NPR has revised its linking policy. It all looks very nice and very reasonable (if occasionally superfluous in the face of existing copyright law), and even notes that NPR “encourages and permits links to content on NPR Web sites.”
Nice and reasonable, that is, until you get to …
We reserve the right to withdraw permission for any link.
NPR’s legal wonks still don’t realize that a link is not something that they are actually able to permit, let alone withdraw permission. It’s like saying, “Our main office is at 1527 Cole Blvd., but we reserve the right to tell you to remove that address from your Rolodex.”
It’s not only stupid, it’s been explicitly refuted in the courts.
By using the NPR Web sites, you agree to be bound by these terms of use. If you do not agree to these terms of use, please do not use the NPR Web sites. … Your continued use of the NPR Web Sites following the posting of changes to these terms will mean that you agree to those changes.
No it doesn’t. Neener-neener-neener.
My downward-trending respect for NPR continues to slide …
(Via BoingBoing, which has a still better analysis)
My downward-tending respect for lawyers continues to slide….