Legality of linking external content within pop-up balloons?

Hi everyone,

I’d like to know your thoughts on the legality of using links to external content within GE pop-up balloons.
I believe I am correct in stating that using links this way is classed as both ‘Inline linking’ and ‘Deep linking’, on both of which the law seems unclear.

The map project on which I am currently working requires pop-up balloons containing both image files and YouTube video clips.
The image files I link to in the balloon are all Public Domain, mostly via Wikimedia Commons. So there should be no legal issues there.
Also, I only use YouTube clips for which I have specific permission from the author (containing original content and no unlicensed content). So again, no foreseeable legal issues there either.

However, instead of users accessing my project via a website (which may have been the case had Google not deprecated the embed plugin back in 2016), my project now requires that users download the .kml/ .kmz files in order to open them in the desktop version of GE.
It seems to me that this now means that instead of just ‘linking’ to other content, I am now ‘distributing’ that content, and I’m not sure where that leaves me legally. Obviously, if a user complains about a link to their content online, that content can be removed instantly from one source. However, if I have distributed multiple map files to multiple users, this is no longer possible. Seems to me that would leave me open to legal action as I wouldn’t be able to withdraw the offending content myself.

I’ve done a lot of searching on this issue but I’ve not been able to locate any comment from Google Earth on the legality of this situation, so I’m eager to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for your help.

Some of us here have been doing this for 15+ years, most while with Google . I cannot remember a single post being removed due to any complaints, most people are happy that their work is being shared, as long as there is a link to the original in you're posted files.
Of course if someone does complain, you must remove your file, anyone else who downloaded it will be subject to the same, if requested to do so.

Hi TheLedge,

Thanks for the swift reply. Yeah, I assume most people are usually happy to have traffic directed to their content. As you have mentioned "Of course if someone does complain, you must remove your file", however that's where my potential problem lies as my files must be downloaded to a user base.
And asking several hundred people to 'please erase that content from that file I sent you' probably isn't going to cut it in a court of law

It would be down to the "others" to do that, as you would have put a link in the file directing to the original works, it would also be down to the owner to contact them.

I must have gone through millions of such posts at google and not one was complained about.

Also any file opened by earth desktop can be saved to the computer, meaning millions of users could have a single post saved.

Cheers Ledge,
The guy at Google suggested I use network links which I am now looking into. Once again, thanks for the advice.

Yes a good way, when they work.

You are free to use the experimental forum to post and play around with you're files.