Liberal Democrats have vowed to stop Labour using "unethical"
techniques to divert Internet traffic to its web site.
The Labour Party has used web site metatags - the practice of
submitting key words such as "William Hague, law and order" - to
Internet search engines in a bid to pull traffic away from Tory,
Liberal Democrat, Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru and Green
Party web sites.
It is deemed to be poor Internet convention for an organisation to
submit the key words associated with a rival to direct web traffic
to its site.
The practice has been condemned by the Conservative Party and
Liberal Democrats and denounced as unethical and immoral by Lars
Davis, Professor of Internet law at Queen Mary College, University
of London.
Opposition parties cried foul when CW360.com informed them of the
practice.
Lib Dem IT spokesman Richard Allan MP promised to make Labour
change its metatags.
He said, "This demonstrates that the Labour Party will use any
tactic to gain an edge. They should remember that we do have
responsibilities as political parties. Enough people are
disillusioned with politics without the government perverting a new
form of information technology for their own needs."
A Conservative Party spokesman said, "This is typical of New
Labour. Deceiving people and conning the public into listening to
what they have to say."
Lars Davies, Professor of Internet law at Queen Mary College,
University of London, told CW360.com that Labour's actions were not
illegal but would probably be considered as "passing off" under law
if it were operating in the commercial world.
"There are stringent tests for liability when you are using a
competitor's name and trademark as a metatag on your web site,"
said Davies. "This bid to emulate the bad practices in the
commercial world is highly unethical and immoral."
Commercial organisations' use of metatags has become a contentious
legal issue as cases of misuse have come to light.
Last year, the High Court ordered IT supplier Mandata to pay
£15,000 damages after it included trademarks belonging to rival
Roadtech Computer Systems in its metatags.
In January, Orbys Consulting was forced to change its metatags
after being threatened with legal action for trademark infringement
of IT services giant EDS and outsourcing consultancy Morgan
Chambers.
Metatags used on the Labour Party web site include Conservative,
Tory, William Hague, SNP, Plaid Cymru, Lib Dems Green.
The Labour Party failed to comment to several enquiries by
CW360.Com.
Bruce Ackland