Trimble SketcUP - free - personal use only?
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Hello everybody
I was just going through the License user agreement for the Free Trimble SketchUP 8 M3.
I came across this sentance "1. USE OF THE PRODUCTS; CONTENT IN THE PRODUCTS
Trimble gives you a personal, worldwide, royalty-free, non-assignable and non-exclusive license to use the object code of the Software."What does this mean? Is it not for professional use? Has Trimble forbidden professional use of FREE SketchUP? In that case we would only have to use the older versions of free Google SketchUP.
Waiting for a reply
PRSS -
How does the this language compare with previous language? Does anything in 'personal' preclude 'professional'? Can a person be for profit? I think it's all OK, but I ain't no atty.
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I believe what that means is people may use it but companies must pay... but that it is not expressly forbidden means it's probably ok.
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Thanks everybody.
I suppose I can put the software to professional use also as I only have a SOHO setup.
With best regards
PRSS -
Don't take my word for it though... you'd do well to e-mail them and ask.
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@prss said:
"Trimble gives you a personal..."
If I remind correct this has not changed to the Google version, 'personal' is probably meant as a license to a natural person and not to an institution.
Differentiating between a 'professional' and 'commercial' usage seems to be sensible here, non-commercial users can obviously use SU in a professional way.
but as always, the licensor is the reference.
hth,
Norbert -
It's the same wording as the previous Google license agreement.
Google's (2010):
@unknownuser said:
- USE OF THE PRODUCTS; CONTENT IN THE PRODUCTS
Google gives you a personal, worldwide, royalty-free, non-assignable and non-exclusive license to use the object code of the Google Software. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling you to use and enjoy the benefit of the Services as provided by Google, in the manner permitted by these Terms and Conditions. You may not (and you may not permit anyone else to) copy, modify, create a derivative work of, reverse engineer, decompile or otherwise attempt to extract the source code of the Software, unless this is expressly permitted or required by law, or unless you have been specifically told that you may do so by Google, in writing. Unless Google has given you a specific written permission to do so, you may not assign (or grant a sub-license of) your rights to use the Software, grant a security interest in or over your rights to use the Software, or otherwise transfer any part of your rights to use the Software. You may not use the Google Software in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair Google's services (e.g., you may not use the Google Software in an automated manner), nor may you use Software in any manner that could interfere with any other party's use and enjoyment of Google Services.
Trimble's (2012):
- USE OF THE PRODUCTS; CONTENT IN THE PRODUCTS
@unknownuser said:
Trimble gives you a personal, worldwide, royalty-free, non-assignable and non-exclusive license to use the object code of the Software. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling you to use and enjoy the benefit of the Services as provided by Trimble, in the manner permitted by these Terms and Conditions. You may not (and you may not permit anyone else to) copy, modify, create a derivative work of, reverse engineer, decompile or otherwise attempt to extract the source code of the Software, unless this is expressly permitted or required by law, or unless you have been specifically told that you may do so by Trimble, in writing. Unless Trimble has given you a specific written permission to do so, you may not assign (or grant a sub-license of) your rights to use the Software, grant a security interest in or over your rights to use the Software, or otherwise transfer any part of your rights to use the Software. You may not use the Trimble Software in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair Trimble's services (e.g., you may not use the Trimble Software in an automated manner), nor may you use Software in any manner that could interfere with any other party's use and enjoyment of Trimble Services.
You can see the complete Google license agreement from 2010 at http://web.archive.org/web/20100328001637/http://sketchup.google.com/download/license.html.
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'personal' is in the pro license too.
i don't think it means 'non commercial'. -
There used to be a "non-commercial" clause (well the term) when it was version 5 free ("beta"). Then during version 6, it explicitly said the free version was allowed to use for personal and commercial purposes. Now theis was removed with version 7 but they have never explicitly disallowed commercial use.
And what is not disallowed, is allowed.
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Do you see a good future for Sketchup in this new company?
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It's a typical "scope of use" clause - you can literally take the title at it's word - "USE OF THE PRODUCTS; CONTENT IN THE PRODUCTS".
In other words, what you draw with "your" version of SketchUp, and what you do with said drawings, is your business. You just can't take SketchUp apart and modify it, sell it, bundle it... yada, yada...
It's like renting a car and pimping it out, or letting someone else drive it - you just don't do it, but you can drive it wherever the heck you want, and in most cases, use it for your business, "but" it's still "their" car.
SketchUp belongs to Trimble - works created with the software belong to you.
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