On 5 November 2011 20:34, Drew Johnston <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi! I have a question regarding Google Maps API and mapping services > in general that has been KILLING me for the past year and I would > truly appreciate if someone can put this to rest for me. It’s in > regard to Google’s Terms of Service and what exactly they allow and > don’t allow with their free API. > > I have a project I’m trying to get off the ground, you can see it > here: http://bit.ly/lJfupZ > > Quick explanation of what the site does: You can create Location Maps, > which are commonly used maps on Film and Television Production Shoots > (but also good for planning any kind of event). A picture is worth a > thousand words: http://bit.ly/s6k7xi > > The user is given the ability to map a location. Once they’ve chosen > the location they can add text boxes, pins, driving directions, upload > images and edit colors all to create a nice Location Map like the one > in link above. When user is finished, they are given the ability to > download and/or email their map as a PDF (as shown in link).
If you search the group for "pdf" you'll find that generally this is recognised as a derivative work and prohibited under 10.1.3(a) -- the precise term might vary over time as they are renumbered. > 1) Opinions (Or definite answers) as to whether or not I am safe under > Google’s free API TOS Currently, I reckon the answer is No. PDFs are a derivative work. The example screenshot shows the Google logo being partially obscured and that's a no-no (see 8.5 and 9.4(a)). Your directions (assuming these are from Google's directions service) don't include the copyright attribution (see 8.5). > 2) Help on getting in touch with a real life Google Maps PERSON who > can give me a real answer. They won't. No-one has ever provided Google's legal opinion apart from a few non-authoritative personal opinions ["I reckon you should be ok" or something similar]. Just so this isn't a complete downer, it *would* be possible to store all the client data and provide a link which reconstructs it. This could [probably would] be a code for a database entry rather like bit.ly does; or a url querystring which allows the client to reconstruct everything. An example of such a url is http://www.achurchnearyou.com/parishfinder.php?=51.3285,-2.2925,13,51.3325,-2.3246,Map -- but I reckon you'd need to store a reference to all the separate elements and have the server reconstruct the page. How the user treats this with printing or whatever is up to them. They might choose to create their own PDF and thus break the Terms, but how will Google know? You are right to be concerned that Google may pull the plug on your service if you are seen to do so, or provide an easy route for others to. An advantage to emailing a link rather than a complete pdf is that a user isn't confronted with downloading a large document on what might be an unsuitable client like a smartphone on a dodgy data connection: he can choose when to view the map. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Google Maps API V2" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/google-maps-api?hl=en.
