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Google Earth Image how to get licence to use.

jtanabodee

Resource contributor
Messages
3,924
Country
thailand
Hi,
I know that we cannot distribute our scenery with satellite photo from google. But it is very difficult to get that in my country. I have written to google if I can buy the licence to use from them in limited area. But I never get any reply back.

Anyone knows about buying licence from them and do ground poly or photoscenery?

Regards,
Tic
 
You can purchase a license to the data from the companies that Google gets their imagery from, but I don't believe Google will allow you to purchase it from them.

According to n797mx at the FlyTampa forums, Bing will let you, so long as you email them beforehand. I'm not so sure that's actually the case, though. http://www.flytampa.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=35812#p35812
 
Hi,

I think you indeed need to go to the companies that Google bought the imagery from as well. The name of the company is usually displaced at the bottom of the screen in Google Earth.

I thought Bing had similar license terms, but I am not sure about that.
 
Be aware the imagery from Google contains their watermarks ( the word Google stamped into the tiles )... making it pretty much unusable.

Google just licenses the imagery. They don't own it.

They aren't protecting their own creation, but rather warning you to not use their web resources and tools to copy some other property that they display.

Dick
 
If you are interested in buying satellite imagery you may visit http://www.mapmart.com/ ; there is also the search function with a .kml/.kmz file, so it is practical. It displays you various satellite images that cover your area of interest. The pricing of a recent 0.5m resolution image (somethink like 5km x 5km tile) is around 350$, a geotif file with geographical coordinates. I found the image that GE is using now and bought it last week.
 
Be aware the imagery from Google contains their watermarks ( the word Google stamped into the tiles )... making it pretty much unusable.

Google just licenses the imagery. They don't own it.

They aren't protecting their own creation, but rather warning you to not use their web resources and tools to copy some other property that they display.

Dick
Yes, Dick. I'm truly aware of that. That why I asked at the first place.
But knowing where to buy that photo is something I never notice. In my area, Digital Globe supplied images. It is writen below the photo but I never know what it is. I used to buy from Grisda.com but I don't know they are partners. There are other companies as well and I contact the representatives in Thailand today. Thank you very much for your information.

There are so many companies in this world. I asked someone else it England and he suggested a company that he contacted with. I wrote to them, no reply back. I think each company has their own area of interest. No single company own all the photos world wide. In Turkey,sunayk, different company hold the photos. I'm pretty sure that they don't have photos in Thailand. The way of looking who hold the copyright of the photos in Google Earth is the easiest way to know who you have to contact. Take a look at these pictures:

VMMCsat.jpg


vtbspic.jpg


The orange arrow that I put is the company who supply the photos to Google.
In different airport, this line of text changes. In VMMC, GeoEye has photos but in VTBS, DigitalGlobe has them. Simply search in goole and you will find the company who has photos you want. Wow! this is new for me. I saw that many time but I don't know what it is.
 
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Is this only for payware sceneries or for freeware also? Cause there are countless freeware sceneries with satellite imagery available! :confused:
 
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This restriction is for both freeware and payware. The fact that not all freeware authors realise this, does not mean it is allowed.
 
If you are interested in buying satellite imagery you may visit http://www.mapmart.com/

I like how they're selling public domain NAIP imagery for $50/county. I've got several Gb of this imagery on my HDD that I downloaded free from various GIS sites, never paid a penny for it. The imagery you paid $350 for probably could have been downloaded from the seamless server free of charge :) .

Jim
 
If you are interested in buying satellite imagery you may visit http://www.mapmart.com/ ; there is also the search function with a .kml/.kmz file, so it is practical. It displays you various satellite images that cover your area of interest. The pricing of a recent 0.5m resolution image (somethink like 5km x 5km tile) is around 350$, a geotif file with geographical coordinates. I found the image that GE is using now and bought it last week.
I did try what you suggest. Wow, it is easy to do and get satellite images. Very good one.
 
I like how they're selling public domain NAIP imagery for $50/county. I've got several Gb of this imagery on my HDD that I downloaded free from various GIS sites, never paid a penny for it. The imagery you paid $350 for probably could have been downloaded from the seamless server free of charge :) .

Jim
JRobinson, would you mind telling me where did you get these image for free. Even there might be in area of my interest, some day it might be available.
 
JRobinson, would you mind telling me where did you get these image for free. Even there might be in area of my interest, some day it might be available.

The USGS Seamless Viewer. Any imagery on there is public domain but limited to the United States and small portions of Canada
 
In my case, the location is in Asia and I couldn't find any decent and current public domain imagery; also it may turn a payware product so for not having headaches later I got the image via Mapmart. Also probably because of being uncompressed and relatively unprocessed it is better than the GE displayed one.
 
In my case, the location is in Asia and I couldn't find any decent and current public domain imagery; also it may turn a payware product so for not having headaches later I got the image via Mapmart. Also probably because of being uncompressed and relatively unprocessed it is better than the GE displayed one.
I contacted them and the same story began, no reply. :(
 
1. The best way to get photo-realistic textures for your scenery is first getting the most expensive camera you can buy, then also purchase a telescope and strap it to the end of the camera lens.

2. Then you'll want to build a rocket ship to get into low earth orbit.

3. When your spacecraft is above the intended target, aim your camera and take the shots, you're sure to get some amazing you will legally own yourself.

4. It make require serveral orbital passes above the intended area to get complete shots.

5. Return to earth to start your new project. :-]
 
OMG --- I wrote that? LOL I must be loosing my mind, don't mind me, I come up with the most outrageous replys, keep the thread going and excuse my childish behaviour. :p
 
Google does indeed take a very long time to reply. However, they will probably end up selling you your wanted imagery but for a higher price than if you would buy it from the actual provider.

Google actually doesn't have it's own imagery, they buy it from companys such as GetMapping etc and "stitch" it all up together.

But the bad thing about buying it directly from google is that the images will have a very very faint "C Google 2009" written all over, barely visible but it's surely there. They mat also ask what you are wanting it for, be straight with them, if you tell them you hope to publish it out to the FS community, they may charge considerably more.

However, it takes a very very very very long time to hear anything from them.

All the best
 
In my case, the location is in Asia and I couldn't find any decent and current public domain imagery; also it may turn a payware product so for not having headaches later I got the image via Mapmart ......

Not wanting to rain on the parade ....

Be very sure to study the license that you have obtained with the imagery you have purchased.

Just because you bought it, you don't get unlimited rights for re-purpose (in particular release in another format)

You may find that the limited license you have purchased does NOT allow you to do what you are intending.

Just saying .......
 
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