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IMDB Scraper

by brandon.
3 replies
I've been working on an IMDB scraper for quite some time now. Most of the kinks have been worked and I'm hoping to go "prime time" with it soon. Essentially it's what I call an on-demand/semi-automatic script as every time a movie is searched for, they are added to the database and the files are created automatically and also displaying the content instantly.

If I could be assisted with constructive criticism that would be most helpful.
Code:
http://phpmdb.com
I do have plans for more features such as show times, actor search etc but primarily at this moment movies are the main goal.
#imdb #scraper
  • Profile picture of the author tongnk
    Functionality wise it works fine but what are you using it for?

    Google already scrapes for show times etc. I can imagine if you're just scraping for information though.
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    • Profile picture of the author brandon.
      It is primarily for movie info but I'm always open to suggestions and have been prior told that details such as show times would be a decent addition. This isn't necessarily for a website I intend on running for myself but mainly a script for distribution. That's the main reason why I'm looking for input from others.

      Also, this isn't going to be an all-in-one movie script either containing loads of details such as actor bios, movie studios etc unless that's what webmasters would like to use for their own websites.
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      • Profile picture of the author Brandon Tanner
        Originally Posted by brandon. View Post

        This isn't necessarily for a website I intend on running for myself but mainly a script for distribution.
        You should be aware that IMDB's terms of use do not allow scraping their site's content unless you have explicit written permission from them to do so. So every single person who used your script would need to get permission from them first in order to be in compliance with their terms (not likely gonna happen).

        From their 'terms of use' page...

        Robots and Screen Scraping: You may not use data mining, robots, screen scraping, or similar data gathering and extraction tools on this site, except with our express written consent as noted below.
        The last thing you want to do is sell a script to a bunch of people that willingly violates a site's terms of use (especially a site that can afford much better lawyers than you / your customers). You'd be setting yourself up for a potential s---load of legal trouble.

        I'm not trying to rain on your parade... just wanted you to be aware of the risks that you're taking if you go through with this.
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