Runway · Runway Usage Policy · View original document ↗

Prohibition on Automated Scraping and Reverse Engineering

Medium severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 325 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

You cannot use bots or automated programs to bulk-collect content from Runway, and you cannot try to figure out how Runway's AI models work by reverse-engineering them.

This analysis describes what Runway's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision restricts technical access methods that could be used to extract proprietary model information or platform data at scale, and is particularly relevant to developers, researchers, and competitors who might otherwise attempt to analyze Runway's underlying systems.

Interpretive note: The enforceability of automated scraping prohibitions as CFAA violations is legally contested in the US following Van Buren v. United States and hiQ Labs v. LinkedIn; contractual enforceability as a terms-of-service obligation is more settled but jurisdiction-dependent.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

The terms prohibit automated data extraction and reverse engineering of Runway's platform and AI models, which affects developers and technical users who might otherwise build integrations or conduct research using automated access methods outside of Runway's official API.

How other platforms handle this

Mistral AI Medium

Customer will not, and will not permit any other person (including any End User) to: ... (d) attempt to reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code or underlying components (e.g., algorithms, weights, or systems) of the Mistral AI Products, including using the Outpu...

Cohere Medium

You agree not to (and not to allow any third party to): (i) decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, attempt to derive the source code of, or decrypt the Services; (ii) make any modification, adaptation, improvement, enhancement, translation or derivative work from the Services; (iii) violate any a...

Midjourney Medium

You may not access or use the Services for purposes of developing or offering competitive products or services. You may not reverse engineer the Services or the Assets. You may not use automated tools to access, interact with, or generate Assets through the Services. You may not resell or redistribu...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
You may not use automated tools to scrape, crawl, or extract data or content from Runway's platform, or attempt to reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise derive the source code or underlying models of Runway's tools and services.

— Excerpt from Runway's Runway Usage Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) in the US, which may apply to unauthorized automated access to computer systems; however, CFAA applicability to terms-of-service violations has been narrowed by the Supreme Court's decision in Van Buren v. United States (2021), and the enforceability of scraping prohibitions as CFAA violations remains legally contested following the hiQ Labs v. LinkedIn litigation. The EU's Database Directive protects against systematic extraction of substantial database contents. Trade secret law is engaged by the reverse engineering prohibition. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. Scraping and reverse engineering prohibitions are standard in platform terms of service. The enforceability of anti-scraping clauses under the CFAA has been contested in court, but the contractual prohibition remains enforceable as a terms-of-service obligation. Researchers conducting competitive analysis or security research may face account termination risk. JURISDICTION FLAGS: US (CFAA scope post-Van Buren is contested). EU (Database Directive protections apply to platform content). California (where hiQ v. LinkedIn litigation originated) may be a relevant jurisdiction for assessing scraping prohibition enforceability. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Enterprise API agreements should specify permitted automation and integration methods to avoid unintended conflict with this provision. Vendors building on Runway's platform should ensure their technical integrations use only officially sanctioned API access methods and do not engage in bulk data extraction. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Developer and technical teams should audit any automated integrations with Runway's platform to confirm they operate within official API terms. Security researchers should review whether responsible disclosure or research activities could be characterized as reverse engineering under this provision and seek clarification from Runway before proceeding.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has engaged with platform data access practices and automated data collection as consumer protection and competition matters.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CFAA
United States Federal
Trump Executive Order on AI Policy Framework
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
Runway Usage Policy
Entity
Runway
Document last updated
May 11, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 11, 2026
Last verified
May 11, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-010749
Document ID
CA-D-00773
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
d90a4f3400a54d7669e1b9b15a5d0ba7bd004f5b9d282b11d7d85314456abb41
Analysis generated
May 11, 2026 22:34 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Runway
Document: Runway Usage Policy
Record ID: CA-P-010749
Captured: 2026-05-11 22:34:16 UTC
SHA-256: d90a4f3400a54d76…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/runway/runway-usage-policy/prohibition-on-automated-scraping-and-reverse-engineering/
Accessed: May 13, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Runway's Prohibition on Automated Scraping and Reverse Engineering clause do?

This provision restricts technical access methods that could be used to extract proprietary model information or platform data at scale, and is particularly relevant to developers, researchers, and competitors who might otherwise attempt to analyze Runway's underlying systems.

How does this clause affect you?

The terms prohibit automated data extraction and reverse engineering of Runway's platform and AI models, which affects developers and technical users who might otherwise build integrations or conduct research using automated access methods outside of Runway's official API.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Runway?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Runway.