Theodor Nelson's Project Xanadu sought to define a global hypermedia environment almost a decade before the development of today's world wide web. His writings established the infrastructure for a theoretical web-like world that included an automated copyright payment system embedded within the hyperlinks. He envisioned an environment where individuals would both pay and collect fees based on based on the flow of connections between public and personal texts stored in a global hypermedia environment.

In the early '80s computer workstations were too expensive and network resources too limited to permit the creation of a successful Xanadu environment. More recently, the have released a microcomputer version of their system, but the dominance of the web has relegated it to the role of a technological footnote.

For more info see:

Theodor Nelson. Literary Machines. 1980 - 1987, published by the author.

Project Xanadu website