Can I legally scrape data from a website for use in my app?
<p>I'm working on a little app that need AIS boats data. Without cracking something I've found that a website give it:</p>

<p><code>http://shipfinder.co/endpoint/shipDeltaUpdate.php?bounds=49.439658,0.061074,49.51333,0.228615</code></p>

<p>Is it legal to dump it ? </p>

<p>In our case, it's a free and open source mobile application.</p>

<p>Have a good day :)</p>

<p>From what i understand, you are asking if you can use that data in your app. Yes and no. It is factual information which is not able to be copyright protected so you are fine in a legal sense. </p>

<p>Where the no comes into play is that it is most likely against the TOS even though i cant find them, so expect them trying to stop you. They will not want you to use their data because you are using their bandwidth and they have their own apps and wont want to supply a competitor.</p>

<p>Read the TOS: <a href="http://my.pinkfroot.com/main/authorization/termsOfService" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://my.pinkfroot.com/main/authorization/termsOfService</a> that governs the site <code>shipfinder.co</code> (granted, the TOS was not easy to find):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>to use any manual or automated means, including agents, robots,
  scripts, or spiders, to access or manage any user's account or to
  monitor or copy this Network or the content contained therein;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>it is illegal to scrape the site and use the data for your own App.</p>

<p>Copying all or part of another website (or any other published work, be it a book, movie, music, article, internet resource, etc.) or the data from a site is illegal.</p>

<p>Read</p>

<p><a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/15360/is-it-legal-to-scrape-a-website-and-create-my-own-database/15365#15365">Is it legal to scrape a website and create my own database?</a></p>

<p><a href="https://law.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/541/i-have-a-question-about-copyright-what-should-i-read-before-i-ask-it">I have a question about copyright. What should I read before I ask it?</a></p>

<p><a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/copyright">https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/copyright</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In our case, it's a free and open source mobile application.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The state of the end use of the data is irrelevant, whether open or closed source.</p>

<p>And the idea that "my app simulated a client on their web site" is OK in technical terms, just not in terms of copyright.</p>

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