Legal Advice? Anyone have any?

[clark]

So here is the situation, I don't understand all this law language shit, so I have no idea if my intentions violate the Google Terms of Service...
Please, serious answers only if you happen to know anything about law.

I am working on creating an app for dad, and other companies, for use
of fleet management and truck tracking. Contain in the app, I am using
the Google Maps API, which allows me to display a Google Map in the
app, placing pointers on the map where applicable (for current
location, and destinations). While searching for information on the
API, I came across someone asking a similar question, but was never
able to get a response.
In the License Agreement, per Section 8.7, am I permitted to use the
API to create an app of this nature while using the API?

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/android/maps-api-signup

I have read this, as well as a friend of mine has read this, and what
I take from it is that I am not allowed to directly use the Map API
itself for tracking purposes.

In the app, I am collecting data from the GPS and passing it to my
server where all of the data is processed and where the tracking is
actually done. On the app, I am using the map ONLY to display 2
specific points, the users current location, and the destination
location.

Would I be permitted to do this? Or do I need to request permission from Google?

 

[Brades]

What about http://www.openstreetmap.org

 

[clark]

I have already looked into that, and it still is a possibility that I may use that. Google already provides a very nice API for Google maps, and it is very easy to implement it into an Android app. If I were to use OpenStreetMap, I would need to put many more hours of work into getting it to work the way that I am needing.

 

[TurboTaco]

I would say that if the app was for casual non-business use and for yourself, Google would never find out and hence would probably never have any issues with it. If you aren't making money from it, and you're not using it in an enterprise as a solution or enhancement for work.

However, if this app ends up being by your dad and others in his company (a trucking/logistics company I am assuming) than yes, you will need Google's permission for it. Also, if you decided to make it available on say, Marketplace or Appstore, whether free or not, then you would most definitely require their permission to use their product within your own.

While your app may only hit a small number of users (ie ur dad and Co.) and may be unlikely to ever go 'mainstream' or even externally from the business, if Google were to somehow catch wind or find out, they would have grounds for litigation as intellectual property is a very hot topic for tech-based firms.

I am not 100% familiar with tech and intellectual property laws, but when it comes to business law and using anyone's proprietary product, idea, or service, you cannot implement it into anything that would be used for making money, helping a business improve (to make more money efficiently), and even if it were non-business related it could still be a legal battle.

The safest approach would be to probably ask a Google themselves (through whichever channel required) whether it is ok to use their googlemaps API before proceeding. Green light? great, you have it in written form and you can go as planned. Red light? I guess you'll have to work a bit harder and use open source software to complete yer poppa's app :]