google earth images

[P Kishor]

On 4/16/07, Richard Greenwood <richard.greenwood at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 4/13/07, Gregor Mosheh <gregor at hostgis.com> wrote:
> > > I´d like to add a layer with a google earth image on my map. Does anybody
> > > know if it is possible? any examples?
> >
> > This question comes up about once a month, yeah? :)
> >
> > There's no way to use Google Maps layers directly in Mapserver; it's a
> > violation of Google's usage policy, and they've shot down attempts to do
> > it in the past.
> >
> > However, you can do the opposite, and overlay WMS data onto a Google Map
> > -- so you get the cool slippy maps but with your own photos. And you can
> > try something like OpenLayers, which has support for both Google Maps and
> > for WMS (e.g. from Mapserver) data sources.
> >
> > -Gregor
> >

First, the original question was confusingly asked -- the original
question was, " I´d like to add a layer with a google earth image on
my map." Without any further context, the OP was mixing technologies
-- Google Earth is a desktop application with a direct connection to
the net, but asking about it on a MapServer list conflated it with
MapServer, a web application. Hence, Gregor's answer, "There's no way
to use Google Maps layers directly in Mapserver." Well, the OP never
asked about using Google Maps in a MapServer application, but while
possible, doing so is indeed a violation of Google's Terms of Services
(TOS).

Which bring us to Rich's question --

>
> I am confused by why using OpenLayers is okay, but using MapServer is
> not. In both cases you are adding your own content to Google Maps
> content. With OL it is being done on the client in the browser, with
> MapServer it is being done on the server and passed t the browser. But
> the net effect seems similar. So why does Google care how you do it?
>

Google Maps data ---> MapServer based application|OpenLayers is NOT ok. But

WMS served by MapServer or anything else ---> Google Maps|MapServer
based application|OpenLayers is ok.

In other words, Google Maps data can be used inside only a Google Maps
application, but other data can also be used inside such an
application. However, Google Maps data may not be used inside any
other application as that violated Google's TOS.

OpenLayers is just an alternative to using Google Maps, the
application, but it still does not allow one to use Google Maps, the
data.

Google Maps, the data and the application, might have other
restrictions via its TOS as well regarding their use in commercial
applications. OpenLayers would not have such restrictions.


-- 
Puneet Kishor http://punkish.eidesis.org/
Nelson Inst. for Env. Studies, UW-Madison http://www.nelson.wisc.edu/
Open Source Geospatial Foundation http://www.osgeo.org/education/
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