Wow.....those a some tough options! But, my gut feeling tells me it is far preferable to be truthful and upfront....and, in the end, the truth will win out. I think approaching Google directly, clearly and carefully explaining what you are proposing and, most importantly these days, propose how GOOGLE wins by allowing this relationship to be established. Maybe placing a Google search function within MapAway or some other method (which is beyond my technical savvy) to generate revenue for Google will quickly bring them over to your side. Otherwise, i fear you will forever be fighting to find a way to circumvent Googles' server blocking and MapAway will forever be in jeopardy of being useful. So, I propose going with #3 in your message.

Best of luck to you......the truth will win out! And I will remain an active supporter of MapAway regardless of what path you chose.

Nick

I posted a link in one important German Palm forum, and probably we will get some more comments from the German MapAway user community in a while.

And I second the opinion of foxpaw.

Kind regards and the best wishes to both of you!

Carsten

Hello J&B!

Obviously I was not very successful in finding more people to tell their opinion here. So after some weeks of thinking, you get another opinion from me.

How about including a link to maps.google.com/help/terms_maps.html? Each MapAway user should see a message windows including this link to read the google terms. Especially the clause: "Except where you have been specifically licensed to do so by Google, you may not use Google Maps with any products, systems, or applications installed or otherwise connected to or in communication with vehicles, capable of vehicle navigation, positioning, dispatch, real time route guidance, fleet management or similar applications." should be pointed out.

And then there should be a copyright attribution text on any map. "Copyright attribution text and Google logo must be visible inside the screen and cannot be obstructed or modified by any means." Like here: www.google.com/permissions/geopermitted3.gif. So you add some code to show this text on any downloaded map.

And I think we can live with the limit of 60 maps a day in your way #2.

If this still is not "fair use" in the opinion of google - well, then we have to face the truth that google does not allow the use of google maps in PathAway. And we still can use yahoo maps instead. In the specific terms of use we can read: "you may [...] (iii) transfer a copy to a personal electronic device such as a personal digital assistant". Which is just what we do with MapAway.

But in any decision you make: Bear in mind your own future . This project is not worth paying a fine that may obscure all your upcoming plans.

Kind regards

Carsten

Hello J&B!

Just after pressing the "save" button, another idea jumped up in my brain. If google wants a web application to show their maps, well, why don't you give them a web application? If you are able to write code to convert a map to Palm format, I'm sure you can write a java applet for this purpose as well. Now - if you have a web site that shows a google map via api, and includes a button "save the map to palm", which creates a .prc file and let the user store this (or even copies this into the hotsync queue) - then you can create a PathAway map from within a web site. It's just like a screenshot for personal use. Which is nothing any judge will put a user into prison for. I think. Well, I hope. ;-)

Kind regards

Carsten

Hi Carsten,

We almost developed MapAway new version, and there is only one thing to be implemented. We had to make new code to get maps from Google Map API, and it takes almost a month after we wrote this article.
Your idea looks like excellent. Honestly, we considered your idea at the very first design, but Windows DLL of pathaway should be used to save maps and we had no idea how to access Windows DLL from java applets. Moreover, if we make web site to do it, users have no way to save multiple maps and maps along the route. And, the largest image size Google supports is 640x640.
Thanks for your idea and suggests from our hearts. We expected we could release new version at last Sunday, but we are sorry it is delayed few days.

Best regards

J&B Team.

Carten,
There is one more thing to ask you.
Could you send an email to webmaster@iippo.net if you want to test new version earlier than others?
We had your email account from the donate list, but we want to make it sure.
Thanks.