[okfn-discuss] [get.theinfo] Re: Getting data on consumer goods

Fri Jan 18 18:42:04 UTC 2008

Peter Harkins wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 16, 2008 at 03:01:35PM -0800, Aaron Swartz wrote:
>> I have a large collection of ISBNs (although I'm looking for more if
>> anyone out there has them).
> 
> You could try talking to Tim Spalding, the owner of LibraryThing.com.
> I've traded some mail with him and he's was very open and flexible.

There's also:

   <http://isbndb.com>

As detailed on the CKAN package page:

   <http://www.ckan.net/package/read/isbndb>

one should be a little concerned about the license for the data -- it 
looks like they just scraped it all from Amazon and its not clear what 
rights they have and what license they are making the data available 
under (this is also a concern with other sources). A similar point would 
apply to the ASINs available from Amazon. Even if they are making the 
them available (albeit at 4000 items per request) that doesn't make the 
data open -- i.e. allow you to redistribute it, reuse it as you want.

A good example of this issue that 'free access' need not imply 
'openness' is IMDB which has makes data available from:

   <http://www.imdb.com/interfaces.html>

But states clearly:

 > "Please refer to the  copyright/license information listed in each 
file for instructions on allowed usage. The data is NOT FREE  although 
it may  be used for free in specific circumstances."

More discussion of this issue in this (old) thread from okfn-discuss:

   http://lists.okfn.org/pipermail/okfn-discuss/2006-April/000041.html

There's also more details on the the CKAN package page for IMDB:

   <http://www.ckan.net/package/read/imdb>

Regards,

Rufus