User:ShadowMasterCM/Google Sources

As an editor using the Waze Map Editor [WME] you are NOT allowed to use any external copyrighted sources, INCLUDING Google!

Even tho Google purchased Waze in 2013, Waze is NOT licensed to directly use Google Maps [GMaps], Google Street View [GSV], or any other Google resource.

Google Maps uses a mixture of data, some owned directly by Google, some owned by external copyrighted sources. Google has licensing agreements for use of that data from those external sources, however those licenses do NOT extend to Waze.

All the data that is included directly in WME, is either 100% owned by Google, or includes external data that has a license that DOES include Waze access.

So even tho many of the images appear to be identical, we as editors can not know for sure what is legally allowed or not.

The smarter than me people at Google have already sorted all this out and included it directly in Waze/ WME/ WME Street View [WSV] for me.

Waze had to delete an entire country due to copyrighted information used to edit its database.

It is important to remember to never use URL links to any of these external sources, even 'casually' in any communication platforms like WME Chat, Google Hangout, Slack or Waze Forums. The mere presence of the link could be cause to pursue Waze about illegal use of copyrighted data.

To avoid any confusion, be sure to always use a PermaLink created in WME to a specific location, and then use WSV to access the images being discussed. In cases where an exact image is desired for a discussion, or some of the editors in the discussion may not have direct access to WME, take a screenshot of the image displayed in WSV, and then share that image directly in the communication platform.