Permission to include a segment from Google Maps as a figure in a publication For the application of remote sensing, a satellite imaging of an urban land cover is required. The image I require is readily available in Google Maps.

Who must I contact to receive permission to include a portion of the map as a figure in my paper?
Why, of course you should contact Google. More precisely, the Google Permissions page states that it is okay to use Google Map images for the purposes of research assuming that you provide proper attributions.