Fusion 360 in Public Libraries (Canada)

[tbelke]

Hello,

I am part of a team that oversees the makerspace services, called Digital Innovation Hubs, in ten of our public library branches across Toronto. Since 2017 we have offered access to Fusion 360 on the public access PCs and Macs in our Innovation Hub spaces and provide introductory workshops, delivered by specialized library staff.

At the time we had a local contact with Autodesk and they advised we use the personal/hobbyist version since libraries do not meet the requirements for educational licensing. This solution has worked well for us but we are now updating the computer hardware in all of our libraries and revising the software package that will be deployed.

I'd like to confirm with someone from Autodesk that we are still able to provide access to the hobbyist version of Fusion 360 on the computers we offer the public. With this implementation, each user and participant in our workshops must first register for their own hobbyist account to log in and use the software.

Apologies for the slightly off-topic post but I'm not sure where else to turn for an official answer on our use case for the software. I have lost touch with our previous contacts, who have both moved on outside the company and our authorized vendor connections have been unable to help.

Thanks in advance for any advice and if anyone can provide a direct connection to an appropriate contact at the Toronto Autodesk headquarters, that would be much appreciated!

[dan.banach]

Hi @tbelke,

Thanks for posting your question and for hosting classes on Fusion 360. You're correct that Libraries are not eligible for Autodesk Education software. Since, Fusion 360 is licensed to a user; you could ask each attendee to request a Personal License before the Fusion 360 training class and Students can request a Education License. The advantage to this is, the attendees can access their files after the class.

Another option would be to purchase Fusion 360 nonprofit licenses from Techsoup at a reduced cost.

Here are links for these topics.

• Autodesk Education Eligibility
• Personal license
• Students license
• Non-profits can purchase Autodesk software at a low cost at Techsoup - Autodesk for Nonprofits

Let me know if this helps.

-Dan

[tbelke]

Thanks for the quick reply, @dan.banach. We can certainly suggest that our class participants request Educational licenses for themselves. It's great to know that they may be eligible for a more fully featured account.

Just to confirm, is it permissible for the library to include an installation of the Fusion 360 software on the computers used by library patrons? With the understanding that each user will need to have their own Autodesk account, whether it is a hobbyist or educational account. I just want to be sure we're not violating any of the licensing conditions by providing the software to our library users.

Many thanks!

[dan.banach]

i @tbelke 

Great question. I'll ask around and see if there is a license agreement document for libraries to install Autodesk clouds based products.

I'll keep you posted.

-Dan

[dan.banach]

Hi @tbelke 

I found two two links for you.

• Autodesk for Nonprofits Offer Details
• Techsoup - Autodesk Restrictions 
  • Nonprofits and libraries only: Products in this program are available only to qualifying nonprofits with 501(c)(3) designation and to public libraries. Public libraries must either have valid 501(c)(3) nonprofit status or be listed in the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) database.

Let me know if this helps.

-Dan

[tbelke]

Hi @dan.banach 

Thank you for continuing to look for an answer to my question. Unfortunately, the nonprofit solution does not work in our case. In Ontario, Canada, public libraries are established by government and largely funded through municipal taxes and as such, are not registered nonprofit organizations. The ILMS is a USA only database of libraries so the Toronto Public Library is not listed there.

It also looks like the Techsoup program is intended for organizations who are using CAD/CAM software internally in their organization whereas we're aiming to provide library users access to the software in our spaces through free workshops and use of library computers.

I realize this use-case falls into a grey area since Fusion 360 is hybrid cloud software compared to something like Tinkercad, which does not require any additional installed components. It's tricky scenario so I really appreciate the time you've spent assisting here. I also know other public libraries around the world with makerspace services like ours struggle with this question as well.

I think it comes back to the question you raised earlier; whether it's okay for libraries to install the application that allows library users to then access and use Fusion 360 with their own hobbyist accounts.

[dan.banach · Accepted solution]

Hi @tbelke 

Could you review  section 2.1.1 of our End User License agreement and see if this help with your situation. 

Ultimately, you can't use Fusion 360 unless you sign in, so you should be fine. I appreciate your due diligence on the licensing. I'll let you know if I find another document that is more specific for your situation.

Take care.

-Dan

[tbelke]

Thanks for all your help @dan.banach !