[OpenLayers-Dev] Google Maps API Terms of Use changes

Mon Apr 23 20:29:20 EDT 2012

For the record, approximately one year ago, Tyler Mitchell forwaded this email to me from Thor Mitchell about the use of the Google Maps API in OpenLayers.

> From: Thor Mitchell <thor at google.com>
> Date: April 8, 2011 5:52:50 PM PDT
> To: tmitchell at osgeo.org
> Subject: Use of the Google Maps APIs in OpenLayers
> 
> Hi Tyler,
> 
> I'm the Product Manager for the Maps APIs at Google. I'm emailing you because we just published a new Google Maps/Google Earth APIs Terms of Service today which includes a number of changes, one of which I recognize may concern you. It begins:
> 
> (a) No “Wrapping.” You must not create or offer a “wrapper” for the Service, unless you obtain Google’s written consent to do so. 
> 
> and then goes on to cite some examples. The goal of this new clause is twofold:
> 	• prevent Maps API web services, such as our geocoder, being proxied through third party REST APIs without our knowledge
> 
> 	• ensure that any third party libraries such as Mapstraction that incorporate our API in such a way that developers can use our API without needing to read our Terms or documentation are reviewed to ensure they honour those Terms, and pass them on to their developers appropriately
> The reason I was keen to reach out to you as soon as these Terms were published was to reassure you that we are comfortable that OpenLayers meets these criteria, and consequently you should consider this email the "written consent" that you need from us to continue using the Google Maps APIs in OpenLayers.
> 
> If you have any questions or concerns about this please don't hesitate to let me know.
> 
> Many thanks,
> 
> Thor Mitchell
> Product Manager
> Google Maps API 

I will attempt to reach out to Thor and Josh Livni and see if I can get some clarity on the more recent change, and see if that has changed. However, I think that it looks like this text is largely the same (specifically, 10.2 looks essentially unchanged to me?), which I believe means that we can consider the previously sent email from Thor to be written notice that OpenLayers is in the clear here.

For the record, I fell down on this one -- as you can see, I got this email more than one year ago from Tyler Mitchell (who was ED for OSGeo at the time), and I don't think I ever sent it to the list. My apologies for that.

-- Chris

On Apr 23, 2012, at 12:27 PM, ext Eric Lemoine wrote:

> 
> 
> On Monday, April 23, 2012, Martin Reckziegel wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> Am 23.04.2012 14:31, schrieb Helge Fahrnberger:
>> Last week Google updated their TOS in a way that could affect OpenLayers:
>> 
>> "This update clarifies that you are not permitted to use or provide any content provided by the Maps API in an API that you offer to others, even if your implementation provides substantial additional features or content."
>> See http://googlegeodevelopers.blogspot.com/2012/04/update-to-google-maps-api-deprecation.html
>> 
>> 
>> This kills the Google layers, doesn't it? It is probably a direct reaction for all large websites flocking to OSM, OL and Leaflet as a result of the end of the free Google Maps API.
> it would be very sad, if this would be the case.
> But the blogpost is abit confusing. The Section 10.2 (a) (ii) of the actual terms and conditions (https://developers.google.com/maps/terms) state:
> "...For clarity, you are NOT 're-implementing or duplicating' Google Maps/Google Earth if your Maps API Implementation provides substantial additional features or content beyond Google Maps/Google Earth, and those additional features or content constitute the primary defining characteristic of your Maps API Implementation."
> 
> So the main question in my opinion is, wether Openlayers is related to 10.2 (a) (i) and if not, if the example in 10.2 (a) (ii) for not reimplementing is related to Openlayers.
> Does anybody know a link to the text of the Google T&C before this april 20 update?
> 
> kind regards
> Martin
> 
> 
> I'm afraid the comments in the blog post and 10.2 (a) in the TOS make it quite clear that it is not permitted to wrap the Google Maps API in another mapping API like OpenLayers. I guess we need to verify this with Google.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Eric Lemoine
> 
> Camptocamp France SAS
> Savoie Technolac, BP 352
> 73377 Le Bourget du Lac, Cedex
> 
> Tel : 00 33 4 79 44 44 96
> Mail : eric.lemoine at camptocamp.com
> http://www.camptocamp.com
> 
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