Chart runs
Some of you may have noticed that the chart run search is back. Below are some of the reasons for this:
– As far as I know emails from the Official Charts Company (OCC) were sent to only two sites. These sites have so far complied with the request. However, they have asked the OCC questions, to which they have received no reply, now over a month later. (I did not receive such an email myself.) These emails were mainly concerned about the copyright on the data being infringed, and the being used without a licence - no details of which were included in the email, and something which the OCC seems to be a bit hazy about.
– As far as I can see from my basic reading of copyright, what I am doing by presenting the charts runs via a search engine, does not breach the copyright. As the sites that received the emails were publishing the charts in the same format the OCC publishes them (i.e. position, lw, title, artist) the OCC may be correct in applying copyright to the format of the data. I have taken the data (which I can keep in a database for personal use, according to copyright law) and presented this in a way which does not resemble the format the OCC use - chart runs. Sure, the title and the artist are the same, but obviously these names do not belong to the OCC.
Therefore the chart run searches will be back for now, and will continue until I hear otherwise from the OCC.
17 Comments
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Dude, I hope you have very rich parents. By defying a copyright takedown notice you are looking at the wrong end of a lawsuit… although your ISP will probably delete the site first.
Grow up and learn. You are not providing a “service”. You are breaking the law.
13 October 2007
Dear friends,
I would like you to save CHART RUNS forever because I’ve been interested in music since about 1977 and I’ve been visiting this website many times a week. I need to know chart runs of many singles in UK. And do you know why? I like to know how the singles have been moving in UK Singles Chart.
Thank you very much and save CHART RUNS!!
Kind regards, Jake.
it was the saddest day in my life when you stopped the chart runs!
please keep it up guys, do your best!
you are the most useful site on the net ever…
thank you
@LegalMind: As per the guestbook (and the post above) I have not received an email, nor have I been asked to remove the site. I do not advertise this as a ’service’ anywhere, the search has grown by ‘word of mouth’ over the years.
Hi
I have recently discovered your UK chart service and have been amazed at it’s accuracy and detail. I love the website and hope it stays around. I just wish the Official UK Chart service recognises the need for such a service and join forces with you!
Keep it up!
TONY (Australia)
Thank god your back!
Keep your great site open for as long as you can and if you have to close down, how about letting us have a secret link to it, maybe you could password protect it, then it wouldnt be available to everyone, just “members” this must then not be classed as a service to all, but purely a private site ?
@Legal Mind: where is the breach of copyright? Polyhex takes data published in one form, analyses it and produces it in another form. The OCC email was IMO a try-on, maybe because they are planning something similar. But to say Polyhex is breaching copyright is like saying a football fan is doing likewise by publishing results from 1968.
And the fact that you claim that Polyhex is “breaking the law” suggests to me that your legal mind does not comprehend the difference between criminal conduct (theft) and a civil claim (which is what OCC would claim). Even if you use someone else’s copyright material you are not breaking the law.
A website with chart runs is a great thing. Based on what you’ve written, I don’t think you’re breaking any laws. Legal Mind need to smoke a joint or something…
Hi, Its great to see your chart runs are back, I hope that you manage to get around the ‘legal’ bit. I have spent many happy hours over the last few years looking at the various artists chart runs, its invaluable to a chart freak like me. Kind regards, Phil
Hi,
Many thanks for this chart runs website.
It really is fascinating to see chart runs from the 80’s of my favourite artists/songs. The time when a signle would enter the charts and actually climb up to the top ten then go down steadily….ahh those were the days.
Kindest Reagrds,
Tayyab
Just read the post.
What about putting “This info is for entertainment use only etc etc”.
Might that help matters?
I’m so glad that Chart Runs is back. I hope that you will be able to keep this valuable database open forever.
The UK chart runs section on polyhex.com is a superb and unique service - even the Guinness book of hit singles doesn’t carry information like the chart runs - the only site that’s a near rival is chartstats.com. Anyway, hopefully the legal matter gets resolved quickly, the OCC have stated for a number of years that the information they provide is not for reproduction unless explicitly granted, so you probably need to make sure it’s all above board so the link can continue. Boring legalities, but a fact of life unfortunately seeing as they do compile the chart itself.
Keep up the sterling work,
Ross.
Please stay around!!! Your service is the best chart information one on the Web, you’ve made me absolutely happy. Don’t disappear please! :o)
I am thrilled that the site is back online. This is a great service you provude and for you to be threatened with legal action is totally unfounded. I can not understand why your service is a breach of copyright, maybe OCC should chill out and get with it and not be so condemning. Keep up the good work!
The Sugababes are missing!