In a move that could change the Internet forever, a Singapore firm has sent out invoices to companies that use graphics to link to web sites, claiming that it owns the patent. Vuestar technologies has been busy sending out invoices all week under the claim that it owns the patent to technology used by almost every site on the Internet to link pictures to other Web pages. The company’s web site claims that it is the pioneer of “visual search technology”. As such, it is laying claim to any kind of visual search on the Internet. Any company that uses graphics that link to other webpages will now, according to Vuestar, have to buy a licence, which could cost between $200 and millions. The company reckons that it will be able to milk Internet giants like the Vole and Google for hundreds of millions, but intellectual property lawyers are not so sure. Although the company does seem to have a patent in Australia, New Zealand and even the US for “locating web pages by utilising visual images”, any court that enforced it would be changing the whole essence of the Internet. Bryan Tan of Keystone Law Corporation said that it would be unlikely for a judge to rule in favour of such a wide patent but advised anyone who has been invoiced by the company to get themselves a lawyer double quick.

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