More Wired coverage of the BT patent case.

“Assuming for a moment that they have a valid case, then BT made a huge error in allowing that patent to sit unclaimed for so long,” said patent attorney Vincent Jerham. “Had the company piped up when those first Web pages were published and informed people that it owned hyperlink technology, then businesses and Web publishers could have chosen to use hyperlinks or not. Showing up now, more than a decade after the party started, has effectively killed any chance of collecting prior-usage fees.”