Inline linking
Hotlinking or inline linking referred to embed media into a web page that is stored on a different host than the page containing it. Often it is used in medium images, but also referencing of sound, video, text or JavaScript files is common.
Except in the case of framing used ( see below) the main page of a website is Hotlinking always a form of Deep Links dar.
Hotlinking as undesirable use
The creator of a website can use hotlinking, to relieve his own website offering host of traffic. It is not immediately apparent to the viewer of the page that a medium has been incorporated by a foreign host. In addition to reducing the data traffic and storage space for the integrated media is saved.
The foreign host provides visitors with the referring page and so therefore has additional traffic. When this happens against the will of the owner of the foreign hosts, we speak of traffic theft, traffic Klau or leeching. There are several ways in which a Web server or a Web application can prevent hotlinking. A popular methods is to query the HTTP referrer, the mitsendet the web browser on a site visitor. However, this can also visitors who are referred to a website via conventional hyperlinks and visitors, turn off the referrer will be prevented from retrieving the linked medium.
Hotlinking as a service
Upload databases such as YouTube or Google Video offer free hotlinking explicitly as a service. The mass distribution embedded video on all possible sides heard here on the business model; the disadvantage of increased traffic is thereby taken by the provider in purchasing. Since usually a flash player is used for the representation, the supplier here has much wider possibilities to use him made available image area on the side of the including for their own economic purposes. Einbinder and providers, therefore, draw both a benefit from this approach.
The technique
In the HTML source code of a website referenced media can be integrated in several ways by foreign host.
Frames and iframes allow third-party sites and therefore any type of media, which are present on these pages incorporate. This is done using the src attribute of the HTML elements and
In addition to framing, there are further, depending on the media type Hotlinking methods.
Legal situation
The unauthorized incorporation of foreign media, or page components has been prohibited in Germany by courts already in judgments. These different laws such as competition law and copyright law were used. For example, forbade the Landgericht München I, citing copyright hotlinking of photos.