Strava API Agreement - Can I draw an activity route on a map?

[Rocky]

Hi, saw today that the Strava API Agreement has been updated...

Further, I read an earlier post asking about creating their own Fitness/Form charts using data from the Streams API: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/strava-api/EfXtH8mIoPM

The original poster is told that they are not allowed to do this as "Duplicating existing Strava functionality" is forbidden by the agreement. I can't see these words in the agreement but it does say "You may not create an application that merely replicates or competes with Strava." - the inference being that duplicating functionality is competing with Strava.

Is drawing the route of an activity on a map (using LatLngs from the Streams API) considered duplicating Strava functionality?

Strava does this so I guess that developers may not?

Thank you for any clarification you can provide. I do not wish to be pedantic but need to decide whether it is worth investment of my time and money developing an app that could be at high risk from being cut-off from the Strava API in the future. The above is just a trivial example - it's not all that I'd like to do with data accessed via Strava's API ;)

Regards, Rocky.

[Mateo Ortega]

Hey Rocky,

Thanks for reading the terms, if it were a Strava activity I would kudo it.

Replication doesn't extend to common practices, just Strava specific functionality. Simply drawing a polyline on a map for instance is something everyone does. On the other hand, reverse engineering our fitness and freshness algorithm is a clear violation of the agreement.

M

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Mateo A. Ortega

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[Karl Billeter]

Even though fitness and freshness is basically Chronic Training Load and Training Stress Balance - available pretty much everywhere since forever?

K

[Mateo Ortega]

Karl,

The original answer to the thread stands with regard to the updated terms. 

Cheers,

M

[Rocky]

Hi Mateo

Thank you for your response. It helps a bit, but I am a big hung-up on the Fitness-Freshness thing. I'll get over it though as you'll see later in my post.

"Replication doesn't extend to common practices, just Strava specific functionality."

Fitness-Freshness is not Strava specific. It is available through Training Peaks, SportTracks, Golden Cheetah, other places... It may be called something else, be it CTL/TSB or Fitness/Form etc, but it is essentially the same thing.

"reverse engineering our fitness and freshness algorithm is a clear violation of the agreement."

There is no reason to reverse engineer it. Something very similar can be created using research and knowledge that has been in the public domain since before Strava's first release. In the same vein that there is no need to reverse engineer Average Speed, as the algorithm to determine these things are well understood. Perhaps Strava has customised its own implementation of the algorithm so results would differ slightly should a developer use a vanilla implementation.

My opinion (for what it is worth) is that whether the above constitutes duplicate functionality or not is a red herring. I'm not looking to debate whether Fitness-Freshness is Strava specific or not and I appreciate that you need to look after Strava's interests.

The crux of this matter is that the Fitness-Freshness chart is a Premium Strava feature that people pay for. It should not be made available to Strava users that do not pay for a Premium subscription. Therefore common-sense hopefully prevails and a principle adhered to that developers using the Strava API do not provide Premium functionality to Strava users that are not Premium members. If something along these lines was included in the Strava API Agreement then it would make this explicit. It's implied but doesn't go all the way.

For what it's worth, I think it's great that developers can access the Strava API. Its a smart move by Strava and I hope it continues in its current form.

Developers just need a bit of guidance so they don't fall foul of the terms of the agreement. Many of us spend many hours of our free time building things that would be a great shame if they were later determined to be a breach of the agreement and shut down.

Obviously nefarious developers should be shut down where their intention is to undermine Strava. Providing Premium Strava features to those not entitled to them would be undermining Strava.

Regards, Rocky.

[Alison Mason]

Hello

Can you tell me whether there is a cost for the access token please?

Many thanks

Alison

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