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

[Eric Lemoine]

On Tuesday, April 24, 2012, wrote:

> 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 <javascript:;>>
> > Date: April 8, 2011 5:52:50 PM PDT
> > To: tmitchell at osgeo.org <javascript:;>
> > 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.




Thanks for taking care of that Chris.


-- 
Eric Lemoine

Camptocamp France SAS
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Mail : eric.lemoine at camptocamp.com
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