- Home /
Aberration of the Unity Pro License ?
Hello,
we are two hobbyists enthousiast for Unity. One us would like to get the Unity Pro License but its penalising the other one because he/she is no longer authorized to use the Free License.
According to the EULA everybody of a family interested in Unity must have the same licence. As a result, either nobody of us never can benefit of the Pro Version or we must both buy the Pro Version - an this is a lot of money for only hobbyists.
Another case: Only one family member is a Unity Pro user - up to here: no problem. Then, other members would like to work with Unity too, but the free version. What a pity ! They're not autorised !!!But they can divorce or the children could move to the grand-parents or the old terrific aunt . Free users and Pro users never can get together.
May I conclude that Unity Pro is ONLY for singles ??? And hostile to families ???
The EULA makes sens for a compagny but NOT for a family.
Is there a logical solution ?
We need an answer up to the end of march (there is a special offer).
Thank you.
Silly B.
Answer by SrBilyon · Mar 26, 2011 at 07:16 PM
After reading the EULA again myself, I'm' a bit confused where it says it restricts a family to one license of Pro (unless you all want to use different computers). Your copy of pro is for the installation of one computer. However, if another person in the house wants to use Unity, they can use Indie on there own computer. They should supply there own email address to register with free.
Just realize that these projects/creations cannot be used with both versions of Unity, so you'll have to make your own games if your using Pro, and they will have to make their own indie games. If you don't necessarily need the Pro features for creating a game, you could always stick with using Indie until your budget allows for the purchase of multiple copies of Pro.
Unity3D isn't restricting families from using Unity. Realistically, Unity is a tool made for game developers (which many are a part of a company or have there own) to develop games and sell them, this is how UT earns money. Your purchase of Unity3D pro is not for multiple people, it's a SINGLE user license from what i have read.
Here is a snippet of the EULA:
1) GRANT OF LICENSE:
Subject to the terms below (the 'Agreement'), Unity Technologies A/S hereby grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable license to install and to use Unity or Unity Pro or Unity Educational (the 'Software').
Except during the trial period, the Software must not be used without a valid license. A license of the Software must only be used on one computer at a time. The Software may be installed on a second computer for sole use by the user of the License except for discounted Academic versions which may only be installed on a single computer. You may copy the Software for back-up or archival purposes. For the avoidance of doubt the Software is licensed on a per-user basis and a computer means a combination of hardware and single operating system.
You agree to terminate your use of the Software on the date agreed if you have purchased a term-based license.
The standalone runtime may be redistributed royalty free, as long as it is produced using a licensed installation of the Software. Copyright notices from Unity Technologies A/S and NVIDIA Corporation may not be removed from the standalone runtime. The Unity Web Plugin may only be distributed by Unity Technologies A/S.
2) LICENSING RESTRICTIONS:
(a) Unity Pro may be licensed by any company, educational institution, incorporated entity, or individual.
(b) Unity (free version) may not be licensed and used by companies, educational institution or incorporated entities that had a turnover in excess of US$100,000 in their last fiscal year.
(c) Discounted academic versions of Unity or Unity Pro may only be licensed by educational institutions for use by their students and staff. The license is granted for learning purposes and may not be used for publishing commercial content.
(d) A company, educational institution, incorporated entity, or individual may not license both Unity Pro and Unity at the same time.
Thanks a lot for your answer. Actually, there's nothing in the EULA about using Unity Pro in a family (I read it several times). And that's the problem. Nobody thought about it. The EULA makes sense in a compagny but not in a family. After all I read about the Unity licenses up to now, different licenses aren't allowed in the same place. So either I misunderstood the EULA or it is uncomplete, penalising families when applicated. In fact, it prevents me from buying a Pro License (only one) and this is a real pity ! And the Unity Compagny doesn't earn money like this... It doesn't make sens.
In the sense that you want your family to work as a $$anonymous$$m for the development, that would be considered a $$anonymous$$m, which follows under working as a small company. However, regardless of it being a family or a company, Pro licenses are single user only, therefore you may want to consider what i wrote above about using Indie. It's not a penalty at all. Unless you can find me a EULA for another software that covers 'families', i can only say business is business. I'm a college student myself who can't afford my own copy of Unity as of yet, but me and a $$anonymous$$m of other students stick to using indie.
Also, the EULA doesn't at all prevent you from buying one copy, it would however prevent you from working with another person using a copy of Indie. Nothing however prevents you from generating code within the family, its just not allowed to use a project between each other. And yes, UT does make money from selling their individual copies of Unity. Single license means single user, which means EACH member who wants to use Pro must buy it. Working as a company or a family is pretty much the same scenario with the exception of the yearly profit. I have never seen a EULA with a family section b4
We don't work as a $$anonymous$$m. We have very different projects. And I already read the EULA. So, if I didn't misunderstand the fact that you can't work in the same place (doing different things) with the free and the Pro version (being individuals), it's still a handicap to buy the Pro license. So maybe the only solution in my case is to forget the Pro Version and to stay on the free one. It's a bit frustrating but it's a lot easier to manage.
Then if you guys aren't working as a $$anonymous$$m, then there is nothing preventing you from purchasing and using Pro individually. I'm a bit confused if you understand the EULA or not. Look at 2(d), since your family isn't working as a (company/$$anonymous$$m/etc) there isn't anything wrong with having your own version of Pro, and I'm not entirely sure why your calling it a handicap, especially if no one else will be working with that project file in the house. But if you came to a resolve, then that's great.
Your answer
Follow this Question
Related Questions
Unity (free) vs Unity Pro - licensing restriction question 2 Answers
unity and unitypro what is different about two 2 Answers
Unity Pro vs Unity Free License Teams Issue 2 Answers
How can I switch back and forth between Unity Pro and Free? 4 Answers
Unity Pro vs Unity Free License Restriction Question 1 Answer