Hey all, For my final year project I'm creating a eCommerce site which implements data-mining to show users similar results for products they search. For my data, I was wondering if I could use Amazons. I.e. Copy their product list info for products; games, toys and such then add them to my database. Also using their images for thumbnails and stuff. I'm going to write a script which goes through Amazon and gets me the data automatically, but I was wondering if this is legal (its for non-profit and just to show how to use the data in my system) Any advice would be appriciated.
if you steal amazons data and republish it, even if you don't make a red cent off of it, what do you think Amazon will do? What would YOU do if you were Amazon? come on. It's not rocket science. You can work it our for yourself.
Plus with Amazon they have an API for you to get all that sort of data - many a facebook app has been created using it. Are you actually going to be putting the data live on the internet? Surely if its for college you can put it on a private server thus whilst technically not avoiding copyright issues it does stop them finding the outputs
You might as well do it properly via the API if you can. If you can't, then that would suggest Amazon don't want you to access that data. If it is for a college project then why not - just do it, they won't sue you but might just ask you to take it down. I would say make the project into something useful however. You might as well if you have to do it anyway.
I'm merely using the data just to show how the system works- not to make a profit or anything like that. Its more research than anything, I'm using it as test data. I mean, Play.com and Amazon all list products that are the same with the same details/descriptions and such. I guess I'm talking to the wrong people here; I tried asking a few people at my university but they weren't too sure. Hmm.
why? because you aint getting the answer you wanted? OK then, go right ahead. you'll be fine. Make sure you let Amazon's legal dept know what you are doing, that way they won't have a problem with the theft. Don't forget to give them your real name and address. Amazon provide, as the other poster mentioned, an API. You can use that subject to their T&Cs, which are quite detailed. It will probably result in less jail time than randomly scraping their site. You might get early parole for 'not using it commercially'.
Well you seem to know a lot, so can you show me some kind of proof that this isn't allowed? All I see is "UR GOIN TO JAILZZZZZZZZ!!!" if you do this. I just need filler data for my site- I don't wish to implement Amazon's actual API- I'm creating a site where users can sell and buy products. I could make up the data myself- but for the data-mining aspect it'd be a lot easier to use products already out there. Again, this is all hypothetical in the sense that I'm not planning on using the system or the data in the system for real life- its a university project which explores the techniques used in data-mining. It's not just Amazon either- I could use a whole bunch of the million of online stores/shops out there on the internet that list products. I looked into the Fair Dealings law (for the UK) and it says "fair dealing is limited to the following purposes: research and private study (both must be non-commercial), criticism, review, and news reporting (sections 29, 30, 178)". My project surely falls under research and private study?
I think you would be safe under "fair use" assuming it is strictly a school project, will not take in any revenue whatsoever, and in no way claims to be affiliated with Amazon (or another site). To be extra safe, I would simply add a noindex meta tag to keep it from being shown in the major search engines. I think the worst that could happen would be that Amazon would ask you to stop using the data - and if you are linking to the products without an affiliate code, then I think the chances of them doing so would be very small.
AFAIK, 'fair use' refers to using small portions of someone else's work without permission. I could be wrong though. Jokes aside, as mjewel says, you'd be unlucky to get caught. I'm just curious as to why you are arguing about this? Why take the chance? Just use the API, it's pretty simple and VERY comprehensive. Pictures, descriptions, tech specs, it's all available aside from comments. And the problem... goes away.
That's not the legal definition - which isn't clear cut. While generally speaking, the less used, the better; Substantial copying of works has been upheld by the courts to be "fair use" in certain cases i.e. Sony Corp. v. Universal City Studios. The amount copied is only one of the factors considered. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 17 U.S.C. § 106 and 17 U.S.C. § 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include: 1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; 2. the nature of the copyrighted work; 3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and 4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
That's why I said 'AFAIK'. Hats off to the jewel for this lovely paraphrase, which should clear it up for anyone interested in the topic.
Here is what google does in this situation: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/improvements-to-product-search-for-this.html so narley.. they pwned