TUI forced to stop screenscraping Ryanair website

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• As I said
  
  

  It needs an expert to decide what Law, if any, is being broken. I don't believe that screenscrapers are breaking any Law - not even the Law of copyright. My understanding is that copyright automatically applies to anything that a person creates and in that sense, a website is a creation and the site is copyright; nobody can copy and reproduce the site. But there is no copyright on information - which is what the data we are speaking of are. If I were to say that Ryanair fly from Stanstead to Rome (I haven't checked so don't pick me up if I'm wrong!) then I am not breaking Ryanair's copyright; If I say they are flying on Thursdays I am not breaking their copyright; if I say they are charging &#pound;100 I am not breaking their copyright - and so on. The information they publich is in the public domain; it is not confidential of covered by the Officla Secrets Act. It is available to all and can be used by all. Providing tour operators and others do not reproduce the Ryaair site then I can't see that they are breaking copyright Law - or indeed any other Law. Of course, Ryanair will try every tactic they can to stop others profiting from their activities - but I have yet to be convinced that anything that is presently being done by resellers is illegal. In pasing I would remark that it is ironic how it seems that Ryanair like to threaten others with legal action but themselves treat most legal threats against themselves with supreme disdain. But that's the way they are and they have every right to their business model.

  By Richard English, Thursday, April 23, 2009
• Does Brown listen to the UK industry?
  
  

  The New Zealand travel industry is in the extremely fortunate position of having John Key, PM of the newly elected National Government opting to take on the Tourism portfolio in addition to his duties as PM. Key has an extremely successful business background and recognises the role of tourism (both inbound and outbound) as a major contributor to the national economy. He listens to the views of the industry and rorts such as increasing the APD in the guise of financing questionable socialist green policies would not occur. Is the APD increase just another case of 'envy' policies by the Brown administration?

  By Ronny Ager-Wick, Thursday, April 23, 2009
• Is it really?
  
  

  Ronny writes, "...Ryanair have the right to protect their data. They're acting to stop people from illegally lifting data off their web site, not to stop them from reselling their flights..." I would suggest that, once data are published for all to see without let or hindrance then those data are in the public domain.

  By Richard English, Wednesday, April 22, 2009
• It's their data!
  
  

  Ryanair have the right to protect their data. They're acting to stop people from illegally lifting data off their web site, not to stop them from reselling their flights. Of course, it's pretty difficult to resell their flights without any data, but they are offering an API instead - probably for a fee.

  By Ronny Ager-Wick, Wednesday, April 22, 2009
• Ticket touts
  
  

  There's only one online ticket tout, adding miscellaneous fees here and there at a moments notice, and no one is going to muscle in on Ryanair's patch!

  By W Shearer, Monday, April 20, 2009
• How do they expect to sell?
  
  

  Just how to Ryanair expect to sell holidays. If travel agents and tour operators are not allowd to sell them where is their business going to come from?

  By Marie Keates, Friday, April 17, 2009
• Another fine mess!
  
  

  Ryanair seems determined to make sure that they get no bookings from the travel trade. I am sure that they will get their wish. Certainly, I believe that most tour operators are not looking to make money from Low Cost Airline seat sales, they are simply looking to offer an inclusive service to customers so that they can secure business for their accommodation and resort services, where they can control margin. Bye bye Ryanair, hello Flybe and Easyjet.

  By Richard Bristow, Friday, April 17, 2009
• Is it illegal?
  
  

  Could someone tell me under whose Law is it illegal to resell a product or service at a different price from that for which it was originally sold? If this is genuinely the case then there must be a lot of antique dealers breaking the Law!

  By Richard English, Friday, April 17, 2009
• Hidden charges?
  
  

  Now if only Ryanair would stop their own hidden and fictitious charges and update their web site from 1993 we'd have a perfect world.

  By Jesper Palmqvist, Friday, April 17, 2009