The World Wide Web, a network of electronically produced and interconnected (or "linked") sites, called pages, that are accessible via personal computer, raises legal issues about the rights of owners of intellectual property, notably those who create documents for inclusion on Web pages. …
The debate arises from the Web's ability to link one document to another. Links between sites are analogous to the inclusion in a printed text of references to other works, but with one difference: the cited document is instantly retrievable by a user who activates the link. …
To answer this question, it must first be determined who controls distribution of a document on the Web. When A places a document on a Web page, this is comparable to recording an outgoing message on one's telephone answering machine for others to hear. When B creates a link to A's document, this is akin to B's giving out A's telephone number, thereby allowing third parties to hear the outgoing message for themselves. Anyone who calls can listen to the message; that is its purpose. While B's link may indeed facilitate access to A's document, the crucial point is that A, simply by placing that document on the Web, is thereby offering it for distribution. Therefore, even if B leads others to the document, it is A who actually controls access to it. Hence creating a link to a document is not the same as making or distributing a copy of that document. …
The author's discussion of telephone answering machines serves primarily to
compare and contrast the legal problems created by two different sorts of electronic media
The purpose is not to compare and contrast legal problems of answering machines and the Web. We don’t even get a discussion of various legal problems related to answering machines.
provide an analogy to illustrate the positions taken by each of the two sides in the copyright debate
Tempting because of the word “analogy,” but you can’t pick (B) just based on that word alone. It’s wrong because the analogy isn’t designed to illustrate each side of the debate. The analogy doesn’t actually illustrate what intellectual property owners argue. The analogy is designed to advance the author’s own position.
show that the legal problems produced by new communication technology are not themselves new
The purpose is not to show that the legal problems of the Web are not new. The purpose relates to giving a better understanding of the issue of links to documents on the Web and advancing the author’s own position.
illustrate the basic principle the author believes should help determine the outcome of the copyright debate
This isn’t a perfect match to what we anticipated, but it’s the best answer. The analogy to answering machines helps illustrate the principle the author believes should determine whether links are copyright infringement. That principle concerns who controls distribution. With answering machines, the person recording the message controls distribution; with links the person who uploads the document on the Web controls distribution.
show that telephone use also raises concerns about copyright infringement
The purpose isn’t to show that telephone use also raises copyright infringement concerns. The purpose and focus is on links on the Web; answer machines are brought up because they help make a point about links on the Web.
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