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 <t...@google.com> > Date: April 8, 2011 5:52:50 PM PDT > To: tmitch...@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.lemo...@camptocamp.com > http://www.camptocamp.com > > _______________________________________________ > Dev mailing list > d...@lists.osgeo.org > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/openlayers-dev _______________________________________________ Dev mailing list d...@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/openlayers-dev
