Wow. Big day in the world of mapping APIs.
First this from Google, then this from Yahoo.
Most of the news is good (the fact that Google is releasing a geocoder is great).
Google's new enterprise mapping product seems cool, but I’m confused about the terms.
On one hand, the Mapping API terms do not include a “commercial” restriction. The only related restriction is that “the Service may be used only for services that are generally accessible to consumers without charge.”
On the other hand, the Enterprise Q&A states that “The Google Maps API license does not permit using the API for commercial applications.”
“Commercial” is a much broader restriction than only “services that are generally accessible to consumers without charge.” A lot of commercial sites -- including most news sites -- offer free access to consumers.
So which is it? Does the new Q&A mean news sites have to shell out $10,000 to use Google Maps, or does the $10K only apply if they put the maps behind a paid wall?
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