Google TOS?

[ghost]

According to this, one should not be able to use the map outside of google's tools.

Yet, I can still do:

  var road = new L.Google("ROADMAP");

or

  var road = new L.Google("SATELLITE");

And get access to the map with either street or satellite view.

So I'm wondering, how are you doing it? By using the script, would I be actually breaking any rule?

Cheers, and thanks for this great tool mate!

[tmcw]

By using the script, would I be actually breaking any rule?

Yes, you'd be breaking the google terms of service. Even if a plugin like this uses the official javascript API internally, it's breaking the section against 'wrapping'. @shramov probably best to remove that plugin, no?

[seyfro]

I´d disagree - 10.1.1.a says "For example, you must not access map tiles or imagery through interfaces or channels (including undocumented Google interfaces) other than the Maps API(s)."

In my plugin mapsmarker.com I load the Google loader via https://www.google.com/jsapi?key=xyz and then load the maps through the maps API (google.load("maps","3",{other_params:"sensor=false"});)

So as far as I understand the TOS, using @shramov s plugin is no problem if you implement the google loader & load the maps API afterwards...

[tmcw]

I'm referring to 10.2(a):

(a) No "Wrapping." You must not create or offer a "wrapper" for the Service, unless you obtain Google's written consent to do so. For example, you are not permitted to: (i) use or provide any part of the Service or Content (such as map imagery, geocoding, directions, places, or terrain data) in an API that you offer to others;

[seyfro]

@mourner can you please comment on this?

[mourner]

I remember wandering about that point about wrapping from ToS too, as far as I know there were numerous requests from various developers (including Pavel) for Google to comment on that with regards to uses like Mapstraction, OL and this plugin, but no one replied. My personal take is that this point is not related to uses like this (when the actual public API is used, without reverse-engineering, proxying etc.), but really I'm not sure.

[tmcw]

with regards to uses like Mapstraction, OL and this plugin, but no one replied

OpenLayers has a specific, written exception from Google that (this clause of) the terms of service will not apply to them.

[seyfro]

just to be sure, perhaps it would help, if such an exception for Leaflet could also be asked @mourner?

[mourner]

Hmm, interesting!

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.

I wonder what is considered substantial...

[seyfro]

I knew why I learned coding and not law ;-)

[brunob]

So anyone knows if these plugins are ok or not with google TOS ? /me would like to close this issue :)

[Xal3ph]

Is it possible to get Google written consent on this? It's a widely used mapping tool, much like OpenLayers. I don't see why they would favor one over the other except that it'd be based on a plugin and not the core support from Leaflet (which may be a big deal).

[brunob]

If someone have time to contact them, feel free to do it :) Anyway, the google layer script is a real pain in th ass to maintain, and i'd really like to drop this one from the repo.

[smitchell]

I'm going to raise this issue at work. The lack of a Google plugin is a deal breaker for Leaflet at my job. We depend on Google to create courses that "snap to roads" with Google's directions. We do the same thing with MapQuest for OSM (we dropped Bing due to bugs). I would love to consolidate all our code into a single code base then let the user choose between Google, Bing, and OSM.

[pke]

Any news on that? Consider switching from Mapbox to Google Maps because the pricing tiers of Mapbox make no sense at all.

[brunob]

@pke see #250

[brunob]

We can finally close this one since #250 :)