Arizona MLS Takes Stand on "Scraping" and "Indexing"

Recent NAR Interpretation Creates Competitive Disadvantage for REALTORS
PHOENIX--(Business Wire)--
The Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS) is taking a stand on a
recent National Association of REALTORS (NAR) ruling on the technical
interchangeability of "scraping" and "indexing" as it pertains to display of the
IDX Database on the Internet. A recent controversial interpretation issued
through the Center for Real Estate Technology (CRT), NAR`s technology arm,
advised members that scraping and indexing are in effect the same practice and
represent misappropriation of the IDX Database. ARMLS believes that this ruling
places NAR members at a distinct and serious competitive disadvantage.

ARMLS maintains that the CRT opinion does not factor in the end use of the
scraped and indexed listing data. It fails to distinguish between benign and
malicious scraping and indexing. These practices are termed benign if they
provide intended benefits to the consumer and the buyers and sellers whom the
REALTOR serves, and are not in conflict with the ARMLS IDX Policy. They are
deemed malicious if they utilize the listing data in a manner foreign to the
original intent of the REALTOR and the property owner, and are incompatible with
the ARMLS IDX Policy. The practice of scraping or indexing by search engines for
the purpose of displaying or indexing the data for consumer property search, and
which ultimately directs the consumer back to its source, is benign, and is in
sync with the REALTOR`S intention when displaying listings on the Internet. When
a third party, e.g., a search engine, through scraping or indexing
misappropriates and uses the listing data for purposes not intended by the
property owner or REALTOR, these practices become malicious and should be
prohibited. Any interpretation by NAR prohibiting REALTORS from allowing search
engines, such as Google, from benign scraping and indexing listing data puts the
REALTOR at a distinct competitive disadvantage.

The ARMLS IDX Policy contains the statement that "IDX Brokers must protect the
IDX Database from misappropriation by employing reasonable efforts to monitor
and prevent 'scraping' or other unauthorized accessing, reproduction or use of
the IDX Database." The interpretation of this policy was not intended to
discourage dissemination of listing information through search engine indexing
or to discourage brokers or their permitted licensees who offer listings from
optimizing their listings to achieve higher search engine placement. ARMLS
supports and encourages a change in NAR`s interpretation of scraping and
indexing that factors in the results of such activities and removes any
competitive disadvantage that NAR`s current opinion creates.

About ARMLS:

Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service is the REALTOR® owned listing service
for central Arizona. ARMLS provides services to more than 32,000 brokers and
agents of the Phoenix, Scottsdale, West Maricopa, Southeast Valley, and Western
Pinal County Associations of REALTORS® and their affiliates.

Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service, Tempe
Bob Bemis, CEO, 480-303-7224
bob.bemis@armls.com
www.armls.com

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