Google is no longer issuing new API keys for the SOAP Search API. Instead of the SOAP service they suggest to use the AJAX Search API.

Of course, the AJAX interface is a great approach for a lot of users. Just few lines of Java Script and you have the search widget from Google at your site. But what does it mean really? Now, we can't access the data of the search. The base for a lot of nice mash-ups is abolished. AJAX widget doesn't allow you to interpret the result of search.

There is an alternative Yahoo! Search Web Service based on the REST. But there is no guarantee for how long. At least now it continues to work, and hearing this frustrating news, first of all, I registered my Application Id at http://api.search.yahoo.com/webservices/register_application for this Yahoo! Search Web service.

Such decision of Google should not be considered as a victory of REST over SOAP. It's a big problem for both of them and a hard blow for the open data. This situation reminds me the famous phrase of Gogol "I begot you, and now I shall kill you".