Rakevet Israel is suing the authors of the Better Rail app for copyright

Better Rail has been operating since around 2021 as an independent, non-profit rail travel planning app. It is positioned as a faster and simpler alternative to the official app, providing real-time data on schedules, delays, stations, transfers and updates. It’s free, ad-free, open source, and supported in part by user donations.

Rakevet Israel states that the scheduling, travel planning and other information generated by its systems is proprietary and its use is subject to its terms of use, which are limited to personal, non-commercial use. It is also alleged that the company’s systems and interfaces are protected by code, permissions and technical controls, and Better Rail’s access was obtained by circumventing these mechanisms, which constitutes illegal intrusion into computer systems.

A separate complaint concerns the load on the systems: according to the letter, pumping out information by the application complicated the operation of the systems and disrupted the stability of digital services.

Better Rail denies the allegations, arguing that this is a free application with no advertising and open source, and data was accessed through normal network requests without hacking or bypassing security systems.

As for the load claims, Better Rail is demanding that the railroad provide inspection materials, traffic data and calculations that attribute some of the damage to it, noting that about a thousand people use the app daily, versus hundreds of thousands for the official app.