SBC Claims Patent on Web Navigation

Jeffrey Zeldman reports that SBC is claiming they own a patent on site-wide or “framed” navigation.

Every Web site that uses a common form of site navigation could be hit for thousands or millions of dollars in licence fees, claims a US company holding a patent on the idea. SBC Communications, a major American telco and ISP, says that it owns the right to links that stay visible on the page during navigation — and wants up to 5 percent of company revenue annually as a licence fee.

Sometimes, you’ve just gotta wonder: what are they thinking?