Google Maps Restrictions Probed By German Antitrust Watchdog (bloomberg.com) 3
Alphabet's Google is under investigation by Germany's antitrust watchdog amid concerns over potentially illegal terms for the use of its maps platform. From a report: The Federal Cartel Office said Tuesday it opened a formal probe after initial findings suggest that the US giant is limiting options to use alternative map providers when app developers and other businesses seek to combine their offerings with maps. The regulator is also looking at the terms for Google's Automotive Services, according to the statement. Officials are concerned Google limits the option to embed position data from Google Maps, Street View or the search function on maps of other providers, Andreas Mundt, the agency's president said. "We will check whether Google could extent its predominance in certain map services via this practice," Mundt said.
Getting back at them for stealing Terra Vision (Score:3)
Germany finally getting back at them for stealing Terra Vision and making it Google Earth. /s
reference:
https://www.dw.com/en/the-bill... [dw.com]
Re:Getting back at them for stealing Terra Vision (Score:4, Interesting)
I wonder if the documentary covers where the patent in the lawsuit was invalidated and the "Terravision" plaintiff even had to re-name their product because of a pre-existing mapping product had the same name.
Google Maps API (Score:2)
With a long EULA, I doubt most people know what limits google wants you to place on yourself if you use their API
No creation or augmentation of data sets based on Google’s Content or Services. You will not use Google’s Content or Services to create or augment your own mapping-related dataset (or that of a third party), including a mapping or navigation dataset, business listings database, mailing list, or telemarketing list.
No use of Content in a listings service. You will not use business listings-related Content in any Customer Implementation that has the primary purpose of making available business, residential address, or telephone directory listings.
No use of Content with a non-Google map. You must not use the Content in a Maps API Implementation that contains a non-Google map.
No use of Content outside the Service. You will not use any Content outside of the Service except as expressly permitted to do so in Subsection (d). For example, you will not export or save the Content to a third party’s platform or service.
No caching or storage. You will not pre-fetch, cache, index, or store any Content to be used outside the Service, except that you may store limited amounts of Content solely for the purpose of improving the performance of your Maps API Implementation due to network latency (and not for the purpose of preventing Google from accurately tracking usage), and only if such storage:
So let's say you have a blog about places to eat a good burger, and you want to include geospatial information obtained from google maps, and use that in other ways with let's say openstreetmaps, that's a nogo. Anything you get out of google maps is, for a lack of better word, tainted. You can't have a user submit a new place using google search results.