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8 Comments

How you deal with product ideas that violates term of use of a website/app?

For example, tracking product prices of an e-commerce site, or extracting audio from YouTube videos

  1. 7

    The universe of good ideas is almost infinitely large. I'd personally prefer to work on something that's not entirely dependent on some platform that might shut me down, while also violating that platform's rules.

    If you think about it, the more successful you get with a product like that, the more worry and anxiety you'll have. Wouldn't you prefer to build a business that makes you happier as it grows, instead?

    1. 2

      This is invaluable advice. Sooner or later, your product will clash with the parent platform and they will try and shut you down if you are competing with them in a similar business or a business segment they’re considering of entering. A business that is free of these inherent limitations will inherently be a stronger business long term.

    2. 1

      I see your point, you have a valid argument right there. It wouldn't be fun to have someone control you!

  2. 2

    I worked for a company whose bread and butter was scripting payments to utilities/etc for bill aggregators. We'd regularly check the "agree to the terms & conditions" checkbox. The argument was that by the individual using the bank which used a bill aggregator which used that company, we were acting on the individual's behalf. That said, we regularly got shut down, which would be a stressful thing, so it was good (for that company, anyway) that they made payments to over 50 organizations.

    So, tl;dr, you can do it but it might make you feel bad and you should be prepared to get shut down, and the only way to really legally CYA is to rely on existing precedent that says it's okay if you're doing it on behalf of individual users.

  3. 1

    You do it if you can get away with it without getting caught.

  4. 1

    I think it's not possible :(

    1. 1

      Why you think so? Is it because of the legal or ethical side?

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        It's because of the legal side. For example the website (peggo.tv that I've used for downloading music from youtube more than a few years were closed due to legal problems).

        If you have a long-term goal I suggest you find another business idea. If you only want a short-term experience you can try illegal ones too. But I don't suggest it. :/

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    This comment was deleted 5 years ago.

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