Commercial use
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Hi, I'm going to make a 3d model in sketchup for an architecture office for money. My boss is wondering if it's free to use sketchup for commercial purposes. I've read the license and it looks like it's free but it's not very clear. I have to prove it. The sketchup pro just has some extra futures, right?
thanks
filip -
Sketchup Free version is licensed for commercial work. so you can use it commercially legally. Pro has a few more features, style builder and Layout. And it exports in various 3d file formats. That's about it though. So go ahead and use SketchUp Free for commercial projects, that's how Google licensed it.
Chris
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Great,thanks, that's what i thought, but is there such a paragrah in the license that i could show as a proof?
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It's a bit tricky to find the answer since Google rebuilt their website (when SU 7 came out) but i is still there and since they didn't take it off, it is still valid:
What are the different versions of SketchUp?Scroll down till you can read this line:
"Google SketchUp is made available to you for personal or commercial use, and includes support via our SketchUp Help Center. You can also find answers, ask questions, and share your expertise on the Google SketchUp Help Group."
The above refers to the Free version. Only after this line it's speaking about SU Pro. -
i've found the same sentence as the only proof, thank's for help
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It has beenn asked several times already and the Google SketchUp Team members also advised the same, i.e. you CAN use the free version for commercial work (it used to be limited in version 5 though).
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my boss, checked with the polish resellers if it's free and the raply was it's not legal for commercial purposes. now i don't know if they are not fair or what.
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Google explicitly states that you can use SketchUp Free version for commercial use (as pointed out by Gaius). What could a reseller (of the Pro Version) possibly have to say about the Free version except maybe to get you to buy the Pro version?
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I agree, the reseller possibly just does not know the truth. But possibly is lying to make a sale. Either way isn't good.... But try contacting Google directly, not the reseller. They will set you straight. I am 100% sure that it is legal to use for commercial work. It was a big deal when they announced it.
Chris
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sorry, but it wasn't clear for me. Now it is. I got the official answer. It's legal to use it. Here it is. With a bit of SU Pro commercial ; )
Hi Filip,
Thanks for contacting Google SketchUp. SketchUp Pro offers additional functionality and tools and is recommended for your professional 3D work flow.These features are touched on below.
Support - Email technical support is available to Pro customers only.
Work flow - Exports to and integration with other products in your work flow are only available through the professional product. (Cad exports, OBJ exports, 3ds etc)
Documentation and Presentation - Layout is included with Pro only. This is the program within the SketchUp suite which gives the ability to create 2d documentation from your 3d models, provides high resolution printing options, digital presentation capabilities and allows you to create .PDF documents and Raster images from your SketchUp models.
Assigning information to your models - The ability to assign attributes and intelligence to your components and objects is a feature only available in pro.
Reports - The ability to export information (CSV or HTML data) regarding the components and objects that comprise your model is a feature only available to pro customers.
In addition, we can also make older versions of the pro version available to customers if needed to maintain consistency of version within a team or work group. The free version is available only in the current version as it is updated.
More information on all of these features can be found here http://sketchup.google.com/product/gsup.html and a comparison matrix is available here: http://sketchup.google.com/product/whygopro.html
While nothing in the EULA precludes you from using the free product, it is not recommended for your professional work environment. We would love to have you as a pro customer and look forward to working with you all in the future.
Kind Regards,
The SketchUp Folks
Google, Inc
http://sketchup.google.com/ -
Great, thanks for posting that here. Glad you got an official answer,
Chris
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