Legal Definitions - hyperlink

Hyperlink

A hyperlink, often simply called a link, is a digital element on a webpage or other electronic document that, when activated (typically by clicking), directs a user to another location. This destination can be a different section within the same document, another page on the same website, or an entirely different website. Hyperlinks are commonly presented as underlined text, text in a different color, or as clickable images, signaling to the user that they can navigate elsewhere.

Legally, creating a hyperlink can become problematic if the person creating the link knows, or reasonably should know, that the link will be used to facilitate or encourage unauthorized copying of copyrighted material. In such cases, creating the link could be considered contributing to a copyright violation.

Here are some examples illustrating the use of hyperlinks:

• Internal Navigation within a Document: Imagine you are reading a very long online government report about public health guidelines. At the beginning of the report, there is a "Table of Contents" listing various sections like "Section 4: Vaccination Protocols." When you click on "Section 4: Vaccination Protocols," the page instantly scrolls down to that specific part of the report without loading a new page.

  This illustrates a hyperlink connecting two different locations within the same digital document, allowing for quick navigation to specific content.

• Navigation within a Website: A local library's website has a page detailing upcoming events. On this page, there's a sentence that reads, "For more information about our children's reading programs, please visit our Youth Services page." The phrase "Youth Services" is underlined and appears in blue text.

  Here, clicking the "Youth Services" hyperlink takes you to a different page, but it remains within the same library's website, providing more specific information related to the initial topic.

• Navigation to an External Website: A travel blog publishes an article reviewing various hotels in Paris. In the review of a particular hotel, the blogger writes, "You can view room availability and book directly on the hotel's official website."

  In this scenario, clicking on "official website" directs your browser away from the travel blog and opens the separate website belonging to the hotel, demonstrating a hyperlink connecting to a completely different online domain.