Re:2.5M Installs Later, R.I.P. Downloader for SoundCloud
by e12e on Sunday November 09, 2014 @08:15AM
(#8579829)
>> Bit confused on one point -- so SoundCloud revised their ToS to deny downloads, but they kept the download URL in the API response? Amazing that after two different illegal take-downs it just kept getting back on top of the listings.
> I think they eat their own dogfood here. As far as I can tell, they have no special privileges for their owned and operated clients. If you for example look into the network panel when using the web client, you'll see that they directly access `api.soundcloud.com`.
But it is strange that they in their TOS for the website state:
"You must not copy, rip or capture, or attempt to copy, rip or capture, any audio Content from the Platform or any part of the Platform, other than by means of download in circumstances where the relevant Uploader has elected to permit downloads of the relevant item of Content."
In other words, they seem to allow users to download content that is available for download. So if I write my own web browser, I'm free to download downloadable content -- but not if I write an app for Soundcloud...
Or perhaps, it's this clause:
"(x) You must not rent, sell or lease access to the Platform, or any Content on the Platform, although this shall not prevent you from including links from Your Content to any legitimate online download store from where any item of Your Content may be purchased."
It's unclear to me how Soundcloud cannot get Firefox for Android banned under this clause as well... (well that would be insane, but you can ask for the desktop version of the site, and download from there?).
Note that this is the user TOS[1], not the API TOS[2] -- but that line is a little more fuzzy than they would like it to be IMNHO.
[edit: entirely forgot to thank the author for being open about this, and publishing the app for everyone to access. On another note: did you already provide source to some of the users on request? Or did you just recently add cert pinning?]
> I think they eat their own dogfood here. As far as I can tell, they have no special privileges for their owned and operated clients. If you for example look into the network panel when using the web client, you'll see that they directly access `api.soundcloud.com`.
But it is strange that they in their TOS for the website state:
"You must not copy, rip or capture, or attempt to copy, rip or capture, any audio Content from the Platform or any part of the Platform, other than by means of download in circumstances where the relevant Uploader has elected to permit downloads of the relevant item of Content."
In other words, they seem to allow users to download content that is available for download. So if I write my own web browser, I'm free to download downloadable content -- but not if I write an app for Soundcloud...
Or perhaps, it's this clause:
"(x) You must not rent, sell or lease access to the Platform, or any Content on the Platform, although this shall not prevent you from including links from Your Content to any legitimate online download store from where any item of Your Content may be purchased."
It's unclear to me how Soundcloud cannot get Firefox for Android banned under this clause as well... (well that would be insane, but you can ask for the desktop version of the site, and download from there?).
Note that this is the user TOS[1], not the API TOS[2] -- but that line is a little more fuzzy than they would like it to be IMNHO.
[1] https://soundcloud.com/terms-of-use
[2] https://developers.soundcloud.com/docs/api/terms-of-use
[edit: entirely forgot to thank the author for being open about this, and publishing the app for everyone to access. On another note: did you already provide source to some of the users on request? Or did you just recently add cert pinning?]