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MtnProject bought by REI

Original Post
BigB · · Red Rock, NV · Joined Feb 2015 · Points: 340

sounds like MP(all projects) has been bought by REI, according to this article
snewsnet.com/news/rei-acqui…

Hiro Protagonist · · Colorado · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 290

:o

FrankPS · · Atascadero, CA · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 276

Wonder if this will turn into an REI-hate thread? I like REI and I like Mountain Project, for the record.

BigFeet · · Texas · Joined May 2014 · Points: 385

I like REI too, but just wish they would carry a larger line of climbing products. Most of my backpacking gear is from REI.

Maybe MP members will get a discount?

Mike · · Phoenix · Joined May 2006 · Points: 2,615

So does that mean that REI could legally take down the website, then print & sell it's own mega-guidebook with MP.com's database?

BigFeet · · Texas · Joined May 2014 · Points: 385
Mike wrote:So does that mean that REI could legally take down the website, then print & sell it's own mega-guidebook with MP.com's database?
Not sure, but I bet they will want to use our pictures to promote their products.
stevie K · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 6

explains why the "Deals" section of the site mysteriously disappeared.

Andre H. · · Boulder · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 5

A very interesting decision, not sure how I feel about non-locals buying MP. Especially an evil mega-corporation like REI. Why not just have the Walmart Project?

A parallel discussion occurring elsewhere:

supertopo.com/climbers-foru…

Glenn Schuler · · Monument, Co. · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,330

Good for Andy & Nick, hope they made some coin.

nathanael · · Riverside, CA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 525

This is a little scary to be honest. I dread the possibility that we wake up to a paywall on this site at some point

Austin Baird · · SLC, Utah · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 95

Y'all can probably put away your sackcloth and ashes and quit with the doomsaying. There's not going to be a mass exodus of content and it's beyond laughable to think that REI will enact a "paywall" (seriously. that's ludicrous). A coupla guys put a lot of time and money into a project and now it paid off for them. (I somehow doubt they were living large off the ads and "deals" tab.)

Congrats Andy and Nick!

Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520

I for one welcome our new overlords!

Uh, can I return this North Face softshell jacket I bought in 2006? The zipper blew out.



mediocre · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 0

Can't help but feel like Starbucks just bought my local coffee shop.

Mike Marmar · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 67
Cornelius Jefferson wrote:So do they now own the rights to all the content on the site? The pics and route descriptions and what not? Cause that is definitely not what I signed up for.
According to the terms, you own the content, but MP (and now likely REI) has the right to do whatever they want with it:

"We may use Your Content in a number of different ways, including copying it, publicly performing or displaying it, reformatting it, modifying it, translating it, incorporating it into advertisements and other works, creating derivative works from it, promoting it, distributing it, and allowing others to do the same in connection with their own websites and media platforms (“Other Media“). As such, you hereby irrevocably grant us world-wide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, transferable rights to use Your Content for any purpose. You also irrevocably grant the users of the Service and Other Media the right to access Your Content in connection with their use of the Service. Finally, you irrevocably waive, and cause to be waived, against the Company and its users, any claims and assertions of moral rights or attribution with respect to Your Content."
BigFeet · · Texas · Joined May 2014 · Points: 385

^^^ Was what I was thinking.

Tico · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 0

It's always been the case, and comes up pretty often. You can try to get an admin to plonk you, or opt for the classic "take my toys and go home" approach of individually deleting all your contributions.

Austin Baird · · SLC, Utah · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 95

I don't understand this knee-jerk reaction. Who cares that Mountain Project can use the content you add? Do you expect them to put up their time and their money for nothing? What are the downsides to MP using your content and what good will come from you closing your account?

ubu · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2009 · Points: 10

Yay. Guess it's time to go back to rc.com...

Mike Marmar · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 67

I agree with Austin. MP provides an incredible resource and we should be happy for them. If you don't want your photos/whatever to be appropriated and used for other purposes, don't put them on the internet.

Austin Baird · · SLC, Utah · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 95

I don't care at all. There's enough bombast floating around with you adding to it. I just don't understand irrationally kneejerk reactions. Carry on.

J. Albers · · Colorado · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 1,926
Austin Baird wrote:I don't understand this knee-jerk reaction. Who cares that Mountain Project can use the content you add? Do you expect them to put up their time and their money for nothing? What are the downsides to MP using your content and what good will come from you closing your account?
Because I don't mind Nick and Andy making a little change on the side for all the work that they do to maintain the site, but everyone's hard work being the property of a company feels pretty dirty. As others have said, most of us didn't have this circumstance in mind when we added content and agreed to the Terms and Conditions of the site. This site is not just Nick and Andy's work, rather its everyone's work who has contributed to MPs content. That is, up until this point it was a largely "community" driven network of content that was technically owned by two private members of the "community" but was really supported and brought into existence by the donations of time and effort of all of us. REI ain't part of my "community". They are a company and I think its pretty sh*tty that all of the content that I added is now the property of the REI conglomerate. I will need to think about this for a while, but I could envision deleting all of my content or at a minimum, not adding anything new...not sure about that, but it is certainly a possibility.

Moreover, I understand why Andy and Nick didn't say anything during the negotiation process -- it was a business deal after all -- but I sort of feel like they owe the community at least a post about what this all entails for the content etc. After all, we the community in combination with Andy and Nick have a symbiotic relationship where neither exists without the other.

For example, what happens if we the community members try and remove our content? Does that actually remove it or does REI have a backup of all of the content that they can use in perpetuity whether we like it or not?

I won't lie, I feel sort of sold out by Andy and Nick. What a complete bummer.

Cornelius Jefferson wrote: I joined a community not a corporation...that legal mumbo jumbo makes me suspicious of their intent. Whatever, you don't have to understand it or agree. What do you care if I leave?
Wow, two times in two days that I agree with you CJC. Dangerous waters here my friend. :)
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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