Anyone know if I am allowed to put a google map (or similar) in a website? (including a specific question for web design geeks)

[SlightlyMadShrek]

Am thinking of a static map (i.e. GIF/jpg file) rather than a link to an output.

Also would I be able to put a red circle around the areas serviced?

What are you trying to do? Is it a case of showing a map with wherever you are in the center and then drawing a circle with a radius of 5 miles to show where the service area extends to?

Drawing circles on Google maps is pretty trivial with javascript and the Google map api. Can do it for you I guess (happy to give you my email address..)

You're not allow to use screenshot google/multimap/msn maps/etc and use them as it breaches copyright - most do allow you to embed in your webpage though..

Let me know what you're trying to do... ..I've just recently had a map drawn for a client which is another route to go (although much more expensive than just embedding something (£40ish))..

I am building a website for a (DP's) driving school.

I want to show the areas that he covers, so it is not quite so straight forward as a cricle with a 5 mile radius, as the area isn't circular and because of the local village locations some will be covered further away if they lie on the main road IYSWIM.

It is not too much of a problem if I can embed a map of the local area and list the main places, as most people who know the area will be able to use common sense anyway. I will be using the place names in some way anyway so they get picked up by the search engines. I just wanted to use the map to brighten up the page and add visual interest (words being boring and all that ).

I can see that the GoogleMaps API will do exactly what I want it too, but I would be terribly lost with Javascript I think, I am just teaching myself 'proper' (i.e. more than just basic fomatting tags ) html.

In any case I am redesigning the website in too phases.
Phase I - sort out my IE7 problems with a crude template driven approach
Phase II - use my new found html skills to overhaul website and make it do exactly what I want it to, rather than being driven by pages of useless html code (which Lapin will vouch for). I think that intergrating a Google maps API thingy with a polygonal overlay will be for phaseII. I will shout if (when) I need help .

In hte mean time I could draw a "cartoon" map "freehand" which could actually do the job.

TY for answering

TY, will do. Will sort out the phase I (the basic stuff) first.

DP kindlyy told me to halt everything I had done as I was about to publish because he took on another instructor, so I am now having to re-write all of the content and that is dull so I am bithfighting on MN instead.

Actually I think messing about trying to draw lines on maps (if I could have done it in GIMP) was primarily a distraction from trying to write a mini-review for a renault Clio and make it sound good [bored]....do want to do it ultimately though.

If it is of help, with Google Maps you can create a map in the My Maps section and then publish it. This should show my map - I hope
So you could link to that map, not sure if you can embed it.