Re-use images uploaded by users on Google Maps for the website
<p>Can I use images uploaded by users on Google Maps to display on my website ? 
If yes, do I need to reference images back to the Google Maps and how ?</p>

<p>In order for you to legally used images uploaded by Google Maps users on your own site, you meed permission from each user for each photograph for each instance of usage; this is because Google allows each uploader to retain copyright protection for uploads. See the Google TOS below.</p>

<p>The idea that you reference or link to the image at Google Maps makes no difference; a link may be a <em>stipulation of the permission</em> you get to use the image(s), but it in itself is not getting clear written or verbal permission to use copyrighted images on your own site.</p>

<p>This is Google TOS as it pertains to end user materials <strong>(my emphasis)</strong> :</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Your Content in our Services (From Google Terms of Service –
  Privacy &amp; Terms – Google)></p>
  
  <p>Some of our Services allow you to upload, submit, store, send or
  receive content. <strong>You retain ownership of any intellectual property
  rights that you hold in that content.</strong> In short, what belongs to you
  stays yours.</p>
  
  <p>When you upload, submit, store, send or receive content to or through
  our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide
  license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative
  works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other
  changes we make so that your content works better with our Services),
  communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and
  distribute such content. The rights you grant in this license are for
  the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our
  Services, and to develop new ones. This license continues even if you
  stop using our Services (for example, for a business listing you have
  added to Google Maps). Some Services may offer you ways to access and
  remove content that has been provided to that Service. Also, in some
  of our Services, there are terms or settings that narrow the scope of
  our use of the content submitted in those Services. Make sure you have
  the necessary rights to grant us this license for any content that you
  submit to our Services.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>An individual user might demand, as a condition of your use of an uploaded image, attribution in the form of a link back to Google Maps, or in the form of a link to the uploader's own site, or in some other way.  If the uploader included with the image a release to others via a specific license, then you can use the image by complying with the specified license, whatever it might be (I am not sure if GM permits uploaders to specify a license for reusers). </p>

copyright intellectual-property