Is it illegal to upload a sololearn api made with web scrapping?

Question

Hello,
I wanted to create a code using php to access sololearn data from an api, made with web scrapping.
Obviously, to achieve that, I might deploy that api. The problem is that I don’t know if it is legal, since sometimes web scrapping isn’t.
The api I would use is this:

https://sololearn.com/compiler-playground/cObES7mnbC7J/?ref=app

Answer 1

It is illegal to use content from any website without express permission to do so. Sites that offer "free to use" content label it as such or provide specific instructions on how to embed their content into your website.

Web scraping is a useful technology but should not be used to "swipe" content. An example of ethical use might be to capture products from the Amazon.com website and then providing links back to Amazon so the items can be purchased on their website. This benefits them. But scraping their products and descriptions in order to create your own site without back-links would be wrong.

If you want to scrape SoloLearn content, you need their permission. Depending on what you are doing, they may grant permission. But a good rule of thumb is, are you somehow promoting SoloLearn? Or are you using their content for your own benefit?

A great example would be that you capture the SoloLearn catalog and use that to promote the courses available at SoloLearn.

An unethical example would be to embed their Code Bits emulator in a way that makes it look like a feature of your own website.

Answer 2

Jerry Hobby My objective is to create a website in php that uses that api to display the data in the website, and giving links to the codes/profiles that are checked.
and the code will only be published here, and if it is fine, on gitgub
also the ui will be sololearn-like, using their logo, etc.
Is that ethical?

Answer 3

Jan LOL i did here
https://sololearn.com/compiler-playground/Wek0V1MyIR2r/?ref=app

And I wasnt blamed at all

Answer 4

Ugulberto Sánchez But, you are also in a closed environment on SL, so nobody will blame you, but if you deploy it outside SL, then I still think you need some kind of permission to use their logo.

Answer 5

Without express permission, either by Terms of Service or by email, it is not legal to use anyone's content.

Answer 6

Ugulberto Sánchez to be safe, I'd email [e-mail] and say what you'd like to do and where you'd post the code (the limitations etc) and see if they are OK.
I have a feeling that earlier users have received bans for accessing data from Sololearn even to use only on the playground.
Better to ask first and avoid a ban.

Answer 7

Ugulberto Sánchez it's against the sololearn term of use to do that. Although I've seen many users doing it without consequences so I guess that's a go

Answer 8

Hello,

I give example <?php
// URL of the API endpoint
$apiUrl = https://www.maxim-timeclock.com

// Initialize cURL session
$ch = curl_init();

// Set cURL options
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $apiUrl);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER, 0); // Disable SSL verification if needed

// Execute the cURL request
$response = curl_exec($ch);

// Check for cURL errors
if(curl_errno($ch)) {
echo 'cURL error: ' . curl_error($ch);
} else {
// Decode JSON response if needed
$data = json_decode($response, true);

// Display the fetched data
echo '<pre>';
print_r($data);
echo '</pre>';
}

// Close the cURL session
curl_close($ch);
?>

Check if they have any restrictions on scraping their content or using their data in ways other than what is provided by their official API, if available.

Hope that helps!

Answer 9

Ugulberto Sánchez I'm not sure you are allowed to use their logo without their permission.

Answer 10

Jan I dont use to deploy codes outside sololearn haha so it is fine