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How does Anna's Archive keep their all their lawyers from quitting? > Even though OCLC is a non-profit, their business model requires protecting their database
by neilv 3y ago
How does Anna's Archive keep their all their lawyers from quitting?
> Even though OCLC is a non-profit, their business model requires protecting their database. Well, we’re sorry to say, friends at OCLC, we’re giving it all away. :-) [...]
> This included a substantial overhaul of their backend systems, introducing many security flaws. We immediately seized the opportunity, and were able scrape hundreds of millions (!) of records in mere days. [...]
> PS: We do want to give a genuine shout-out to the Worldcat team. Even though it was a small tragedy that your data was locked up, you did an amazing job at getting 30,000 libraries on board to share their metadata with you. As with many of our releases, we could not have done it without the decades of hard work you put into building the collections that we now liberate. Truly: thank you.
- RhodesianHunter 3y agoFor real. Openly bragging about exploiting security flaws to scrape out data en-masse, which undoubtedly put massive strain on back-end systems, is a far cry from what is considered legal (politely scraping public information).
- chatmasta 3y agoI think this is the least of their concerns considering the rest of their activities. I guess they've got a sort of pirate's privilege in that they can openly brag about this stuff since they're already starting from the point of openly flaunting the law. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if there simply are no lawyers working at, for or with Anna's Archive.
- neilv 3y agoThey could possibly get important ongoing support from institutions like the EFF and Berkman. But I think that's less likely if they're gleefully bragging about civil and criminal liabilities. And also chilling future data-sharing willingness for other orgs (because someone is coming along and ignoring assurances).
- dredmorbius 3y agoScraping and giving away the content is a better look than scraping and selling it as well. This is being done for public benefit, not private profit.
- RhodesianHunter 3y agoI'm not commenting on the morality, only the legality.
- dredmorbius 3y agoThe legality is itself a function of commercial and political power amongst publishers. In front of a jury of peers, the moral arguments might well be persuasive.
- kristianp 3y agoflaunting-> flouting
- chatmasta 3y agoNice catch, thanks. I suppose they're flaunting their flouting of the law ;)
- Sebguer 3y agoYou realize they're not a business, right?
- neilv 3y agoYes, why do you ask?
- pilimi_anna 3y agoWhat lawyers?