect on this stuff. Oh, wait- they are. HA!
You better watch it if you ever travel to Singapore, Gordon. They may try to catch you at the airport.
Post new comment