Open Layer API V4.0.1 & Google Map : Policy usage

Question

1) We are using Google Tiles as Source for Open layer API. Can we use Google map tiles Directly? Checked bunch of threads but don’t see clear picture on this. Looks like there was some communication between OL team & Google map API team and OL team received some written permission as well on this.

2) we are using Google Place Autocomplete with Open Layer Map. Are we allowed to do this? https://developers.google.com/places/web-service/autocomplete - “Note: You can use Place Autocomplete even without a map. If you do show a map, it must be a Google map. When you display predictions from the Place Autocomplete service without a map, you must include the 'Powered by Google' logo.”

• http://osgeo-org.1560.x6.nabble.com/Google-Maps-API-Terms-of-Use-changes-td4910013.html#a4911981
• https://github.com/openlayers/openlayers/issues/2205
• Openlayers v4.0.1 support Google Maps Javascript API?
• https://github.com/tombatossals/angular-openlayers-directive/issues/25

Answer 1

OpenLayers 2 had a Google layer implementation which used the Google Maps API. The written permission from Google was for that only. OpenLayers 3+ does not support that any more, because the implementation was too fragile for production use.

Ad 1): Using tiles directly violates Google's terms of use.

Ad 2): Like the terms say - if you are displaying the Google Map in a legal way, you can use the Place Autocomplete service. Otherwise you cannot.