RSS on website

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jff1625

50 posts

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#18296 5-Jan-2008 16:11

I've been asked to redo a website for a client, but I'm new to RSS.
The site currently includes content from RSS feeds from other sites.
Some of those sites the terms & conditions for use of RSS on a website seems to state that you can only show the headline, and must link back to their site for the story content.

Whats going on here?
Is this normal to disobey the t&c for RSS content? Maybe I read the t&c wrong? Maybe the client has an arrangement with the other website?

Cheers,
Jeff

BTW - I haven't named any 'sites because I don't want to get my client in trouble. But I'm sure they'd prefer to to everything by the book, if they knew about it...

tonyhughes

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#103053 5-Jan-2008 16:26

Its not normal practice to ignore t&c's - your client could land up in court, and you reputation would be shot for helping them get there.

Lay it out in the open... (with your client that is)

freitasm

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#103091 5-Jan-2008 21:24

Most RSS feeds contain only the headline and a summary. In these cases is ok - but always using the URL set in the feed to link back to each individual article.

When th RSS feed contain the full article it is not ok to reprduce it without written consent from the copyright owner. In most cases owners will contact ISPs or hosting providers and either your client could end up in court or have the domain removed by the provider which in general shoot first and ask later (if ever).

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chemuduguntar

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#105440 17-Jan-2008 19:53

is it just me or isn't it obvious that if they don't you to copy something ... don't include it the full article in the rss feed?

domainspace

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#105464 17-Jan-2008 23:29

I think the problem is that many RSS feeds are generated with the idea that people will read them using a feed reader, but many webmasters seem to think that RSS means that the feed can be republished online without explicit permission.

One of the main reasons to generate a feed is so that bloggers are easily updated with your latest posts - not so that they can republish your content but so that they read it and hopefully blog about it or leave a message in your blog comments. I'm sure that many RSS feed creators would be happy for the titles and maybe summaries to be republished so long as there is a link back to the original article, but that doesn't mean it's ok with all feed creators.

Just because an RSS feed exisits it doesn't mean you have the automatic right to republish it.
Those terms and conditions are there for a reason!