Legal Question: Is this Commercial Use?

[Komaru]

Heyo, so I dabbled with the old version of Terragen, and have recently begun learning about and using the free edition of Terragen 2. I really want to buy this software, because my ideal kind of artistic tool. I'm not going to pirate it because I'm a bit of an anti-piracy activist amongst my friends, but I don't have the means to just go and buy $200 worth of awesome software. So my question is, for the legal minded, or even just representatives of Terragen, would it be considered commercial use if I were to render some scenes and put them on on deviantArt and perhaps Facebook, and let people know that if they want to see even more cool things like that, they can donate to my "Buy Terragen 2" fund? I wouldn't be selling prints or anything like that unless I got a license, but I would be gaining  funds, albeit for the sole purpose of purchasing a license, through the indirect use of the program.

I really don't want to do anything that's not going to fly with the producers of this awesome software, so I thought I'd come here and ask before I do anything.

Thanks,
Komaru

[Henry Blewer]

I saved money for months to buy this. It was not easy, but I finally had enough money. I hope you can get this software soon.

[MGebhart]

It will be worth the wait saving up. Also, I commend you on not using a torrent copy.

Marc

[rcallicotte]

Patience.  It'll be worth it.  This is one of the few packages that the demo is only a small taste and the price is well worth the transition to the full package.  I'm convinced that TG2 can do just about anything even if it's only on a small scale.  But, it's ability to touch so many areas of graphics and computing are just nearly unprecedented for just one package of software.

[Tangled-Universe]

It's been said by the guys already. Try to save money and buy it, it's really worth it!

My opinion on your legal question is short and probably pragmatic:
The goal of posting images elsewhere is to obtain money for a commercial license.
The images will earn the money and thus it is commercial use.

Cheers,
Martin

[timj]

It's been said by the guys already. Try to save money and buy it, it's really worth it!

My opinion on your legal question is short and probably pragmatic:
The goal of posting images elsewhere is to obtain money for a commercial license.
The images will earn the money and thus it is commercial use.

Cheers,
Martin

I beg to disagree - he's not selling anything, he's asking for donations, which is definitely not 'commercial use'.
However, I totally agree that the best course of action would be to save up the money.

[Komaru]

Right then, I'll probably just save up the money for it. It will be a while, since I'm one of those college student-types, but I think in the end, it will be worth it.

[Henry Blewer]

The free version allows you to learn how to do things quite well. I used it for a couple of years before I felt spending the money was really worth it. When I bought the full version, I kicked myself for a couple weeks for not having done so sooner. There is not that much limited with the free version.

[Kadri]

Komaru , that you asked here in a kindly way is for me a clue that you are a honest person .
But look at it from the planetside  of view.
This is the internet . No one knows each other really .
And think that when they say to you "yes you can" in  public , i think from that time every day there would be  many many more such requests .
And i doubt that every one would be a honest one like you . So yes i think the best way is to buy it first .

But of course it is the right of Planetside to do what they want with there software.

Cheers.

Kadri.

[cyphyr]

Work in a bar, cafe or sell you mother/brother/uncle whatever, you wont regret it. If you can stretch to it get the Terragen Deep+Animation with XFrog libraries.

Richard

[Kadri]

Work in a bar, cafe or sell you mother/brother/uncle whatever, you wont regret it.

I know i had forget some ways to buy it . LOL 

Kadri.

[Seth]

the best way to know what you can do would be to mail your question to the planetside staff and not asking simple users like us ^^

[dandelO]

simple

Speak for yourself! Oh, OK, speak for me aswell!

[Seth]

[Oshyan]

As long as you are not selling or otherwise directly profiting from the use of the software, it's fine. I would consider the case of "donations" to be a gray area that we are generally OK with, in that you are not exchanging work and output in Terragen 2 for specific compensation. However it *is* still a gray area, where perhaps "intent" has to take a more central role in determining where it falls within the terms of the license. Your intent here is good, but certainly long-term use of the software as a sole means to solicit donations would not be allowed. In any case, if you are using it as an artistic outlet, and asking for donations in a general way, this is ok.

- Oshyan