Is it OK to scrape...

Data from a site that compiles statistics? I mean, really, I can understand someone getting upset with scraping articles. But sports statistics? I want to update the stats weekly, but it's not the main focus of my site.

Should there be any hesitation about this? I could never in a million years keep up to date with a site any other way.

Thank you for your input.

 

So, you want to take information from another site and put it on yours? I'd go with not a good idea. Though, it is only statistics, which couldn't be counted as duplicate content considering it's mainly numbers.

 

Scraping is not the real problem. It is re-publishing the data you scraped that leads to problems.

Sports statistics are basically factual matters and scraping statistics, depending on what exactly you are doing, could be a legitimate way to obtain data. Especially, if you are getting raw data from the a league source and citing it as the source of your data.

 

I've been pouring over my keyboard tonight, trying to find an open source for sports statistics. I thought there must surely a group of nerds out there, putting together a massive database for public consumption. Alas, my efforts have fallen short. There are free sports stats sites, but basically just dealing at the team level - where I want to get down to the player level.

Honestly, I have no intention, whatsoever of giving credit for the statistics. Yes, I had thought that the statistics, being what they were, should not post a copyright issue. After all, 10 different people will arrive at the same conclusion. NO amount of opinion or intellectual uniqueness can qualify a statistic as belonging to one group or another, if it hasn't been embellished or fabricated.

Let me emphasize once more - the scraped statistical data will NOT be a content driver for my site. It is only filler to keep the reader interested and coming back. (call it a "loss leader", if you will)

 

Just as long as it's working, DO IT!

 

The main issue that needs to be considered is whether or not the site where the data is originating from has or has not copyrighted it. I agree facts, data, stats can't be copyrighted per se, but if the site says that you cannot redistribute their content without their written permission (or at all), that should create, well, at least a moral dilemma for those who want to use their content anyway.

 

If you are scraping statistics only it wont be a problem. Make sure you site offer something unique and utilities to the user.

 

Of course it's a problem - and you know it or why else would you even need to ask? What's the difference between articles and statistics, they are both someone's work product where they put effort into it? Just because they are factual statistics doesn't make any difference. Someone has gone to the trouble of collecting that data, compiling it, and presenting it. What makes you think it would be OK just to come along, do no work, and steal the data they had spent time (and maybe even money) collecting. It's their work, their effort, their time, and their money and it's not OK for you just to take it.

 

The law disagrees with you. The statistics themselves are not protectable by copyright.
There is a nice simple analysis of the issue here with citations to Supreme Court cases and others that make this point clear.
http://dearrichblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/can-we-republish-sports-statistics.html

 

It's OK, browntwn. Don't engage the argument. My work is already done.

I am not making money on it, so I'm not finding it easy to sympathize with your position on this one. If I was actually up to no good, I wouldn't be on this forum. There are plenty of black hat forums to participate on.

By the way, Ron Brown... Sorry about your accident, and sorry that they couldn't pin it on Clinton. You deserve justice, dude.

 

You must be confused. I am telling you it is legal to use the statistics and showed you the legal cases saying so. Why would you have a hard time sympathizing with your own position?

My post, as indicated by the person I was replying to, was to correct Ron Brown's incorrect assertion about the law.

 

I was having a hard time sympathizing with Ron Brown's position. Sorry that wasn't clear.

This is for a hobby site. Not a commercial venture. If somebody reading some numbers about their favorite player is going to cause an uproar, God help us all.