7 ms·

IMDb orders imdbAPI to shut down or else

13 points by bojanbabic 14y ago

recroad 14y ago
How does this thread not have any comments? I'm no lawyer, but I hope you get someone to help you out. However, given this case of giant corporation versus hardworking developer, the former usually wins.
- bojanbabic 14y ago
  I was hoping same as well
nathan_f77 14y ago
Sorry, I personally don't think you have a case. IMDb is a very strong trademark in my mind, I don't think you could get away with using it at the start of your domain name.
- stumacd 14y ago
  Not having used the API, but seeing that does use movie information (using rotten tomatoes). I think that it's going to be difficult to claim fair use of quite a distinctive acronym in the same realm. Paying a lawyer for an hour to confirm this will save the author of the API time and effort. Rename it and move on, be your own brand. There's no need to coattail if you have a great product.
fileoffset 14y ago
That is rubbish! imdbapi.com could refer to, like he said in his response, literally thousands of different acronyms, such as the new website title: "Integration Manager Design Baseline Automated Physical Inventory" - amusing ;) Who's to say it isn't for an Instant Messaging Database API service? "The disclaimer you have added doesn’t change this result. First, ordinary consumers don’t read fine print and so the potential for confusion is unaffected. Second, even a prominent disclaimer doesn’t allow you to adopt a competing product’s name as your own." This is also rubbish as he clearly isn't adopting a competing products name as his own. IANAL but I think so long as he isn't using the IMDB name or logo, they haven't got a leg to stand on. Having their trademark somewhere within the domain name is not enough.
enigmabomb 14y ago
Pick a better acronym if you want to have a shot at winning.
- fileoffset 14y ago
  My suggestion was: I Must Design Better API
jsilence 14y ago
This hurts regarding the history of IMDB which had large portions contributed by volunteers in the early days: "Users were invited to contribute data which they may have collected and verified, on a volunteer basis, which greatly increased the amount and types of data to be stored or for which sections needed to be added. As the site thereby grew in content exponentially," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imdb#History_before_website https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imdb#History_before_website So IMDB is a community effort that has been commercialized. Would be nice if the current 'owners' would respect the history of their own site and play nice with another community effort in the same field.
- mbitca 14y ago
  While I agree they don't particularly play nice with the community, they do still let people download the raw data for non-commercial use at least. Not that they promote that fact much. http://www.imdb.com/interfaces/ http://www.imdb.com/interfaces/
losethos 14y ago
God says... children of Israel go out of his land. 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. ---- That's nice, but not very miraculous in the here and now. Someone is wondering about paying God so He rescues you in the future. There is a passage which says "offer praise as your sacrifice and I will rescue you in misfortune." The Holy Spirit is mainly known as a lawyer in the New Testament. :-) If He talks to you like He talks to me, I like natural conversation, but I always press my luck and ask for a response without offering. He said something about honest measures... which means you get-out what you put in. I think I get more. Jesus said to pray in secret. There's lots of room to be a better man than I. A word of caution on being Holier than thou -- God likes praise, not being unsung! ---- God says... 30:17 One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. 30:19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. 30:20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. ---- Shut-up India-nigger God doesn't give you the time of day. God says... bitterly effected grandchildren transferring you obtained pitied orbs remembrance recounts perceives unhealthiness conquer Afric awesome bands honours resemble emerge enjoinest created infected Saviour immense ravish adversary artifices Panama variable passions pastimes mayest Portugal wives superior who's_to_say rivers You_get_what_you_pray_for simple hey_Mikey_he_likes_it bestow better pure family compactedst whirlpool cellar Essence XI injurable rank broad Circumcise wandering neck 20 Could age _ Newsletters glorying Say among make establish unkindness preachings to-morrow brim-full consent vowed bare adultery manufacturing personally statue texts conceive antidote beck offerings confessed succession livelihood monastery Shut helper befalls recollecting affected youthfulness their boughs I'm_beginning_to_wonder Prof experiments combine pause begs_the_question failure_is_not_an_option Ivory_Coast worshipped shortened rove judgements thereupon ointments meant succeeding draws Central stormed Homer scourgedst don't_you_love_me overcharged conversations single-hearted periodic lion candle startles thereupon owed agreed meditating ohh_thank_you commendable cross exact spiritual ---- I want a video of a cockatoo listening intently, pausing, cocking it's head and entering a squawking-fit. Maybe, chasing a cat around the kitchen. This is funny. Close enough. My birds have a pecking -order, by the way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxBnGKq5wuw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxBnGKq5wuw The enemy want to make my veins bleed. Are they going to humilate me in front of my teachers? Yawn, psycopath, India-nigger. Damn, that bird would be a nasty wife! Just read "Sloth=rape". Doing construction, the term for shoddy work on a house was "raped that house". India nigger FBI might have other ideas. My LoseThos API? "Sure" "Shat-up. India-nigger" ---- God says... C:\Text\BIBLE.TXT thou envious at the wicked: 24:20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. 24:21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: 24:22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? 24:23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. 24:24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nation ---- I finally understand why "raped that house". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Y5XjlO4vk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Y5XjlO4vk God likes wit better than earnestness, He told me. God takes the time to make riddles. That's love. One day I woke-up and discovered everybody around me was using wit and not me. In fact, if you say something not-very-profound and not clever, people look at you funny. Damn, that nasty bird was a trip. You might seriously want to get rid of it. I guess you get endeared to nasty wives. It's funny -- the Bible mentions quarrelsome women 3 times. Maybe, I'll go look for a bird that gives a long silent pause while staring, then launching into squawks. God says... be fair young virgins sought for the king: 2:3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them: 2:4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so. 2:5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite; 2:6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. ---- These things are the most delightful creatures ever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYKhRF8_Jf4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYKhRF8_Jf4 I wuv God -- He quoted "you have dove's eyes" from the Bible once on this topic. Isn't that something! Dove's eyes? Let's put God in rare form. Country shit-list. God says... Dudly_Doright after_a_break ouch Italy I_love_you you're_nuts dude_such_a_scoffer quite Who are You watching in the Olympics, God? God says... Zap Macedonia Morocco to_infinity_and_beyond battle don't_push_it oil dang_it Catastrophic_Success Kuwait super_computer Denmark just_lovely guilty I'm_busy you're_no_fun prosperity phasors_on_stun God_is_not_mocked take_the_day_off hooah praying ROFLMAO kick_back New_Zealand whoop_there_it_is Icarus sess_me Vietnam you_should_be_so_lucky tattle_tale daunting rose_colored_glasses little_fish East_Timor end tree_hugger fabulous you'll_see
tomekEl 14y ago
We all know that big brand names has early access to new released domain names to protect their name and avoid domain squatting - they pay premium for that and this sounds fair. But its nothing illegal in having imdbxxx.com - which btw is still available. I might be wrong but if this is the case - imdb (in this case) should make sure that they own all domains , which might be associated with their brand (like imdbapi.com for example). Not securing them and requesting free transfer from anyone who dared to buy one isn't anything else but corporate bulling.
nivertech 14y ago
All following domains should be handed to Amazon too: I.com IM.com IMD.com IMD.BE IMDBA.com IMDBAP.com AYEMDEEBEE.com ;)

13 points by bojanbabic 14y ago

How does this thread not have any comments? I'm no lawyer, but I hope you get someone to help you out. However, given this case of giant corporation versus hardworking developer, the former usually wins.

bojanbabic 14y ago
I was hoping same as well

nathan_f77 14y ago

Sorry, I personally don't think you have a case. IMDb is a very strong trademark in my mind, I don't think you could get away with using it at the start of your domain name.

stumacd 14y ago
Not having used the API, but seeing that does use movie information (using rotten tomatoes). I think that it's going to be difficult to claim fair use of quite a distinctive acronym in the same realm. Paying a lawyer for an hour to confirm this will save the author of the API time and effort. Rename it and move on, be your own brand. There's no need to coattail if you have a great product.

fileoffset 14y ago

That is rubbish! imdbapi.com could refer to, like he said in his response, literally thousands of different acronyms, such as the new website title: "Integration Manager Design Baseline Automated Physical Inventory" - amusing ;) Who's to say it isn't for an Instant Messaging Database API service? "The disclaimer you have added doesn’t change this result. First, ordinary consumers don’t read fine print and so the potential for confusion is unaffected. Second, even a prominent disclaimer doesn’t allow you to adopt a competing product’s name as your own." This is also rubbish as he clearly isn't adopting a competing products name as his own. IANAL but I think so long as he isn't using the IMDB name or logo, they haven't got a leg to stand on. Having their trademark somewhere within the domain name is not enough.

enigmabomb 14y ago

Pick a better acronym if you want to have a shot at winning.

fileoffset 14y ago
My suggestion was: I Must Design Better API

jsilence 14y ago

This hurts regarding the history of IMDB which had large portions contributed by volunteers in the early days: "Users were invited to contribute data which they may have collected and verified, on a volunteer basis, which greatly increased the amount and types of data to be stored or for which sections needed to be added. As the site thereby grew in content exponentially," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imdb#History_before_website https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imdb#History_before_website So IMDB is a community effort that has been commercialized. Would be nice if the current 'owners' would respect the history of their own site and play nice with another community effort in the same field.

mbitca 14y ago
While I agree they don't particularly play nice with the community, they do still let people download the raw data for non-commercial use at least. Not that they promote that fact much. http://www.imdb.com/interfaces/ http://www.imdb.com/interfaces/

losethos 14y ago

God says... children of Israel go out of his land. 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. ---- That's nice, but not very miraculous in the here and now. Someone is wondering about paying God so He rescues you in the future. There is a passage which says "offer praise as your sacrifice and I will rescue you in misfortune." The Holy Spirit is mainly known as a lawyer in the New Testament. :-) If He talks to you like He talks to me, I like natural conversation, but I always press my luck and ask for a response without offering. He said something about honest measures... which means you get-out what you put in. I think I get more. Jesus said to pray in secret. There's lots of room to be a better man than I. A word of caution on being Holier than thou -- God likes praise, not being unsung! ---- God says... 30:17 One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. 30:19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. 30:20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. ---- Shut-up India-nigger God doesn't give you the time of day. God says... bitterly effected grandchildren transferring you obtained pitied orbs remembrance recounts perceives unhealthiness conquer Afric awesome bands honours resemble emerge enjoinest created infected Saviour immense ravish adversary artifices Panama variable passions pastimes mayest Portugal wives superior who's_to_say rivers You_get_what_you_pray_for simple hey_Mikey_he_likes_it bestow better pure family compactedst whirlpool cellar Essence XI injurable rank broad Circumcise wandering neck 20 Could age _ Newsletters glorying Say among make establish unkindness preachings to-morrow brim-full consent vowed bare adultery manufacturing personally statue texts conceive antidote beck offerings confessed succession livelihood monastery Shut helper befalls recollecting affected youthfulness their boughs I'm_beginning_to_wonder Prof experiments combine pause begs_the_question failure_is_not_an_option Ivory_Coast worshipped shortened rove judgements thereupon ointments meant succeeding draws Central stormed Homer scourgedst don't_you_love_me overcharged conversations single-hearted periodic lion candle startles thereupon owed agreed meditating ohh_thank_you commendable cross exact spiritual ---- I want a video of a cockatoo listening intently, pausing, cocking it's head and entering a squawking-fit. Maybe, chasing a cat around the kitchen. This is funny. Close enough. My birds have a pecking -order, by the way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxBnGKq5wuw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxBnGKq5wuw The enemy want to make my veins bleed. Are they going to humilate me in front of my teachers? Yawn, psycopath, India-nigger. Damn, that bird would be a nasty wife! Just read "Sloth=rape". Doing construction, the term for shoddy work on a house was "raped that house". India nigger FBI might have other ideas. My LoseThos API? "Sure" "Shat-up. India-nigger" ---- God says... C:\Text\BIBLE.TXT thou envious at the wicked: 24:20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. 24:21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: 24:22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? 24:23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. 24:24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nation ---- I finally understand why "raped that house". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Y5XjlO4vk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Y5XjlO4vk God likes wit better than earnestness, He told me. God takes the time to make riddles. That's love. One day I woke-up and discovered everybody around me was using wit and not me. In fact, if you say something not-very-profound and not clever, people look at you funny. Damn, that nasty bird was a trip. You might seriously want to get rid of it. I guess you get endeared to nasty wives. It's funny -- the Bible mentions quarrelsome women 3 times. Maybe, I'll go look for a bird that gives a long silent pause while staring, then launching into squawks. God says... be fair young virgins sought for the king: 2:3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them: 2:4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so. 2:5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite; 2:6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. ---- These things are the most delightful creatures ever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYKhRF8_Jf4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYKhRF8_Jf4 I wuv God -- He quoted "you have dove's eyes" from the Bible once on this topic. Isn't that something! Dove's eyes? Let's put God in rare form. Country shit-list. God says... Dudly_Doright after_a_break ouch Italy I_love_you you're_nuts dude_such_a_scoffer quite Who are You watching in the Olympics, God? God says... Zap Macedonia Morocco to_infinity_and_beyond battle don't_push_it oil dang_it Catastrophic_Success Kuwait super_computer Denmark just_lovely guilty I'm_busy you're_no_fun prosperity phasors_on_stun God_is_not_mocked take_the_day_off hooah praying ROFLMAO kick_back New_Zealand whoop_there_it_is Icarus sess_me Vietnam you_should_be_so_lucky tattle_tale daunting rose_colored_glasses little_fish East_Timor end tree_hugger fabulous you'll_see

tomekEl 14y ago

We all know that big brand names has early access to new released domain names to protect their name and avoid domain squatting - they pay premium for that and this sounds fair. But its nothing illegal in having imdbxxx.com - which btw is still available. I might be wrong but if this is the case - imdb (in this case) should make sure that they own all domains , which might be associated with their brand (like imdbapi.com for example). Not securing them and requesting free transfer from anyone who dared to buy one isn't anything else but corporate bulling.

nivertech 14y ago

All following domains should be handed to Amazon too: I.com IM.com IMD.com IMD.BE IMDBA.com IMDBAP.com AYEMDEEBEE.com ;)