http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=182834


in reply to Re: Thwarting Screen Scrapers
in thread Thwarting Screen Scrapers

You're right, I haven't included all the details. I was trying to keep this generic enough to apply in more than one situation.

Basically, I'm selling something direct via a website. I have no resellers. A set of people I don't know at all have created their own websites, but they are nothing more than a shell around my website. They make money by adding a "service charge" and billing it to the customer. ( Without adding any apparent value )

They take all the http and https requests from the Customer, via their own forms, and then take the data and make simulated browser requests to my site to make the purchase. Other areas, such as feedback, etc, are directed to my site as well.

They obviously feel they are doing something wrong, since they hide behind unprotected web proxy servers and use other "stealth" techniques to make stopping them difficult.

If it were just one party, a legal approach would work. Unfortunately, this situation happens over and over again, with a different set of front-enders, sometimes with an offshore website.