What a Hotlink Costs Advertisers in Magazine iPad Editions

How much is a hotlink worth? It seems like a small thing, but it's one of many new questions facing magazine publishers as they try to figure out best practices, policies and business models for their editions on the iPad, Kindle and Nook.

Should magazines automatically activate any web addresses mentioned in a print ad -- whether it's Folgers.com or Facebook.com/DKNY -- when the ads get digitized for tablets? Or should advertisers pony up for the privilege? Conde Nast charges $5,000 to activate each web address from a print ad. Functional links give advertisers extra value that's worth paying for, according to Conde Nast, which publishes magazines such as Vogue and The New Yorker.