contract-law intellectual-property terms-of-service legal-terms
Google Maps Terms of Service
<p>I came across a section of the Google Maps Terms of Service (<a href="https://developers.google.com/maps/terms" rel="nofollow">link</a>) that confuses me. I am currently developing a phone app and would like to use Google Maps. Is this section saying that Google owns my app? </p>

<p>Thanks for the help!</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol start="6">
  <li>Google’s Proprietary Rights.</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>You understand and agree that Google and its licensors and their
  suppliers (as applicable) own all legal right, title, and interest in
  and to the Service and Content, including any intellectual property
  rights in the Service and Content (whether those rights are registered
  or not, and wherever in the world those rights may exist).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In this case, Service refers to Google Maps and Content refers to the contents served via the Google Maps Service.</p>

<p>This section exists to explicitly reserve Google's proprietary rights with respect to these. In allowing you to use their Service and Content, they do not cede any proprietary right to them.</p>

<p>No, it's not saying that Google owns your app.  It's saying that Google owns Google maps.  You'll find that the capitalized terms <em>Service</em> and <em>Content</em> are defined earlier in the terms of service.</p>

<p>In particular, it seems to mean that Google continues to own Google's stuff even when users get to that stuff through your app.  If you started making millions from the app, you could expect that they'd want some if that, but the parts of the app that done rely on Google's stuff remain yours.  If you make millions from a recipe app in which the maps component plays a very minor or even ancillary role, they would have a claim on much less of your revenue than they would if you were selling a travel planning app.</p>
