Re: Making GNUS continue to work with Gmail

[Arthur Miller <arthur.miller@live.com>]

Gregory Heytings via "Emacs development discussions."
<emacs-devel@gnu.org> writes:

>>
>>> Yes, if they agree to take the legal responsibility of the use of these
>>> credentials, and if they pay if Google wants to have the code of the program
>>> reviewed by security experts.
>>
>> I am completely lost here.  What legal responsibility is involved?
>>
>
> This is an answer that developers cannot give you.  It's a question that only a
> lawyer can answer.  But I at least would not agree to personally take the risk
> of being sued by Google for having knowingly violated their terms of service,
> even if Google tolerates (at the moment at least) that free software projects
> violate these TOS.  I observe that this is what happened in similar projets,
> e.g. Kmail: it's not an individual who has submitted the app for verification by
> Google, but a legal person, KDE e.V.
>
> Violating these TOS by making the OAuth credentials public (which is what
> happens in a free software project) can have consequences, for example if a
> malicious person uses them in their own app to fraudulently gain access to
> Google accounts.
>
>>
>> I've asked for someone to please tell me, in brief terms, the concrete
>> reqwuirements for issuing an app key to something like GNUS, but I have not
>> seen a reply stating them.
>>
>
> Google's terms of service for OAuth services are available at
> https://developers.google.com/terms .  Only a lawyer can tell you in brief terms
> what the concrete requirements are.
>
> I've just read them again, and it seems to me that:
>
> - Paragraph 4.a.1, which states that "you will not create an API Client that
>   functions substantially the same as the APIs and offer it for use by third
>   parties", expressly prohibits your idea of creating a "modif[ied] Kmail so
>  that it does the necessary low-level access, and nothing else".
>
> - Paragraph 4.b.1, which states that "You will keep your credentials
>   confidential and make reasonable efforts to prevent and discourage other API
>   Clients from using your credentials. Developer credentials may not be embedded
>   in open source projects." prohibits the use of OAuth credentials in free
>   software projects.  As I wrote above (and earlier), Google tolerates (at the
>   moment) that this specific point of their TOS is violated.  But that doesn't
>   mean that violating them is without legal risk.
>
> - Paragraph 9.c list the legal risks: "Unless prohibited by applicable law, if
>   you are a business, you will defend and indemnify Google, and its affiliates,
>   directors, officers, employees, and users, against all liabilities, damages,
>   losses, costs, fees (including legal fees), and expenses relating to any
>   allegation or third-party legal proceeding to the extent arising from: - your
>   misuse or your end user's misuse of the APIs; - your violation or your end
>   user's violation of the Terms; or - any content or data routed into or used
>   with the APIs by you, those acting on your behalf, or your end users."  Of
>   course an individual person is not a business, but nobody is completely
>   independent, and I'd guess that Google would seek redress against that
>  person's employer for example.
>
> What I wrote above is nothing but my understanding.  Again, only a lawyer can
> tell you what these TOS concretely imply.
>
> Gregory

Just as a curiosa: have you guys thought about asking Google for
help/clarification? Can't FSF send a mail to Google lawyers/devs and ask
what has to be done get FSF/GNU software work with Google services? Of
course there is no sure that Google will answer in any meaningful way if
at all, but have you tried?