You're absolutely welcome to build a web service and sell access to the service. In fact - we encourage it.
The terms prevent you from reselling *hosting* service for code - you cannot sell the ability for users to write code and push it to App Engine servers, then bill them for it. You are free to build a media sharing site and charge users to use it. Granted, this is about as specific as I can get, but unless you are thinking of doing something that sounds like this, you should be in the clear. To clear up any misconceptions, let me make an analogy: some web hosting providers also provide reseller accounts, where you can create an automated interface for selling web hosting on top of their existing hosting. We are trying to avoid a scenario where developers are reselling the App Engine service. However, I understand that many types of applications may fall into a gray zone that both can and cannot be defined as app reselling, so I don't want to issue a blanket ban on them - again, I am not a lawyer. If you are toeing this line, you may need to consult with a legal professional. I'm happy to provide my interpretation of the terms, and it sounds like your application is not in violation. On Fri, May 14, 2010 at 2:08 AM, hawkett <hawk...@gmail.com> wrote: > I'm a bit unclear here as well. It's ok to build a web app, and > charge users to access it, right? e.g. $5 per user per month type > thing? > > Taking this a little further, if you want to charge users based on > their resource usage (assuming you write code to keep track of that in > some way), is that ok? e.g. user A uses 5GB and pays $X per month, and > user B uses 500MB and fits under some definition of free quota. > > Further still, I would assume that if users are being charged based on > resource usage, then it makes sense to provide them with a screen > showing them what their resource usage is - a dashboard. > > A couple of specific examples of things that are not allowed would be > really helpful. > > I guess I'm wondering what it matters to google as long as resources > get paid for? Cheers, > > Colin > > On May 13, 7:19 am, "Ikai L (Google)" <ika...@google.com> wrote: > > It's not a violation for a developer to ask an organization to create an > > account and charge for service to push versions to that application. In > this > > case it would be clear that the developer is charging for consulting > time, > > and the contract with the customer would state that the provided code > will > > not be provided. > > > > Just be aware that if these applications talk to one another, they would > be > > in violation of the clause in the terms that state that you should not > > create applications that circumvent quota limitations. > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, May 13, 2010 at 6:20 AM, pythono <arjun.va...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Maybe I'm a bit confused by the original question, but I always viewed > > > the ability to hide source code as a major plus for using appengine. > > > For independent developers, who don't have access to IP lawyers, this > > > enables them to avoid the piracy problem entirely. I think the > > > scenario he mentioned, explicitly repackaging and reselling the > > > appengine service itself might be a violation, but does this extend to > > > every such case? > > > > > To be more exact, do you think it's a TOS violation to sell the > > > deployment of an application as a "service"? You aren't transferring > > > any rights, as the customer has full capabilities to replace your > > > deployment with his/her own code and is the only party who deals with > > > App Engine billing (if the issue arises). The benefit of this is that > > > you could write the code to "expire" after a time period and therefore > > > sell subscriptions without worrying about someone violating your > > > license. I'm considering this for a future application, so I'd be > > > very interested to hear more.. > > > > > Thanks > > > > > On May 12, 11:19 am, "Ikai L (Google)" <ika...@google.com> wrote: > > > > I'm going to preface this with a warning that I am not a lawyer, this > is > > > > just my interpretation of the Terms of Service. > > > > > > It could be a possible violation: > > > > > >http://code.google.com/appengine/terms.html > > > > > > You may be in violation of this: > > > > > > 7.3. Unless Google has given you specific written permission to do so > > > (e.g., > > > > through an open source software license), you may not assign (or > grant a > > > > sub-license of) your rights to use the Google App Engine Software, > grant > > > a > > > > security interest in or over your rights to use the Google App Engine > > > > Software, or otherwise transfer any part of your rights to use the > > > Software. > > > > > > By providing a dashboard on top of Google App Engine, you may be, in > > > effect, > > > > providing a sub-license. > > > > > > <http://code.google.com/appengine/terms.html>Is this scenario > avoidable? > > > > That is, it is not a violation to sell your software to another > person. > > > If > > > > you're running Java, for instance, you can sell software in the form > of > > > JAR > > > > files (these can be decompiled, reverse engineered, etc). > Alternatively, > > > you > > > > can sell the software and provide the source, but license it so that > it > > > > cannot be resold - most companies buying software with source don't > go > > > into > > > > the business of reselling it, and it gives them the flexibility of > > > modifying > > > > it. Both of these scenarios are allowed by the ToS. > > > > > > On Wed, May 12, 2010 at 4:45 PM, Ankur Gupta <verses...@gmail.com> > > > wrote: > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > Assume someone wants to sell a custom CMS software that can run on > > > > > Google App Engine. However this person doesn't want to sell/give > > > > > access to the source code. > > > > > > > So now if someone put up a website and put the same Free Quota as > GAE > > > > > offers and the same pricing as GAE offers. It will have it's own > > > > > registration process where in it will ask user the required domain > > > > > name etc. Finally the CMS will be hosted on GAE and user will be > > > > > provided with the dashboard access. > > > > > > > There is no desire to hide that this is hosted on Google App > Engine. > > > > > > > My question is > > > > > > > a) Does this violate Google's Terms and conditions ? > > > > > b) Is it possible that once the access to the dashboard is provided > > > > > user can download the source code ? > > > > > > > Ankur > > > > > > > -- > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > Groups > > > > > "Google App Engine" group. > > > > > To post to this group, send email to > google-appengine@googlegroups.com > > > . > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > google-appengine+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<google-appengine%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com><google-appengine%2Bunsubscrib > e...@googlegroups.com><google-appengine%2Bunsubscrib > > > e...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > . > > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > > >http://groups.google.com/group/google-appengine?hl=en. > > > > > > -- > > > > Ikai Lan > > > > Developer Relations, Google App Engine > > > > Twitter:http://twitter.com/ikai > > > > Delicious:http://delicious.com/ikailan > > > > > > ---------------- > > > > Google App Engine links: > > > > Blog:http://googleappengine.blogspot.com > > > > Twitter:http://twitter.com/app_engine > > > > Reddit:http://www.reddit.com/r/appengine > > > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > > "Google App Engine" group. > > > > To post to this group, send email to > google-appeng...@googlegroups.com. > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > google-appengine+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<google-appengine%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com><google-appengine%2Bunsubscrib > e...@googlegroups.com> > > > . > > > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > > > groups.google.com/group/google-appengine?hl=en. > > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > > "Google App Engine" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to google-appengine@googlegroups.com > . > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > google-appengine+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<google-appengine%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com><google-appengine%2Bunsubscrib > e...@googlegroups.com> > > > . > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/google-appengine?hl=en. > > > > -- > > Ikai Lan > > Developer Relations, Google App Engine > > Twitter:http://twitter.com/ikai > > Delicious:http://delicious.com/ikailan > > > > ---------------- > > Google App Engine links: > > Blog:http://googleappengine.blogspot.com > > Twitter:http://twitter.com/app_engine > > Reddit:http://www.reddit.com/r/appengine > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Google App Engine" group. > > To post to this group, send email to google-appeng...@googlegroups.com. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > google-appengine+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<google-appengine%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > . > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > groups.google.com/group/google-appengine?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Google App Engine" group. > To post to this group, send email to google-appeng...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > google-appengine+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<google-appengine%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/google-appengine?hl=en. > > -- Ikai Lan Developer Relations, Google App Engine Twitter: http://twitter.com/ikai Delicious: http://delicious.com/ikailan ---------------- Google App Engine links: Blog: http://googleappengine.blogspot.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/app_engine Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/appengine -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Google App Engine" group. To post to this group, send email to google-appeng...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to google-appengine+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/google-appengine?hl=en.
