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Commercial or non-commercial guidelines

Provides a user requesting an article request with guidance on what is regarded as a commercial copy and a non-commercial copy.

"These uses might be considered non-commercial:
  • Work done by day-release students in employment but undertaking  further education  outside their place of work

  • Work done by lecturers entirely for their students

  • Articles for scholarly journals or papers for conference unless a fee  is anticipated

  • Work done for personal professional development

  • Work done exclusively for an NHS Trust

These uses might be considered commercial:
  • Company R&D

  • Market Research

  • Information brokerage

  • Articles or papers where a fee is offered

  • Work done for spin-off companies owned by universities or similar

  • Work done for a private medical facility, including copying which is to be used partly for private work and partly for NHS work

  • Work done by students  for an employer while on placement

  • Research done by students which it is known or expected will be used for commercial purposes.

  • Work done by charities or non-commercial organisations to earn income  even if it is then used to further  the charity’s aims

  • Work done by for-profit companies to earn money which is covenanted to a not-for-profit organisation or charity

  • Training or professional development  funded by an employer which is linked to a commercial company’s work or linked to carrying out a commercial activity

Status uncertain:
  • Work done by staff/students in academia sponsored by a commercial company but not necessarily for the benefit of that company

  • Work done for charities to raise funds

  • Work done to gain a qualification which will ensure a pay rise.”

The above guidance comes from a document by Graham P Cornish, entitled "Guidelines on the recent changes to copyright law” by Graham P Cornish
Source: MCG/LACA, 23 September 2004
http://www.cilip.org.uk/professionalguidance/copyright/advice/guidelines.htm