Linking to Lowes.com? Better Get Permission First

Don’t link to Lowes.com unless you have the time to fax a license request to them.

Ars Technica has found that Lowes.com has a ridiculous policy on linking to them. They require that Web sites that link to them must fill out a form. The actual idea of having to receive permission to link to a Web site is pretty stupid. It’s a concept that has been dead for years.

It gets even more insane when you see that Lowes has three different licenses that users must sign when wanting to link to the Web site in different ways. The three ways are linking to Lowes and using their logo, linking to Lowes without using their logo and if both you and Lowes are linking to each other.

Once again, may I add for emphasis, that the only way to receive permission to link to Lowes is if you fax them a license request. Oh, by the way, Lowes has the right to terminate your license at any time.

Ars Technica contacted Lowes about this seemingly archaic policy to hopefully confirm that it’s just an old policy that they forgot to remove. Unfortunately, that is not the case:

“Managing link agreements is part of protecting our brand,” is the polite reply I received. “The process we have in place to handle links to lowes.com is a business decision.”

By the way, I found this awesome chainsaw on Home Depot that would be perfect for a zombie apocalypse. I hear Lowes has the better deal, but I’m awaiting to hear back on whether or not I have permission to link to it.

To read the absolutely ridiculous link agreement in its entirety, check it out below:

HypertextLinkAgreement_A

There are 7 Comments. Add Yours.

calgary web design
March 10, 2012 at 8:07 pm

Maybe someone will build ten thousand spam links to them just because of this stupid crap.
Steve G
March 10, 2012 at 3:23 pm

I’d like to see Lowe’s try and sue somebody for linking to them. Using their logo is one thing, but using their trademarked name within fair use law and even linking to them is not something that Lowe’s has a say in.
Richard Sexton
March 10, 2012 at 2:02 pm

Hmm, how will this change, I wonder, with their purchase of ATG? Will someone at ATG give them a clue? Or will ATG, an extremely web-savvy company, suddenly be forced to have the same policy?

Lowes’ must have two heads. Their purchase of ATG was very shrewd and shows an understanding of e-commerce dynamics. This linking policy is medieval. I think thats the last time anyone actually used a “fax”.
jan
March 10, 2012 at 11:39 am

I have never heard of Lowes.com, better keep it that way.
Katherine
March 10, 2012 at 10:44 am

Haha what ridiculous policy. Spam sites and anyone who wants to harm their “reputation” by linking to their website will still do so regardless of policy. The only thing they are impeding is the people who link to them and improve their search ranking. There is nothing to justify their policy. They now have to waste thousands and millions in seo and web advertising when it could be free. I think most people aren’t even aware of their linking policy. They probably just have this policy so they cannot be held responsible for anything. Regardless, it’s stupid.
Robert S
March 10, 2012 at 9:06 am

I just bought over $700 in blocks from Lowe’s and have done this many times for an ongoing wall building project at my ranch. That will be the last time. This company thinks like a dinosaur.
- Jack R
  March 11, 2012 at 7:39 pm
  
  What if google displays wrong address locality? Leading buyers to another competitor? This is were link policy becomes essential.
  
  Websites listing “business information” has to as to follow some guide lines, like using the correct logs, correct address, location, phone numbers etc which should be updated often.