flickr API commercial application

Question

I am working on a project in which i have created an app on flickr. my account is free account. using that app. many users connects to my application and i store their access_token in my database. using that token. my application send requests to flickr and download users public and private data in a server storage. from where the connected users can view only their own backed up data.

I want to know. is there any limitation for free account to download users data. my app downloaded 6000 photos of a user accurately. please tell me what type of account i needed for my app.

Carob

Answer 1

Since the title of your question is "flickr API commerical application", the limit is 0 for a free API key. You should apply for a commercial API key. You will then be able to negotiate exactly what limits you require - in fact, your costs will be dependent on those limits.

Using the free API for a commercial application is against Flickr's terms of service and may lead to your access being suspended.

The Flickr Terms of Service are listed here: http://www.flickr.com/services/api/tos/

This is what it says about commercial use:

If the primary purpose of your application is to derive revenue, it is considered a commercial application. Flickr reserves the right to make these evaluations at the time that you apply for the license. Flickr may also monitor your site or application over time to ensure continued compliance with the appropriate type of API key.

If you're in doubt about whether your application is commercial, here are a few common examples of commercial use that may provide you some guidance:

• Users are charged a fee for your product or service which includes some sort of integration using the Flickr APIs.
• You sell services to Flickr users and use the APIs to bring users' Flickr content into your service.
• Your site is a "destination" site that uses Flickr photos to drive traffic and generate ad revenue.

Noelyn

Answer 2

When you apply for a Flickr API license the following explanation is given on the Flickr site as to which license to choose:

First, we need to know whether or not your app is commercial.

Choose Non-Commercial if: Your app doesn't make money. Your app makes money, but you're a family-run, small, or independent business. You're developing a product which is not currently commercial, but might be in the future. You're building a personal website or blog where you are only using your own images.

Choose Commercial if: You or your agency works for a major brand. AND one of the following: You want to make a profit. You charge a fee for your product or services. You will bring Flickr content into your product and intend to sell those services.

Net, if the business behind the app is 'small' or 'independent' you can earn money with a Flickr app and a non-commercial license. If not, you need the commercial license. Flickr retains the right to decide which license is appropriate for your app at any point in time.

Since the text appears inside the logged in area I can't link to it. I've included a screen shot instead:

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