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Google Claims a TOS Violation On RouteBuilder For Using the Map API (medium.com)

Posted by timothy on from the mapping-means-control dept.

New submitter acm writes: RouteBuilder has been using the Google Maps API to help people share their routes (bicycling, hiking, etc) for a decade. Last week, Google sent an email demanding Routebuilder stop using the API: "In particular,your application violates clause 10.4(c), which does not allow developers to create a wrapper — an application that re-implements or duplicates the Google Maps website or mobile app, or any of the Google Maps APIs." Why did it take the Google Maps Team 10 years to decide they don't want pedometer-type sites to use their API?

4 of 130 comments (clear)

  1. OpenStreetMap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I don't see why that site needs Google Maps specifically. Just exchange it for other service. OpenStreetMap is free and tiles are available by a couple different providers. There are others, such as Bing Maps and HERE Maps, but I have no idea about their TOS.

  2. Re:OSM by xeoron · · Score: 3, Informative

    Maybe, but he said he does not have the free time to re-code the site, due to family and work, thus is Google does not back down or someone offers to update the site for him, then this is the end of it.

  3. RouteBuilder does not have a commercial licence by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 5, Informative

    RouteBuilder is not Open Source, the site says:

    Q: I'm building a website that would benefit from some of the features of RouteBuilder. Will you give me the source code for free?

    A: I'm sorry, I'm not interested in giving away the source code behind this website for free. However, I am open to selling a license to use it.

    Free use of Google Maps in applications comes with limits on how you can use it, and how many times you can hit the Google server for free. More than likely RouteBuilder exceeded these limits and Google asked RouteBuilder to purchase a licence, which they declined to do.

    This is not news.

    --
    If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
  4. Too big for 14 days of one person's spare time by tepples · · Score: 4, Informative

    One option for me would be to rewrite routebuilder to run on another mapping platform, but with an infant at home and a full-time job, I frankly don’t have the time or energy.

    I don't see why that site needs Google Maps specifically. Just exchange it for other service.

    Because you, Anonymous Coward, haven't offered your services to port it within 14 days. Also because I'm the wrong person for the job at the moment, having never written a line of OSM code.