That's quite a stretch ... going from web scraping email contents to holding up cash registers. How about the analogy of not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign instead? Regardless of how you like your analogies, if the scraper uses the public interface provided by said provider, then how can it be illegal? Whether you use that interface through a browser or a web bot shouldn't matter as long as that interface is publically available. I can use the front door to a public library if the library is open. Can i not also teleport into the library lobby as long as it is open to the public? What? You can't teleport? ;)

jeffa

*BAMF*