Very cool! This could be really useful for something I'm working on.
I noticed in the example queries on your site, the data that is returned looks like it is being piped pretty much exclusively from Amazon. For example, every image url is an Amazon url. Have you licensed this data from Amazon? Otherwise, any customers who use this info on their website are effectively ripping off Amazon's product data, and could be exposed to legal issues. For example, would it be kosher to download an image and use it on your own site?
I'm trying to understand the terms under which this data is being provided and whether it is worth it for me to buy a subscription to your service.
>I noticed in the example queries on your site, the data that is returned looks like it is being piped pretty much exclusively from Amazon.
Damn, I really am hoping that's not the case. I got all excited because I really don't like the Amazon Product Advertising API. In fact, I have a project that I've basically given up on pursuing further because it depends on product lookup and I didn't think I could depend on Amazon, for various reasons especially:
-You can't even use the API unless you participate in their affiliate program, which you can't do in certain states because of constantly shifting tax laws (the fact that I have to do this to hit an API makes me facepalm)
-There are pretty low hourly usage limits. You can only get those increased by driving traffic and thus sales to Amazon. I'd rather pay.
-Technically, you can't write an app unless the exclusive purpose of the app is driving sales to Amazon
I'd love to pay for this thing if it is the real deal. If anyone has other alternatives, I'd like to hear them too.
Thanks for the comment! Since amazon.com storefronts cover more products that the rest, hence the skewed results - this is specifically true with the long tail queries. As we add more sources, the dominance would be less pronounced :)
We did hear that feedback too. Hopefully our API helps mitigate that issue. Hit me up at vinoth at semantics3.com if you'd like to talk about how our API could work for you!
The discussion of the TOS kind of obscured the real question I was trying to ask, which is "What are users of this API allowed to do with the image data?"
The API provides a link to the image, which is probably perfectly legal, but the site that displays that image in, say, an ad for a product on a non-Amazon website may be infringing. I'd like more clarity on this particular aspect of this api.
So the terms of service answer this question in a vague way. Basically, they say you aren't allowed to use this data for any commercial purpose. But who is going to want to use this data for anything other than commercial purposes?
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I noticed in the example queries on your site, the data that is returned looks like it is being piped pretty much exclusively from Amazon. For example, every image url is an Amazon url. Have you licensed this data from Amazon? Otherwise, any customers who use this info on their website are effectively ripping off Amazon's product data, and could be exposed to legal issues. For example, would it be kosher to download an image and use it on your own site?
I'm trying to understand the terms under which this data is being provided and whether it is worth it for me to buy a subscription to your service.