How have the Mission Planner Developers managed to get around the Restrictions laid down by Google Earth regarding the use of Google Earth/Maps imagery and geo data for the Mission Planner software?
It appears that the use of any bulk downloaded , offline stored tiles, tiles stitched together, etc is illegal?
It also appears that the use of these maps to provide navigation and guidance for any autonomous vehicle is illegal.
It also appears the use of cached maps data is illegal other than 'to improve the user experience while having not internet connection' but for short term only. Storing cached maps for more than 30 days is also illegal.
It seems they have done everything to make it illegal and impossible to use the content in our type of applications!
Has Google provided special dispensation to permit its use by Mission Planner , and this community, for this Open Source application?
I have dug deep on the DIY-d forums and have not been able to find any guidance on this issue. I am not sure if Google would litigate in these issues, but they have the might to pull it off....
Some excerpts from from Google terms and conditions:
http://www.google.com/help/terms_maps.html
2. Restrictions on Use. Unless you have received prior written authorization from Google (or, as applicable, from the provider of particular Content), you must not: (a) copy, translate, modify, or make derivative works of the Content or any part thereof; (b) redistribute, sublicense, rent, publish, sell, assign, lease, market, transfer, or otherwise make the Products or Content available to third parties; (c) reverse engineer, decompile or otherwise attempt to extract the source code of the Service or any part thereof, unless this is expressly permitted or required by applicable law; (d) use the Products in a manner that gives you or any other person access to mass downloads or bulk feeds of any Content, including but not limited to numerical latitude or longitude coordinates, imagery, and visible map data; (e) delete, obscure, or in any manner alter any warning or link that appears in the Products or the Content; or (f) use the Service or Content with any products, systems, or applications for or in connection with (i) real time navigation or route guidance, including but not limited to turn-by-turn route guidance that is synchronized to the position of a user's sensor-enabled device; or (ii) any systems or functions for automatic or autonomous control of vehicle behavior; (g) use the Products to create a database of places or other local listings information.
AND:
https://developers.google.com/maps/terms
(c) No Navigation, Autonomous Vehicle Control, or Enterprise Applications. You must not use the Service or Content with any products, systems, or applications for or in connection with any of the following:
(ii) any systems or functions for automatic or autonomous control of vehicle behavior; or
(iii) enterprise dispatch, fleet management, business asset tracking or similar applications. If you want to engage in enterprise dispatch, fleet management, business asset tracking, or similar applications, please contact the Google Maps API for Business sales team to obtain a Google enterprise license. (If you are offering a non-enterprise implementation, you may use the Google Maps API(s) to track assets such as cars, buses or other vehicles, as long as your tracking application is made available to the public without charge. For example, you may offer a free, public Maps API Implementation that displays real-time public transit or other transportation status information.)
Can anyone throw some light on this please? How are the MP users protected, if at all?
The Nampilot..
Comments
Rick, you may be correct..
As you say, end of story..
To make my point even clearer consider the following. The TOC says:
(i) real time navigation or route guidance, including but not limited to turn-by-turn route guidance that is synchronized to the position of a user's sensor-enabled device.
MP does not use Google maps for real time route guidance nor does it do turn by turn route guidance that is synchronized to the position of the user’s sensor-enabled device.
MP does follow a user’s sensor-enabled device but it does not provide any route guidance in any definition of the word. (ii) any systems or functions for automatic or autonomous control of vehicle behavior; or
MP does not use Google maps for any automatic or autonomous control of vehicle behavior.
MP does allow us to view a map on the screen and pick locations and MP retrieves the LAT & LON information from those locations and that is then end of Google maps association with the process. MP then uploads that information in the form of waypoints to APM which can then autonomously operate the vehicle completely on its own without any further connection to Google maps or even MP for that matter.
End of story…
Rick
At first glance I also considered Gisela & Joe Noci post a concern but after reading mp1's post I reread the highlighted sections of the TOC, this time taking the statements literarily and I have to say, for the most part now I agree with mp1. I believe Google's main intent is to not have vehicles directly interpreting Google maps for the purpose of determining the vehicles path autonomously. MP does not do that. We humans look at the MP maps, we click on points in the maps that return latitudes and longitudes to which we add altitudes or other parameters then we have MP upload that information in the form of waypoints to the APM at which point neither MP or Google maps is needed or used for any purpose unless you want to see where you vehicle travels. In this case it is not in any way being used to guide or otherwise operate the vehicle. It is only used to display a graphical representation of the vehicles telemetry data.
Rick
I find using the word illegal to be a bit misleading. Last time I checked, Google at least for now isn't a governing power capable of making laws. Software terms of usage is something entirely else. You can't just write whatever you want in the terms, and have it automatically be enforceable by law.
@AeJones:
'In any case, is an autonomous APM controlled aircraft using Google, Bing or any maps?. It is navigating around waypoints with LAT , Long and height.'
You must not use the Service or Content with any products, systems, or applications for or in connection with any of the following:
(ii) any systems or functions for automatic or autonomous control of vehicle behavior; or
I think the bold above is the issue - I guess the map is displayed when you are flying? And I guess the waypoints were derived from the map data?......
I see you prefer Bing - I will have a look at it again - just did not seem practical for our part of Africa!
@mP1,
Of course one can interpret what you read in any manner you would like it to sound - my question was simply, given the Google standpoint, does MP have any concession to use Gmaps with impunity. It seems my question has ruffled your feathers - if there is no issue then simply say so formally, and then my question remains innocent. If however my question has validity, then an ostrich approach helps little.
'The snippets shown to us( i havent read the full toc), includes the following key words: vehicles, navigation and route guidance. I have never heard a plane or multicopter being called a vehicle.'
Of course you haven't - since you only know them as drones. The ''V' in UAV is exactly that...
'MP never looks at maps to plot anything itself'
No, but you did in order to create points that the VEHICLE can AUTONOMOUSLY execute route guidance to, turn by turn....the 'snippets' says You must not use the Service or Content ....
If its wrong to show maps for view in MP....
It certainly is not wrong to show maps - it seems however that it is wrong to cache said maps for subsequent use, and to use the maps for generation of routes for autonomous guidance in any vehicle...
Word games are of little value here - the legal fraternity can twist it to suite whatever they need from it, since it does not expressly include nor exclude specifics.
Anyhow, I asked a simple question since I operate UAS and would like to remain on the sound and safe side - I thought maybe this fraternity could shed some helpful light on the subject. It seems all just went on the defensive for some reason that eludes me..
@Gisela & Joe Noci
I use Bing Satellite Map :) Google Maps is nothing but clouds over my primary flying site!
@Thomas Robinson
I agree with Gisella & Joe Noci, it's an important question to ask, and one that any responsible UAS/UAV (drone) operator should ask themselves. That said I believe the general consensus is correct in the interpretation of the intent of the restrictions. Google means to indemnify themselves from responsibility for the users actions. That however doesn't change the fact that if you accept that our vehicles are using Google maps as a means of guidance, then we are then breaking the terms of use.
@mP1
Interesting observation on "Humans in the Loop" however I'm not sure I buy that scenario as a distinction that would relieve the user from the restrictions put forth in Google's terms of use.....maybe.....maybe not. It might be good enough to argue, but I don't know.......something good to think about though :)
Regards,
Nathaniel ~KD2DEY
In the UK , I prefer Bing. Until recently, Google was 6 years out of date in my area. Does Bing have the same restrictions.
In any case, is an autonomous APM controlled aircraft using Google, Bing or any maps?. It is navigating around waypoints with LAT , Long and height.
I create / modify missions every week. If the maps are cached at that time , they never reach 30 days old.
My guess is they are curious/concerned about a potential legal issue. Doesn't seem like an unreasonable discussion.
G&J, I would be interested to see the list of companies selling APMs build into "professional" UAV's if you wouldn't mind PMing me. Thanks. Just curious.
Well, the last postings on this and related subjects were many moons ago and people could be forgiven their possible belief that the problem had 'gone away'. However, the google terms and conditions still are quite clear and adamant so I wanted to know ( since it is impossible to search for such comments on the forums) weather concessions had maybe been made by google specifically for the open source ( DIYd) community. Your question seems very loaded....DIYd advertises how many thousands of users there are of the MP - I wonder how many do not use google maps? There are daily posts of people using this system for income - photogrammetry, agriculture surveys, search and rescue, etc. I have not anywhere found any 'warning' to the user, new or not, that to do this is illegal...
A fair question do you not think?
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