Can you use Google's geocoding service in a commercial iPhone application?

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+1 Q:

Can you use Google's geocoding service in a commercial iPhone application?

Is it legal to charge for an iPhone app, lets say .99 cents, for an app that uses Apple's mapkit and a request to google to use their geocoding service? The geocoding is not the main part of the app and it is not advertised to be a geocoding app.

Is it ok to do this?

Someone mentioned that google has an iphone terms of service, but I can't seem to find it.

I used the geocoding class from this website:

http://blog.sallarp.com/ipad-iphone-forward-geocoding-api-google/

+1 A:

You can find the MapKit terms of service here:

http://code.google.com/apis/maps/iphone/terms.html

This is probably the most significant section:

You may not ...

use or display the Content without a corresponding Google map, unless you are explicitly permitted to do so in the Maps API Documentation, the Street View API Documentation, or through written permission from Google (for example, you must not use geocodes obtained through the Service except in conjunction with a Google map, but the Street View API Documentation explicitly permits you to display Street View imagery without a corresponding Google map); or

So basically, as long as you show the geo-coded results on a google map (which includes MKMapView), you are fine. I have done this for a while and haven't had any problems.

Cannonade 2010-08-10 00:50:14

I remember reading in there (on phone so can't read it to well right now) something about you can use it as long as you don't charge a commercial fee. Then something about an incremental fee. I'm only doing a one time fee of .99 cents for an app that isn't using geocoding as its focus.When I emailed google, they said no, but I got the impression he was confused cause at first he said yes.

SolidSnake4444 2010-08-10 02:10:50

@SolidSnake4444 This is probably what you are thinking of: "Your Maps API Implementation may not charge an incremental fee solely for the Service." So I think that means you can't charge extra for a version that has maps/geocoding functionality (because it isn't yours to sell). You aren't doing that, so as long as you are showing results on a map, you will be fine.

Cannonade 2010-08-10 04:47:48

I emailed google again stating the terms that we found here. I'll add a comment when I get an answer back.

SolidSnake4444 2010-08-11 00:16:18

@SolidSnake4444 Cool :)

Cannonade 2010-08-11 00:46:09

They haven't answered back and it doesn't seem like they will. I thank you for your help. I'll mark your answer as the accepted one and I'll comment back here if I ever do hear from google again. Thanks again.

SolidSnake4444 2010-08-15 22:10:58

@SolidSnake4444 Thanks for following up :) If you do ever hear back, I would be interested in their response. I think you are probably ok though.

Cannonade 2010-08-15 23:08:40

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Can you use Google's geocoding service in a commercial iPhone application?

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