Tuesday - August 1, 2000

Did Deep Linking Really Get a Green Light?

According to Business Week:

"Ticketmaster.com sells tickets to all manner of football games, rock concerts, plays, circuses, and other events. So does Tickets.com.

But frequently, Ticketmaster has a critical advantage. For many performances, the Pasadena (Calif.) company is the only game in town. For example, Ticketmaster has an exclusive deal to sell online tickets for Metallica's 'Summer Sanitarium Tour.'

To draw as many customers as possible, Tickets.com does something that many companies would find unimaginable: It links to its competitor's site to help people buy tickets for events that are only available through Ticketmaster. But first, consumers are generally shown a screen that says: 'These tickets are sold by another ticketing company. Although we can't sell them to you, the link above will take you directly to the other company's Web site where you can purchase them.'

This practice of 'deep-linking' infuriates Ticketmaster..."

Click here for the full story.

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