Cingular Says You Can Link To Their Site -- But Only If You're Nice
from the legalese dept
The organizers of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens did their part to uphold the games' fine tradition of ridiculousness by instituting one of the most moronic linking policies of all time on their official site. It said you could only link to their site if using "ATHENS 2004" as the anchor text, you couldn't link using a photo (especially the games' logo!), and in the pièce de résistance, it said people had to mail in a written request with details of the link and how it would be used. Stupid linking policies are largely a thing of the past, though some people still get upset when the likes of Google link to their sites. But the stupid link policy isn't completely dead, as mobile operator Cingular illustrates (via Broadband Reports), with its legalese saying "you are granted a limited, nonexclusive right" to link to the site's homepage (that's right, no deep linking!), which can be "revoked" at any time. It also says links can't portray Cingular in a derogatory manner, so things like Cingular sucks or Cingular's cellular coverage isn't so hot are apparently against the rules. Perhaps we'd better stop before we break any more of their rules.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Power of the Link
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Power of the Link
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Power of the Link
its not that their claim is bogus, its that its so directly opposite of true that gets my goat
YMMV
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Power of the Link
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Power of the Link
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Power of the Link
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Power of the Link
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Power of the Link
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Power of the Link
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anyway, what can Cingular do if you break their stupid rules? I really don't see what they can do beyond telling you to stop, and there's no way they can enforce that. Why even bother with this?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Greg: They aren't provably true either...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
I would say claiming that their coverage sucks would be considered provable under the law. Someone might have trouble with that one.
Cingular sucks - with no particular reason given - is protected as an opinion.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Do they still suck? Hell yes they do. Cingular's 'help' is anything but that.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I have a new Verizon phone with service that puts Cingular to shame in my area..... can't wait until the Cingular contract is out in 3 more months.... Hate paying for something I can't use. Called Customer service multiple times since December 2006. I was told "if your phone rings and you answer it, you have service." Didn't matter if I could hear the caller or not... Some service!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Change your chip
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Change your chip
Downloaded multiple updates... did that.
Been to 3 diff Cingular techs.. nothing wrong with the phone.. did that.
It just doesn't work!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: AT&T/SBC
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: It still ain't workin'
coincide with the name change. Nonetheless, my new provider makes them look like dial-up internet in comparison. They've still lost me with their crappy No Customer Service attitude.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Google Bomb Time
Just an amusing thought.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Googlebombing.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Was going to switch...
Actually, I'm sick of all of these arrogant do-nothing-but-collect-cash companies. I was watching Attack of the Show in Japan and it's amazing the tech they have over there while we're stuck (in the U.S.) with companies that do never do much of anything except whine about their customers.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Most Dropped Calls
Parody is legal and will always be legal. Opinions will always be legal. If you're out on the Internet, anyone can link to you on THEIR site however they want. My site is not Cingular's property, it's mine.
What do I think about Cingular? Meh... now knowing how stupid they are and how they don't understand the Internet, Cingular blows.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Most Dropped Calls
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Why Bother
The reason to bother with this is to educate everyone out there who has the ability to create a link on a site or a blog. Everyone needs to know that they can create these links without fear from the big bad lawyers.
Probably... In most cases... I'm actually not even sure now that I've typed all this...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Oh noes! Wut have I done?!?!?!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Retarded Policy
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Lets Revolt
to all our sites and blogs lol
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
opinion: cingular sucks
i miss my phone and service offered in japan. the u.s. is missing out on the myriad of uses for the cell phone.
can you digg it?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Cingular and deep linking...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Shakespearean Insult Time!
(Taken from: Henry IV, part 2)
:-P
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Shakespearean Insult Time!
Mommy, mommy! He said mean things to me!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
i heard cingular eats babies
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Cingular
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
cingular user test.
To my reconning, a Cingular minute lasts 47 seconds.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ahahaha
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Location Determines service quality
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
my page = my content
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Cingular Lies
Vic Rocchio
Mpls, Mn
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
asking a question and a comment
What if somebody wanted one and went to another service if you could make a sidekick that would be great I think there a really cool phone you guys rock ! see ya
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Cingular Sucks
[ link to this | view in chronology ]