Hello All
I spoke with a Google Earth executive and described what
the Maine DEP is doinf with Googe Earth. He said that as long as the KML
we create from our system is being displayed on Google Earth and is free for
people to use then all is OK. He said that one of the issues that often
arise is that people want to use one or more of the Google Earth tools or
functions (like a geocode engine) and then bring the result back to their own
system ( not displaying results in Google Earth), this requires Google Earth
licensing.
If all you are looking for is to display data and use tools
in the Google Earth viewer to navigate and select data for veiwing in Google
Earth then all is good. This alone provides a great deal of value.
One of our main objectives is to keep our web mapping simple and people love
it. We find that the vast majority of GIS usage simply requires veiwing
mutliple data sets to enable a person to use their brain to conduct overlay
analysis and proximity analysis.
Christopher
Kroot
GIS
Manager
Office of Information Technology
Maine Department of Environmental
Protection
Station # 17,
Ray Building, AMHI Complex
Augusta, ME 04333
[log in to unmask]
207-287-6167
Thank you for your response Mike and thank you for checking with
Chris.
Is it possible to view whatever statement(s) Google issued that
allowed DEP to move forward in their implementation of kml delivered content
(and btw very nicely done!) on top of GE?
I'm not a lawyer either, and
was why I decided to ask some lawyers in addition to the participants on the Google
Earth Pro discussion forum and the members of the GeoLibray listserv if
there is an authoritative listing of permissible uses under each type of license
from Google and, in so defining, what distinguishes individual use from
professional use? and if no such listing exists, shouldn't this community ask
Google to develop one?
In response to these two questions, Professor
Onsrud writes:
- "Kelly, I would guess that there is no "authoritative listing of
permissible uses under each type of license" and I would guess that if you ask
you won't get one. Google will typically want to pursue alleged infringements
on a case by case basis when and if in their opinion they occur. Language is
often kept imprecise in such instances to place a chilling effect on reaching
too far and to encourage users to buy the commercial license if in doubt. We
have avoided using Google Earth in at least one research prototype because of
the potential cloud created by their licenses. Best, Harlan"
Harlan Onsrud's article "
Implementing Geographic Information Technologies Ethically"
that appeared in ESRI's ArcNews (Fall 2008, Vol. 30 No. 3) speaks to the heart
of this matter and is recommended for further reading.
V. Kelly Bellis, PLS 2099
Horizon Surveying Company,
Inc.
17 Union Street
Ellsworth, ME
04605
207.667.6912
At 05:08 PM 12/19/2008, Michael Smith
wrote:
I spoke to Christian Halsted about
this, who is very likely state
government's most senior Google Earth
expert. DEP researched the
legality of Google Earth before committing
to it, and they contacted a
senior Google executive who oversaw the Google
Earth product. According
to that executive, the product is free to be
used anywhere by anyone for
viewing KML or WMS data, or other data that it
natively
supports.
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