Re: [tlug] Re: alc.co.jp webservice

["Edmund Edgar" <lists@example.com>]

Here's an extract from their terms of service:

『英辞郎 on the Web』は、SPACE ALCのトップページ（http://www.alc.co.jp/）にアクセスし、そのページ上部の検索インターフェイスからご利用ください。この利用法に準じない利用（メタタ深チなど）は禁止します。

To translate (and paraphrase a bit):
"If you want to use our precious "Eijiro on the web", get your lazy butt over to SPACE ALC's top page and use the search interface there. We forbid any use of the service that does not use this method. So cut out the open-source meta-search freeloading, you idle worthless hippy scum." [*]
http://www.alc.co.jp/eow/how_to_use.html

If I've understood the TOS correctly, they also appear to forbid using their dictionary for work.

Of course, you could work around the fairly feeble technical hurdles they put up to stop you using this service, and in practice ALC are nice, sensible people and probably won't sue you. But I can't help feeling that in situations like this where the copyright holder claims they really don't want you to use their content in a way that's useful to you, the best response is to take them at their word, and then some: Give them the full "cyber-mura no hachi-bu" treatment. 

Don't steal it, don't link to it, don't use it.

Especially as we have Jim's dictionary to work with...


[*] Although they make a special exception for Google, Gawd bless 'em.