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Level 6

are copyrights/logo marks allowed on photo submissions on maps?

looking through googles policies, in the user content section it doesn't prohibit adding your branding/logo/copyright to images you upload to google maps, but under another section about using googles services it mentions not adding branding. Seems a bit conflicting, and would like to know what the ruling is.

25 comments
Connect Moderator

Re: are copyrights/logo marks allowed on photo submissions on maps?

Hi @DarrenLevine yes you can use a small discreet watermark on your images with your name but I believe you're not meant to use a brand. I saw a guidance article on this recently but I can't find it, perhaps Googler @Corrie can point you at the official guidance?

 

Regards

Paul

Level 6

Re: are copyrights/logo marks allowed on photo submissions on maps?

Thanks for chiming in Paul,

 

specifically, i typically put a mark that's a logo-ish version of my name/website: "DarrenLevine.com"

Level 9
Level 9

Re: are copyrights/logo marks allowed on photo submissions on maps?


@DarrenL wrote:

specifically, i typically put a mark that's a logo-ish version of my name/website: "DarrenLevine.com"


The use of a url is an interesting point which I raised before but didn't get an answer to. The official guidance says:

 

"Small, discreet copyright notices (such as a business name or logo) are allowed. Email addresses and phone numbers cannot be included in your images. Acceptable attribution must be limited to the bottom 10% of photos and the bottom 36º (bottom 20%) of photo spheres."

 

So emails and phone numbers are forbidden, but the rules are silent on urls which seems an odd omission.

 

The rule is also somewhat ambiguous as to whom the business name or logo can refer to. Is it the photographer or the place the photo is of? I've seen photosheres for a pub where the logo was for the pub 

 

Level 6

Re: are copyrights/logo marks allowed on photo submissions on maps?

Well, that seems to be pretty concrete, except like you said the lack of clarifying about websites.

 

i loaded a sample so you can see what i prefer to have:

https://goo.gl/maps/LnHjLnpeb8B2

 

Former Google Contributor

Re: are copyrights/logo marks allowed on photo submissions on maps?

@DarrenLevine @Pea @PaulPavlinovich Let me ask my friends in Street View about URLs and get back to you guys 🙂 

Level 9
Level 9

Re: are copyrights/logo marks allowed on photo submissions on maps?

Thanks @Corrie and can you also check out my other question above re: whom can the business name / logo can refer to. Is it the photographer or the place the photo is of, or both? See this example https://goo.gl/maps/kfj5SwskzDJ2 which has the logo for the pub along with details for the photographer

 

 

Level 6

Re: are copyrights/logo marks allowed on photo submissions on maps?

Thanks @Corrie , please get as detailed a response as you can, i would imagine a long url would be pretty undesired, but in my case it's simply my name plus .com (darrenlevine.com)

 

thanks!

Former Google Contributor

Re: are copyrights/logo marks allowed on photo submissions on maps?

@DarrenLevine @Pea @PaulPavlinovich 

The Street View team has confirmed that they do not allow URLs and will look into updating their published guidelines to make this more clear. Darren, they are looking at your example specifically so I will let you know if anything new comes back. 

 

Philip, The small logo or name is typically from the uploader. If a business added it, they can follow the same guidelines as anyone else. Hope that answers your question. 

Level 9
Level 9

Re: are copyrights/logo marks allowed on photo submissions on maps?


@CorrieD wrote:

 

Philip, The small logo or name is typically from the uploader. If a business added it, they can follow the same guidelines as anyone else. Hope that answers your question. 


So a logo that includes both the photographer and the destination business eg https://goo.gl/maps/kfj5SwskzDJ2 (which names the photography studio and names the pub) would not be permitted?