Displaying information on a map without requesting permission

[silvietta]

California.

Hi, I hope this is the right forum where to post this thread.
want to integrate a map to my website and show icons of shops and businesses related to the topic of the website. I would like to show some basic information about these businesses (address, telephone and email contact, link to their website and a couple of lines on the products they sell) and I was wondering if I can do it without their explicit permission?
The information I would use is public on their websites, so they shouldn't bother if I use it in my map...or do I have to ask them first to make sure they are OK with it?

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[quincy]

California.

Hi, I hope this is the right forum where to post this thread.
want to integrate a map to my website and show icons of shops and businesses related to the topic of the website. I would like to show some basic information about these businesses (address, telephone and email contact, link to their website and a couple of lines on the products they sell) and I was wondering if I can do it without their explicit permission?
The information I would use is public on their websites, so they shouldn't bother if I use it in my map...or do I have to ask them first to make sure they are OK with it?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Without knowing more (ie, what sort of website you have), I think you would be smart to get the explicit permission of the businesses you wish to feature. Some businesses do not like surprises.

 

[silvietta]

Without knowing more (ie, what sort of website you have), I think you would be smart to get the explicit permission of the businesses you wish to feature. Some businesses do not like surprises.

Hi, thanks for your answer. It is a nonprofit platform for sustainable businesses (green businesses, ethical fashion, organic food stores, and similar), I would like to display all shops on the map with those few information about them.
The website doesn't belong to any company or organization, it is just a pilot project I started for a course and I would like to bring forward.

I know Yelp adds businesses and publishes basic public information on the map without permission, so I was wondering if it is a common practice or you can have legal problems because of that...

 

[quincy]

Hi, thanks for your answer. It is a nonprofit platform for sustainable businesses (green businesses, ethical fashion, organic food stores, and similar), I would like to display all shops on the map with those few information about them.
The website doesn't belong to any company or organization, it is just a pilot project I started for a course and I would like to bring forward.

I know Yelp adds businesses and publishes basic public information on the map without permission, so I was wondering if it is a common practice or you can have legal problems because of that...

Well, let's just ignore the fact that Yelp is sued with some frequency, okay?

It seems as if all "green" businesses would appreciate their inclusion on a well-run site with your intended focus.

It is still a good idea, however, to get permission from the businesses, especially if your website intends to go beyond the basic publicly available data (name, address, phone number, map location). Any information beyond that which is readily available to the public that you wish to include on the site along with these business names and addresses, should be reviewed carefully by a professional.

It is important to remember that you will be handling business reputations on your website and businesses can become pretty protective of their trademarks. They generally have a keen interest in keeping their reputations free of public controversy.

That all said, I like your idea for a website. Good luck.

 

[silvietta]

Well, let's just ignore the fact that Yelp is sued with some frequency, okay?

It seems as if all "green" businesses would appreciate their inclusion on a well-run site with your intended focus.

It is still a good idea, however, to get permission from the businesses, especially if your website intends to go beyond the basic publicly available data (name, address, phone number, map location). Any information beyond that which is readily available to the public that you wish to include on the site along with these business names and addresses, should be reviewed carefully by a professional.

It is important to remember that you will be handling business reputations on your website and businesses can become pretty protective of their trademarks. They generally have a keen interest in keeping their reputations free of public controversy.

That all said, I like your idea for a website. Good luck.

Thanks for your comments and the very useful suggestions!
I didn't know that Yelp is being sued frequently, so I assumed if a "big" of the map services is doing it, then it should be fine...good to know that it is not that way!
I will do as you say and ask for permission to publish data, so I am sure to avoid any problem.

Thanks again!

 

[quincy]

Thanks for your comments and the very useful suggestions!
I didn't know that Yelp is being sued frequently, so I assumed if a "big" of the map services is doing it, then it should be fine...good to know that it is not that way!
I will do as you say and ask for permission to publish data, so I am sure to avoid any problem.

Thanks again!

You're welcome, silvietta. Good luck with your website.