At the bottom of the page you'll see this link --- Legal  Have a read through that to see what's possible with them.

The one thing that jumped out at me

I don't see any XML service and their RSS service blocks  access to the XML source code. So at first glance...it seems they don't have an option for redistribution of any kind.

Sorry but I don't know what is the "ORT Screenscraping"

Besides I can't find any links to get the XML-file expect: http://weather.msn.com/RSS.aspx?wealocations=wc:UPXX0016  but it has no any details like forecast for 10 days or 36/48 hours. So I think it will be need to work directly with HTML...

However! I didn't found any warnings that Microsoft forbid to do this. And any other warnings... So it seems to me that this service is FREE. That's right or not?

Who is going to redistribute their service here?    We only wish to read a few text lines for our widgets. Nothing more!

How is your work with a new widget? I'm already free and can to help if it's need.

YES!!! Thanks sVis! I found it!!! Please show me where Microsoft forbid me to get weather data for my widget.

Microsoft Service Agreement Last Updated: May 2009

This is a contract between you and the Microsoft company referenced in section 29. Sometimes the Microsoft company referenced in section 29 is referred to as "Microsoft," "we," "us" or "our". This contract applies to any Windows Live, Bing, MSN, Microsoft Office Live or other Microsoft software or services, including updates, that display or link to this contract and that you use while this contract is in force. All of the software or services are referred to in this contract as the "service."

Please note that we do not provide warranties for the service. The contract also limits our liability. These terms are in sections 20 and 21, and we ask you to read them carefully.

You may start using the service as soon as you have finished the sign-up process. No withdrawal right or other "cooling off" period applies to the service and you waive any applicable "cooling off" period, except if the law requires a "cooling off" period despite your waiver and even when a service starts right away.

In using the service, you will:

• obey the law;
• obey any codes of conduct or other notices we provide;
• obey the Microsoft Anti-spam Policy, which is available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=117951;
• keep your service account password secret; and
• promptly notify us if you learn of a security breach related to the service.

In using the service, you may not:

• engage in, facilitate or further unlawful conduct;
• use the service in a way that harms us or our advertisers, affiliates, resellers, distributors and/or vendors, or any customer of ours or our advertisers, affiliates, resellers, distributors and/or vendors;
• use any portion of the service as a destination linked from any unsolicited bulk messages or unsolicited commercial messages ("spam");
• use any unauthorized third party software or service to access the Microsoft instant messaging network (currently known as the .NET Messenger Service);
• use any automated process or service to access and/or use the service (such as a BOT, a spider, periodic caching of information stored by Microsoft, or "meta-searching");
• use any unauthorized means to modify or reroute, or attempt to modify or reroute, the service;
• damage, disable, overburden, or impair the service (or the network(s) connected to the service) or interfere with anyone's use and enjoyment of the service; or
• resell or redistribute the service, or any part of the service.

Zubaz,

     this exactly illustrate how I'm feeling after reading the article... NO! NO! NO! I will never use any screenscraping software!!! Only a few lines of simple VBScript code!

Vad I am not entirely sure about MSN's rss weather.

After entering a location and clicking on the RSS button they state:

The bolded part 'could' mean that you can paste the url into whatever your RSS reader is, which 'could' include widgets. But then we get into what they mean versus what they say and that leaves me befuddled. MSN is too ambiguous. I'd go with a site that clearly offers their feed to developers, but it's up to you to decide how to proceed.

We live in the Democratic World where everything is allowed if it is not directly forbidden! I just want to understand where in the Microsoft TOS is at least one word that exactly forbid me to use their weather data (like TWC). And where is stays their Copyright in the XML file? I can't find nothing...

On this reason I make a simple conclusion: WE MAY USE THE WEATHER DATA PROVIDED BY MICROSOFT in our widgets. Just let's call them "RSS Readers".

Where did you found the site which owners is so kind to developers? And what type of weather data they provides?

May be. But I'm sure that their Weather Service is one of the best in the World. Besides I'm sure that I will be never hear from them the same words that we hears now from TWC. Why? Because the weather service is not the main business of Microsoft unlike TWC. They earn enough money by selling to us Windows and a lot of other software...

Thus far, only wunderground and TWC. BUT it is in return for attribution among other stipulations.

Ok. I understood. Thank you!

However I much want to get answer to my simple question: MAY WE USE THE WEATHER DATA PROVIDED BY MICROSOFT OR NOT? AND IF "NOT" - WHY?

I don't think anyone can tell you with certainty whether or not Microsoft's weather data can be used as you suggested. MSN is the final arbiter in the matter, I'm afraid.

In my opinion, this relates to modifying the xml and redistributing/selling it as an xml, NOT providing/distributing a program to access it which is what is being done.

I will keep them, as I have tons of space. I am however, not a skinner and have no idea what to do to fix these on my own.

Ok.....Here is a question to be answered. What if developers put in weather widgets, but have them disabled by default?

One could download the theme or widget, enable the script on their own and add the proper link to weather.com or whoever.

By doing so, no developer or Wincustomize or Stardock would be in violation of any terms. It would be up to the end user to add the proper lines to the script to get it to work (Thus they could get a license from TWC or whoever for their own use.) The developers cannot be held accountable because, yes the widget is there, but there is no way to access the weather data without knowing how to code the script and obtaining a license from whoever. The "monkey" is on the end user's back and their responsibility. Kind of like my Satellite radio. I bought it, it includes all I need to listen to it, and I can get 2 channels (what they allow without activation and paying). It is up to me to activate it to get the rest and pay for it. Same here. Developers create the scripts and the widgets, but it is up to the end user to get the license and the link from whoever and add it. Plus, instructions could be given on how to add the links,etc. once you do comply. Nothing illegal about it because if you don't get "licensed" and get the proper link, that part just never functions. And people can be warned ahead of time.

Vad_M

It looks like you might found the gold mine. If there's some way to keep logos and links off the widgets, a lot of people are going to be happy.

I've read the agreement a few times, and it sure looks like all you have to do is have an RSS reader to legally access it. There's no mention of any logos or links at all. I hope this is deemed suitable.

It is just a plain ordinary RSS feed, is it not?

Hehe, you're right, the author of widgets will have just yo mention in text presentation  that user which is downloading have to register to weather.com to activate the widget

(and BTW, the downloader will have just a litlle adjustment in script to alow widget to work)

You are very strange people. I've asked two simle questios:

1. Where is in the Microsoft TOS at least one line that directly forbid us to read and use weather data from their site? Why you decided that it must be only the damnet XML? I've told abuot weather data!

2. May we use the weather data if this is not directly forbidden by Microsoft?

But what I see in a result? Several incomprehensible and confusing words which didn't answered to my questions...

Who told here about "resell or redistribute the service, or any part of the service"? We only discussed about a development of some widget that will read weather data. And nobody of us has no any plans to resell or redistribute their service! We just want READ THE DATA!

Microsoft allow their users to get this data through any RSS Readers. Where the hell they forbid us to read the same data through HTML Reader (created with Microsoft's object Microsoft.XMLHTTP by the way)?

Finally. If you like to see TWC or some other LOGO in your widget and click on the advertisment links each time when you run it - good luck. I just tried to find the other way that help us to see the Weather Forecast instead of UGLY LOGOS...

Seems I need to rest not only from skinning but also from the participate in any "empty" discussions...

P.S. As this follows from your logic, you should immediately remove the widget SD Skin Checker 2.0 (https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?skinid=1086&libid=34) from the gallery because it "grabs" and "redistributes" the part of WC service.

That's all at the moment...