Ryanair sues screen scraper
09.07.08
A company that operates websites featuring search and booking facilities for low-cost flights is being sued by Ryanair over the use of ‘screen-scraping’ (copying and extracting information from another website and presenting it on your website, typically without the other sites permission), the Irish Times reports.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly yesterday admitted to the Commercial Court in Ireland the proceedings by Ryanair against Bravofly Ltd, of Priory Hall, Stillorgan, Dublin. Bravofly operates an online flight searching and booking facility as well as offering complementary services such as hotels, parking and car hire. It operates several websites, including sites geared towards specific countries.
In its legal challenge, Ryanair said that the ‘screen-scraping’ activities of Bravofly breach provisions of the Trademarks Act and the Copyright and Related Rights Act, amount to ‘passing off’ and also breach the conditions for accessing the Ryanair website.
The budget airline claims that Bravofly, without its permission, offers detailed information on Ryanair's flight services and has also used Ryanair's name and harp logo in presenting that information. It also claims that Bravofly has established and maintains hypertext links from its websites to the Ryanair website, without Ryanair's authorisation.
Ryanair says that it had written to Bravofly asking for undertakings that the screen-scraping would cease but no such undertakings have been received. It is now seeking court orders restraining the activities and also wants damages, including exemplary damages, and / or an account of profits for negligence and / or wrongful interference with Ryanair's economic interests and contractual relations.
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