"Pro Tools Academic" commercial use

[wishing]

Hi

We are an education institution, where we teach avid products. Can we use the equipment and software purchased under the academic licence for commercial work?

The license states if the people are employed within the instution that is OK?

I have been trying to find an address at avid to ask this question, I tried the ordering dept but got no responce. If ypu cannot answer the question can you tell me who to contact at avid, that will be able to answer this question?


Thanks for your help
Dave

[promixr]

I've asked AVID this before- there are no limitations on how you use the software. As long as you are legitimately qualified (and documentation is supplied to that affect) to purchase the academic versions of AVID products you are OK.

Many technical recording schools have programs where students solicit business from the community and 'charge' the clients on recordings. In many cases the students are charging much less than the going rate, and in many cases the school charges the students a fee for this use of the equipment. Also many students are starting their recording careers while in school, either by recording and attempting to release their original work, or by recording others and charging for the production services.

As far as I have been told, AVID does not object to these kinds of 'commercial' uses of the academic versions of their products : )

[wishing]

thanks promixr

In our department we have a commercial dubbing studio, that wants to use the students Foley suite for ambisonic recordings. So it for full value commercial work.

It's funny that avid have no way to answer these questions directly?


Thanks
Dave

[promixr]

Well this is a forum hosted by AVID and many people get many questions answered directly here. I work for an AVID Authorized Educational dealership so I answered you directly. I'm not sure you can get a more direct answer than the answer I gave you.

If you feel somehow that you are not entitled to be using the software you have then buy the commercial copy. If someone purchased an educational version and they are performing work in your facility, and they are entitled to that software, then there is no problem. If you are using software that you did not purchase to perform commercial work, then you should probably purchase it. If you are an academic institution, and can furnish proof of this, then you qualify for the academic version. If you have some unique situation, a dealership can contact AVID on your behalf and get permission or a recommendation regarding ownership.

If you would like to contact me directly I can help you with this. Or contact the dealership that you bought the academic version from.

Not sure if anyone is going to give you a different, more direct answer with the information you provided : )

[Dizzi45Z]

Originally Posted by promixr

I've asked AVID this before- there are no limitations on how you use the software. As long as you are legitimately qualified (and documentation is supplied to that affect) to purchase the academic versions of AVID products you are OK.

Many technical recording schools have programs where students solicit business from the community and 'charge' the clients on recordings. In many cases the students are charging much less than the going rate, and in many cases the school charges the students a fee for this use of the equipment. Also many students are starting their recording careers while in school, either by recording and attempting to release their original work, or by recording others and charging for the production services.

As far as I have been told, AVID does not object to these kinds of 'commercial' uses of the academic versions of their products : )

I think Avid has since changed their mind regarding Academic versions. I just read the current license agreement in my folder: Mac HD/Applications/Avid/Licenses/Pro Tools/License.pdf and it reads:

"3.5. Academic Use. If the software is designated or specially-priced as an "Academic" or "Education" version, it is licensed only for educational, non-commercial use by students, faculty, and staff of an educational institution."

[Carl Kolchak]

Obviously, only Avid can give you a legally binding answer on this - but common sense (which ain't that common - or necessarily legally robust) would suggest that, as long as you qualify for purchasing the Academic version, you can use it however you please.

What I think Avid would have a problem with, is if a commercial facility was using Academic licenses, by, for example, spuriously offering the local community an evening class once a month.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[albee1952]

One easy solution would be to buy 1 full(non-academic) licence