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

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?

Comments

Smallest violin

[CaligarisDesk]

I'm sure someone could reimplement it using open street maps, but here's why it won't happen: From routebuilder's FAQ:

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

Re:Important 3rd party API lesson

[ewibble]

Governments should provide these in a open standard format, to the public for free. (they must or should have this information already) This should include speed limits, (permanent and temporary) they should have this information, taxes where used to make these roads, knowing how to use these roads to get from one place to another legally should be a public right.

If they are selling this information to companies, in order that they can sell it back to us, is just wrong.

Re:Important 3rd party API lesson

[Wycliffe]

That's a nice sounding ideology but the reality is that even if you start with a good 100% accurate street map, chances are you'll never be able to keep up with the updates on your own as governments build and change roads. That's of course, assuming you even have the resources to create one to begin with.

Since this is a one man operation, I really doubt your suggestion is at all practical.

"Always have a backup plan" is not the same as "don't use third party software". I work for a company that uses google for our maps. We can also switch over to an alternative api with a click of a button. We do it occasionally for testing and I believe there might have been a problem 4-5 years ago where we ran the alternate for certain failover conditions but for the most part it has never been activated on our live servers but it's there just in case. We also use several commercial apis and on several occasions have switched vendors and then switched back for pricing reasons. Not only does this protect us from cases where the third party is no longer available but it also helps with pricing negotiations as even if we prefer one vendor over another they know that if they try to raise our rates that we are not locked into their platform.

we are the new microsoft

[mt1955]

Google has been tilting toward evil ever since Facebook passed it in views back in 2010 and at that moment everything we had done before became no good.

"You couldn't even beat Facebook"

It was great a place to work up until that day.

The Maps API TOS is draconian

[barlevg]

I was doing a project that used their geocoding API at one point. Essentially you're only allowed to use it if you're planning on making a Google Map. You can't use it for any other purpose. You can't cache the results to save on redundant API calls. Luckily, I found an awesome alternative in OpenCage, which is backed by OpenStreetMap data and whose TOS couldn't be less restrictive.

Because old-style Google Maps

[GPS Pilot]

RouteBuilder gives access to old-style Google Maps, which everybody loved, and impedes Google's forced migration to new-style Google Maps, which everybody hates.