But using third party software on something which points to a brokerage account...eehheee.. he. :eek:
Evidently you see some type of problem? You'll need to be somewhat explicit. By the way, I've used both with zero problems. So I'll look forward to your answer. OldTrader
The problem I see is that should you use third party software as a frontend for your brokerage account, you must be completely sure that such third party is reliable. You don't want other people to have a chance to get access to your account number/password because if they do you're toast.
I have looked, but no open source implementation of something like Book Trader exists. I am working on one. If I ever get done with it, can I release it (source code with instructions to build it so that anyone that can read English can build and use it for testing only, of course) for educational purpose? You know, to educate everyone about how to write such a thing , but of course they can not legally use it in the comfort and privacy of their home because it is patent violation? Please reply with references - I am not going to risk my ass for free. Also, ZLT is not use based? whois record
Using a 3rd party API software such as the one's in the market is completely safe. API software has no access to your password. I know this for a fact. Unless they install a key logger, which I doubt. Then you need to worry about a lot more than your IB password. Start worrying about all bank, credit card password, etc. etc. - you get my drift. And with a securID token that IB supplies, you are protected even from a stolen password.
Hey, wait a moment. TT's patents are U.S. patents right? If so, couldn't IB register its TWS software in name of one of their European branches? Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the software you use is "not from the US", it should be able to use those features patented by TT such as static, single click, etc because it's under a different patent law where software patents are basically forbidden.
@TapeFighter, even if what you are suggesting can be done (which I doubt), you still can't use it in US.
I don't see how it could fail. And, even if it did, at least you could use BookTrader to trade non-US markets. Not to mention TT has no right to (nor they can) know what software you're personally using to trade your favorite financial products. And if they do, that'd be privacy rights violation so they'd better shut up...
The internet does make territorial rights a bit messy, but I think the problem would be that TT's lawyers would simply argue that IB, if supplying their US clients with the software, would effectively be importing the software into the US - which would be an infringement. It would be difficult for IB to claim that they don't know where the software is being dowloaded to or where the client is located, because they do. There was a case in the UK where a gambling site hosted on a server on some off-shore island was found to be infringing a UK patent. The Judge decided that although the 'system' was physically located outside the UK, all of their clients (or at least the majority) were in the UK, so that was where the system was being used. - Although, I've always assumed that Buttontrader avoided the patent infringement issue because it is based in the Netherlands. If you did source the software from outside the US, you would still be infringing it when you use it within the US, but as you said, TT would need to know you were using it and they would need to sue all the users individually - not a good way to get new customers.