koobas.hobune.stream
IP blocked for pulling images using WWW class
I'm developing an e-commerce app using AliExpress as my source of products. After accessing a product page via a WWW request, I perform more WWW requests in a loop to pull the images of the product (approx. 3-5) and assign them to a texture.
However, after accessing only 4 or 5 products (15-20 images total), my IP gets blocked due to hotlinking of their images. How can I get around this?
I don't really see how this is a Unity question. If you have problems with accessing a 3rd party API, you need to take it up with them.
I would very much expect that this is against the AliExpress terms and conditions and they would be against such an app being made. They don't not want people to present their storefront in a way other than they dictate.
In various companies I've worked for, I know if someone tried to do this to their storefront they would take measures to get the app removed, or take more active steps to block it.
I know that you are probably doing this in an attempt to curate products / provide easy access etc which is commendable and arguably in benefit to AliExpress, but you do not have permission to use their photos, their descriptions or anything else. You certainly don't have permission to hotlink their images using their bandwidth etc.
If you want to push ahead with this app, you are going to need to talk to AliExpress and ask for their permission to develop it.
AliExpress has an affiliate program, a WordPress plugin and a developer API that returns JSON data of their products, so they DO allow us to display their products. They give FULL access to their images in the process. However, this only applies to the web. Even if I was an affiliate, they would only whitelist my domain which is useless for the mobile app I'm developing.
I'm sure there's a way to set a referer or something, no? I mean, I can browse thousands of products from my browser without being blocked. How can I make my WWW calls act like a browser?
