Ask HN: How to license a database?

5 points·boogie··3 comments

Hi. I run a website that has user generated content. Suddenly someone wants to license this database -- and I don't know how to...

I know copyright laws protect me, but I don't just want to "give" them the whole database. Is there a way I can protect someone from stealing the content and just let them use it?

How do I license a database?

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A) Give them access to the database via a simple HTTP-based API. Let them run searches, or whatever they need against it. Restrict their queries per second and per day and limit how many results can be returned. Make sure you can track their usage and cut them off if they're doing anything shady. Have them sign a service contract. Charge them a setup fee and a monthly fee that's based on the number of queries they need to do.

B) Another option is to give them the entire database, and provide them with regular updates. They pay $100k for the database, and $5k every month for the latest version. This doesn't protect you that well, but if they need the updates it can be a good way to keep them honest.

If it contains addresses and they are going to be marketing (mailing) to those addresses then salt the database with a few fake addresses under your control. If you see mail going to those addresses which wasn't part of your agreement with them you have grounds to sue. This is common practice in direct mail databases where you will rent a list for a limited number of mailings.

If they wanted to rip you off they could just screen-scrape you anyway. So I'd just get a lawyer to draft an agreement and assume they're not going to rip you off.

Or alternatively you could offer them an api for it depending on how they want to use it.

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