AdWords API Re: Legality of sample code?

Thanks for the feedback about the terms and conditions. We are aware that it causes some issues.
I can't answer you about the legality of samples, I'm not a lawyer.

However I have setup a wiki to share samples at http://adwords.xwiki.com/xwiki/bin/view/Main/WebHome
You are welcome to participate and provide more interesting ones.
And both the PHP and Java open source projects share a few samples.

P@

On 1/14/06, jtara <jtara-google-aw-mcc@spamex.com> wrote:

I'm writing a few simple command-line utilities for my own use -
display ad campaigns and IDs, pause or resume a campaign, etc.

I'd like to share this as sample code. However, I'm concerned about the
new terms and conditions for API use. It looks to me like they wouldn't
allow me to publish sample code.

One liberal interpretation might be that if it's just source code on
paper or on a messge board, it's not an "application".

A more restricted stance might be that the only way I can give away
sample code is to agree to to a work for hire with each individual I
give it to, for mutual consideration.

BTW, the new rules are a real PITA. I'm sure this has been flogged to
death here already, though. I wanted to try a software package that
surfs ad position by changing the bid, but it sure looked to me like it
would have to be a violation of the terms. So, I emailed the company
giving them my concerns, and asking them if they use the API or
screenscrape, and is they have some special agreement with Google. I
told them I would give them an order immediately if they could first
answer my questions.

I got a response saying they were tied-up with a big backload of email,
and I may or may not get an answer. I think I got my answer. :)

Anyway, is there any concensus of opinion here on sharing sample code?
Do the terms make it impossible for anybody to write a book about using
the Adwords API, for example? It seem to me that may not be possible.
Unfortunately, that is almost essential for widespread acceptance of an
API.

What about sharing code on online forums? In this one right here, for
that matter?

Is there a procedure for submitting samples to Google to add to their
own samples? I was a bit perplexed that the samples available weren't
terribly useful. It just seemed a poor choice of functions for the
samples. For example, there is no sample to simply get information on
campaigns. In order to run a lot of the samples that they do have, you
need to have campaign IDs, ad IDs, etc. but there is no sample thta
will give those to you.

It wasn't that hard, but I had to write code before I could even use
the samples. :(

--
Patrick Chanezon, AdWords API evangelist
http://blog.chanezon.com/
http://www.google.com/apis/adwords/