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Legal question

by Jay Carter
6 replies
Hi


I'm going to build a directory for businesses.

Is it against the law to just list businesses with basic information like business name, address, logo, website name, phone number, etc. without asking them first?


- Jay
#legal #question
  • Profile picture of the author SashaLee
    Hi there,

    Asking a legal question on a forum that's full of fake (or certainly questionable) profiles and egos is not the smartest way to start.

    I'll bet if you ask all of your friends one of them has a solicitor in the family that would be happy to take a 3 minute phone call from you based on a referral from your friend. Ask them this one question and then hang up. You'll have your answer.

    All the best,

    Sasha.
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    • Profile picture of the author Patbinc
      Originally Posted by SashaLee View Post

      Hi there,

      Asking a legal question on a forum that's full of fake (or certainly questionable) profiles and egos is not the smartest way to start.

      I'll bet if you ask all of your friends one of them has a solicitor in the family that would be happy to take a 3 minute phone call from you based on a referral from your friend. Ask them this one question and then hang up. You'll have your answer.

      All the best,

      Sasha.
      Sneaky but works....and its better than any advice/info you'll get in here. Brilliant
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    In the US if the info is publicly available and you retype it the answer is likely yes. But Ask a Lawyer to be 100%.

    Now remember that some sources will put wrong and misspelled listings to protect copyrights and if you copy said data you could be in trouble. This is where a lawyer could help by guiding you to true public source for the info.

    But the businesses themselves should not have any way to legally stop you from listing them.
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    Aaron Doud - Sales & Success
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  • Profile picture of the author globalpro
    Here in Florida (and I will assume the USA as a whole), when I business registers for a business license, incorporates, etc., it becomes a public record.

    I asked when I registered mine and was told it was fair game for whatever. I can't see why a business would mind a free listing in a local directory.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    If it were illegal then Google would be in MAJOR trouble long ago for creating unverified Google listings for small businesses in Plus/Places.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    I wanted to clear up a bit what I meant. Let's use a phone book for example.

    The information inside the book it public information when it comes to business names, address, and phone numbers. But the way it is formatted and thus the book it self would be copyrighted.

    Bibles and other public works have this same thing. The basic text is public domain but you can't just put it on a copy machine, bind those pages, and sell them. You have to recreate it.
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    Aaron Doud - Sales & Success
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