DANGER! DANGE!R DANGER! with Student edition submissions for projets.

[Michael Kowalczyk]

Just got off the phone with Solid works Corporate fraud (I Think) division in Boston. and they say that if you get a drawing or any other file produced from a Solid Works student edition file, that you can be held liable for using it. So I would check with any other software manufacturer what their policy is when getting a file from a student edition app. Some people will do anything for a buck. not this one How can you tell if it is a student version? it will usually have a watermark indicating "ACADEMIC VERISON"- not for commercial use

[Rich Harman]

...they say that if you get a drawing or any other file produced from a Solid Works student edition file, that you can be held liable for using it.

The robotics club that I used to mentor got about 60 Solidworks student licenses each year. I am sure there are thousands of legitimate student edition users out there, some of them need to get stuff made.

You've got to be a special kind of stupid to be a commercial user that sends off academic version files to a third party. Probably not the kind of customer you would want anyway.

[Art Mann]

I think Solid Works is just bluffing. Nobody who uses the product and nobody who makes stuff using the designs has any motivation whatsoever to turn themselves in. Solid Works has no right to inspect the files on any manufacturer's computers. Who is going to know? There are other software alternatives and file converters. Does Solid Works really want customers to migrate to other products when they are caught using a student edition file? I seriously doubt Solid Works would prosecute such an offense even if a company is caught red handed.

[Jerome Stanek]

I bought a student version of autocad when I was taking the class and it is good for 5 years

[Dave Sheldrake]

I seriously doubt Solid Works would prosecute such an offense even if a company is caught red handed.

Dassault Systems are quite litigious when it comes to copyright issues. AutoDesk aren't quite so harsh but will act if they find people making serious abuses of their work. It's another example of people running businesses that aren't really businesses, a real company that takes it's responsibilities seriously will get commercial licences for any and all software they use.

I currently license Solidworks, AutoCAD, Rhino 3d and some other commercial drafting software, I don't like the prices but it's a penalty of business....I pay for what I use...

[Michael Kowalczyk]

here we go again, people trying to justify their attempt to skirt the rules read your TOS if you can't do business using legit software then don't do it.
right on Dave S.

[Michael Kowalczyk]

Art ...I disagree

[Michael Hunter]

It doesn't seem right that Solidworks expect laser operators to police their copyright for them!

Does this mean that I have to waterboard anyone who sends me an "academic" file to make sure that they are really a student?

[Dave Sheldrake]

It doesn't seem right that Solidworks expect laser operators to police their copyright for them!

Does this mean that I have to waterboard anyone who sends me an "academic" file to make sure that they are really a student?

Not a case of policing Mike, if we accept student files for commercial work it becomes "joint enterprise" here in the UK and can see us prosecuted as well as the originator.

[Bill George]

The sky is falling!!! Heaven forbid a student with a legal copy of Solidworks can't get a project done. Notice he did not steal it, it was paid for and he has a right to use it for learning.

[Kev Williams]

We're not guilty. Sorta,

If someone gives me (or you) art to reproduce for them, it's not MY job or responsibility (or yours) to figure out if it's legal or not.

That job falls on whoever gave me (or you) the art.


Innocent Infringement Law & Legal Definition


Innocent Infringement is the infringement caused without knowledge or awareness of such act. Innocent infringement is usually caused to an intellectual property. Innocent infringement in certain cases exempts liability. They are:
1. in case where the infringer were mislead by the lack of copyright notice; and
2. in case where the infringing act occurred before the infringer received actual notice of the copyright.
In case of any innocent infringement of intellectual property right, the innocent infringer is immunized from paying monetary damages. But the infringer is not exempted from injunctive relief.

[Gary Hair]

The sky is falling!!! Heaven forbid a student with a legal copy of Solidworks can't get a project done. Notice he did not steal it, it was paid for and he has a right to use it for learning.

I think you missed this part Bill. Clearly, commercial work doesn't fall within the "right to use for learning".

if we accept student files for commercial work

[Art Mann]

My understanding is that students who use the educational version of the software can't legally have someone make the product they have designed. What kind of a terms of service contract is that? My solution would be at the end of the design process, use a file converter or directly import the design into another product and you are done. Bye Bye legal issue.

[Dave Sheldrake]

My understanding is that students who use the educational version of the software can't legally have someone make the product they have designed.

A student can Art as part of their student work, what is not allowed is for somebody to use a Student version of the software to create a file they wish to use for commercial purpose. My wife is currently doing a degree in Criminal Psychology so has access to a lot of student software available to her via Microsoft and others, if she want's me to 3d print something for her for her studies from a file version created with said student software that is legal, if I use her software though and then proceed to try and market or sell the end results that is when the law is broken.

in case where the infringing act occurred before the infringer received actual notice of the copyright.

It's not a Copyright, Intellectual Property or Trademark issue Kev, it's "Obtaining goods or Services by deception" here, part of the Fraud act. Copyright here is a civil matter, fraud is a criminal matter.

[Rich Harman]

My understanding is that students who use the educational version of the software can't legally have someone make the product they have designed.

What is the basis for that understanding? Is it buried within the terms of service? Solid works makes it quite clear that the educational version is not to be used for commercial purposes. A student having parts made, without the intent to profit from them, is not a violation of that.

I'lll say again, Solidworks gives out licenses to robotics teams, I've got the codes to prove it (I also have the commercial version of Solidworks). These teams use Solidworks to design robots for competition. If it were illegal to have the students actually make the parts then... well that would be a bit ridiculous would't it?