Is it legal to use search results from other websites in my website?

[Shammikit]

Hello, I wish to get search results of a specific product from different websites and display them in my website when a user search for them. And when a user clicks on a result, I want them to be redirected to the website the product came from. Before I do this I would like to know if I should write to these other website owners and get their permission but I'm also wondering if this is necessary because I would be directing the user to their website anyway. Whats your view on this? Thanks.

[Pickles von Brine]

1 minute ago, Shammikit said:

Hello, I wish to get search results of a specific product from different websites and display them in my website when a user search for them. And when a user clicks on a result, I want them to be redirected to the website the product came from. Before I do this I would like to know if I should write to these other website owners and get their permission but I'm also wondering if this is necessary because I would be directing the user to their website anyway. Whats your view on this? Thanks.

That is a complex question. If you are simply linking I don't see an issue. Can you go into more detail so we have an idea of what you are doing?

[Shammikit]

3 minutes ago, Pickles - Lord of the Jar said:

That is a complex question. If you are simply linking I don't see an issue. Can you go into more detail so we have an idea of what you are doing?

well there's really nothing much to explain from the original post, if I were to give an example: Lets say I'm searching to buy a Galaxy S20, here we dont have a Samsung dealer to go and directly buy from. Instead we got shops that import these phones and list them up for sale at a price they like. So prices vary from one another. I want to have a website where I collect all these information from all the local shop websites and display it in one place for people to decide easily.  And when they select what they like, they will be directed to that shop's website. I do not know the legal side of this. (like copyrights or whatever there is) 

[Pickles von Brine]

Just now, Shammikit said:

well there's really nothing much to explain from the original post, if I were to give an example: Lets say I'm searching to buy a Galaxy S20, here we dont have a Samsung dealer to go and directly buy from. Instead we got shops that import these phones and list them up for sale at a price they like. So prices vary from one another. I want to have a website where I collect all these information from all the local shop websites and display it in one place for people to decide easily.  And when they select what they like, they will be directed to that shop's website. I do not know the legal side of this. (like copyrights or whatever there is) 

I don't see any issue in you doing this. Where you are, it could be. But if you are just doing a link aggregation I have no reason to believe that being an issue. However, I would look into any kind of local laws. 

[Eigenvektor]

5 minutes ago, NZgamer said:

I don't really see how this could be an issue, this is essentially what PC Part Picker does and they haven't gotten in trouble, if anything, the retailers like it because users are being sent to purchase their products.

And do you know for certain PC Part Picker didn't work out some kind of contract with the shops they link to? I'd contact these shops just to be on the safe side. Or better yet, talk to a local lawyer. Random people on the internet can't really be trusted for legal advise, especially on local law of a foreign country.

[Pickles von Brine]

1 minute ago, Eigenvektor said:

And do you know for certain PC Part Picker didn't work out some kind of contract with the shops they link to? I'd contact these shops just to be on the safe side. Or better yet, talk to a local lawyer. Random people on the internet can't really be trusted for legal advise, especially on local law of a foreign country.

Agreed.

[Eigenvektor]

1 minute ago, NZgamer said:

They do have paid links for some websites (mostly US websites afaik) but here in NZ it links to some smaller online retailers. If I was one of those retailers that had PCPP link to me, I'd be thrilled to have users being recommended products from my websites, taking legal action would be a dumb idea. But I do agree with what @Eigenvektor has said, talk to a lawyer. They will have far better advice than us, since we're not lawyers and as far as I know, nobosy else on this thread is from Sri Lanka so we don't know your local laws like a lawyer will.

I'm not saying you're wrong and to me what you and others have said makes sense. Shops should like these links... but you never know and I'd rather be on the safe side and not pay a ton of money to fight of some legal issues