If you received the “love letter” (as we jokingly call it) from Autodesk or their intellectual property law firm, contact us BEFORE you CONTACT THEM. To learn more about copyright infringement penalties click here.
This is not an "either/or" this is an "AND" which means you need to comply with both provisions or you could be deemed out of compliance and subject to claims of breach of contract or willful copyright infringement.Īttorney Steve® Tip: THIS MEANS IF YOU HIRE A STUDENT AND USE THEIR SOFTWARE FOR YOUR COMMERCIAL BUSINESS SERVICES YOU COULD BE VIOLATING THE TERMS OF THE EULA AND MAY BE SUBJECT TO ALLEGATIONS OF WILLFUL COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT. You may be required to show proof of eligibility if requested by Autodesk."
You may not access or use the Offering for commercial, professional or other for-profit purposes. (2) if You are a Student or an individual Other Authorized Education User, You may access and/or use the Offering solely for purposes directly related to learning, training or research. (1) if You are a Qualified Educational Institution, Faculty or Other Authorized Education User, You may access and/or use the Offering solely for purposes directly related to learning, teaching, training, or research and development as part of the instructional functions performed by a Qualified Educational Institution or an Other Authorized Education User " Education Users may only use Education Offerings for the following “Educational Purposes”:
Here is what the educational license says on the Autodesk website: Software and cloud-based services subject to an Educational license may be used solely for Educational Purposes and shall not be used for commercial, professional or any other for-profit purposes.”
“Free Autodesk software and/or cloud-based services are subject to acceptance of and compliance with the terms and conditions of the software license agreement or terms of service that accompany such software or cloud-based services.
or - You are licensing software on behalf of a qualified educational institution.
Many times, these students will be using free academic versions of software, such as Autodesk CAD or Revit. Many architects, engineers, and design firms grow their practice through the hiring of interns or student employees. I wanted to post a quick blog about this issue that I am finding to be more and more common in our software audit defense practice.