EU rules that websites can link to free content without breach of copyright?

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/...-to-free-content-without-permission-1.1691633

I don't fully understand what was at issue here and has it any implications for sites such as Askaboutmoney?

Website owners “may, without the authorisation of the copyright holders, redirect internet users via hyperlinks, to protected works available on a freely accessible basis on another site,” the EU Court of Justice in [broken link removed] said yesterday.

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Occasionally, I get emails asking if it's ok to link to posts on askaboutmoney. I don't understand why they are asking. Presumably it benefits us to be linked from as many sites as possible. While a link from some suspicious sites may damage our Google ranking, there really isn't anything we could do about it.

I can't remember anyone ever asking us to remove links to their site, other than a recent trend of some people claiming that old links from askaboutmoney are damaging their reputation with Google. I tend to remove them unless they were posted as spam in the first place.

A long story Brendan, but well worth reading: http://www.mcgarrsolicitors.ie/2012/05/10/newspaper-licencing-ireland/