Amazon Sues Alexaholic

theodp writes "ZDNet reports that as Jeff Bezos tap-danced out of a cringe moment at Web 2.0 Expo prompted by Tim O'Reilly's questioning of why Amazon couldn't get along with Alexaholic (now Statsaholic), Amazon had already filed a lawsuit to legally spank the tiny company into oblivion."

another GoogleClick moment

[Anonymous Coward]

Another generation learns the old truth... the upstarts always seem to start as the Good Guys taking on the Big Faceless Corporate Machines. Their CEOs are hip and appear smiling, sharp but casually dressed, on magazine covers. Even after they go public, they maintain that halo for awhile, give lip service to idea of making the world a better place instead of just making a buck. Why not make a little less, and give something back to the people?

Then one day, the upstarts turn into the Big Bad Guys. There's just no way to tell the difference. The need to dominate the industry is overriding, and the end justifies every means.

data != articles

[Mateo_LeFou]

At least according to US copyright law, raw data does not contain the expressive component necessary for copyrights.

From the complaint:
"Alexa seeks to force Mr. Hornbaker to stop infringing Alexa's trademarks and to stop pirating Alexa proprietary data."

I don't know exactly what Alexa does, but the only thing protectable in a database is its *design and *structure -- and that only if those attributes exhibit creativity (rather than the ordinary constraints of the relational model).

Re:biting the hands that feed them

[arth1]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who still boycotts Amazon over the one-click patent. That O'Reilly sold out doesn't mean that I have to. Still, it's getting more and more difficult to avoid Amazon, especially when I have to explain to well-meaning friends and relatives that I can no more accept a gift bought through Amazon than I can accept a gift made through child labour.

Re:Thanks Tim

[cyphercell]

thanks, what a schmuck! Seriously, this news is like watching two fat warthogs fight over eating a piglet, it's disgusting.

Re:Thanks Tim

[Kalriath]

Here's the trademark registration: http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=m kfu1u.3.3 [uspto.gov] Here's an actual instance of CMP/O'reilly threatening a (not even US-based!) non-profit for using it: http://www.tomrafteryit.net/oreilly-trademarks-web -20-and-sets-lawyers-on-itcork/ [tomrafteryit.net]

Re:He was screen scraping...

[poot_rootbeer]

If alexa had wanted that data available they would have made it available through the API.

But if they HADN'T wanted that data available, there wouldn't exist a URL through which anybody could access it.