Yes, web scraping is legal in Ohio when conducted within federal and state legal boundaries. Ohio courts generally uphold scraping activities unless they violate copyright, breach contracts, or contravene the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has not issued state-specific scraping laws, but compliance with federal precedents (e.g., hiQ Labs v. LinkedIn) and the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act remains critical. Businesses must ensure transparency, avoid unauthorized data extraction, and respect website terms of service to mitigate legal risks.
Key Regulations for Web Scraping in Ohio
- Copyright Law (17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.): Unauthorized scraping of copyrighted content (e.g., proprietary databases) may constitute infringement under federal law. Ohio courts defer to federal standards, as seen in Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone Service (1991), which protects original compilations of factual data.
- Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA): Ohio enforces the CFAA, which criminalizes unauthorized access to computer systems. Scraping that circumvents technical barriers (e.g., CAPTCHAs, login walls) risks liability, per Sandvig v. Barr (2020) interpretations.
- Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (OCSPA): While not directly targeting scraping, Ohio’s 2026 amendments to OCSPA prohibit deceptive data practices. Businesses must disclose scraping activities if they involve consumer data to avoid unfair trade practice claims.
Note: Local courts may scrutinize scraping under Ohio’s Right of Publicity statute (ORC § 2741) if scraped data includes identifiable personal attributes used for commercial gain. Always audit compliance with the Ohio Revised Code and federal rulings.