diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'LEGAL')
| -rw-r--r-- | LEGAL | 39 |
1 files changed, 38 insertions, 1 deletions
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@ +# Overview + +None of the getxbook tools seek to hide what they do. They use +the User Agent getxbook (though this can be easily changed in +util.c, or by using a proxy). + +While legal "agreements" (which company lawyers consider signed +by use of the service) tend to be hostile, using the standard +for determining what an automated tool is allowed to do on a +server, robots.txt, all of the getxbook tools are permitted. + # Getgbook -## TOS +## Terms of Service Google's terms of service are ambiguous. On the one hand they forbid using anything but a browser to access their sites. @@ -28,3 +39,29 @@ So, we append that to the urls (it has no effect on them), and we are obeying robots.txt Details on how Google interprets robots.txt are at http://code.google.com/web/controlcrawlindex/docs/robots_txt.html + +# Getabook + +## Conditions of Use + +With Amazon, massive overreach rules the day. In the "license and +site access" section of Amazon.com's Conditions of Use, they state +that downloading any part of their website except for page caching +is forbidden, and that using "robots, or similar data gathering +and extraction tools" is also not allowed. +http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=x?nodeId=508088 + +Thankfully, however, the rules set out in Amazon's robots.txt tells +a different story. Given that these explicitly lay down the rules +for automated downloading tools, it seems reasonable too take them +as representative of accepted policy. + +## robots.txt + +Amazon's main robots.txt allows all of the request types we make. + +## Curious + +One other curious sentiment in the Conditions of Use is the clause +"we each waive any right to a jury trial." Amazon's is truly a +Brave New World. |