I've heard it said several times on the forums that you can't use the educational version for commercial picture making.  

Well here is the real info straight from the adobe site:-

Do Adobe Student and Teacher Editions have restricted functionality?

Student and Teacher Editions have all the features and functionality of the commercial versions. The software may be used only on a privately owned computer, and the user may not transfer or resell ownership of the Adobe Student and Teacher Edition license.

Is there a time limit on using an Adobe Student and Teacher Edition?

Eligible users who purchase an Adobe Student and Teacher Edition receive a perpetual license that does not have a time restriction.

Can I use my Adobe Student and Teacher Edition software for commercial use?

Yes. You may purchase a Student and Teacher Edition for personal as well as commercial use.

It's always better to go to the source.

So, have fun with your Photoshop and thanks for clearing up the info for StudentTeachers!!!!

All the best.

LROG

This has been such a pervasive misinformation here and at DAZ too. 

I still haven't bought the edu version of photoshop CS 6 yet though because I live in australia and the price difference annoys me so much considering our exchange rate is identical at present.

Love esther

PS i have an old version of photoshop ie CS3

I just misinformed people myself after complaining.  how funny is that.  I was wrong about the price difference in australia.  That doesn't seem to be the case, and yet the net was full of stuff about unfair pricing.  the prices seem on a par once I checked with an adobe representative. ie US and australia the same.

sorry everyone.

Love esther

That's just NOT true Esther. I just purchased CS6 Extended as an upgrade from CS5 (Non Extended) and it cost me A$600 plus. If I had lived in the US I believe it would have cost me US $400.

To make sure of my facts I just went to a US Adobe site and an upgrade from a plain PhotoShop CS5 to CS6 Extended would have cost me US$399--.  I paid AU$607--. The exchange rate between the US and Aus dollar is just about par at the moment. I think it Stinks.   :-(

I agree: it stinks. And Aussie vendors wonder why we buy so much overseas, even though - theoretically - we are hurting our economy. Anything imported they charge like a raging bull for....

Quote - #### Can I use my Adobe Student and Teacher Edition software for commercial use?

Yes. You may purchase a Student and Teacher Edition for personal as well as commercial use.

That goes for all programs, not just Photoshop.  The idea behind student teacher pricing is to make the programs more affordable for users. 

Also, think about it.  How would they restrict your usage anyway?  Since there is no difference in features, how would Adobe or another company even know if you were using a "Student" priced version, vs a "Non Student" priced one, for commercial ventures?

I'm sure there are many freelancers who purchased the Student priced one when eligible to do so, and have continued to use it for commercial purposes.  There is no way for Adobe, or any other company who sells full featured versions at student discounts,  to prevent that since they don't have and eye into your home. It's just common sense that the student license "grants" permission to use it commercially.

well the cloud subscription Edu version is actually a little less in australia

and this was part of my chat with the adobe represenative:-

Norris: Under Australian Education store Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design & Web Premium is priced at  

Norris: A$402.00.

Norris: Under US Education store Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design & Web Premium is priced at $449.00

Quote - > Quote - #### Can I use my Adobe Student and Teacher Edition software for commercial use?

Yes. You may purchase a Student and Teacher Edition for personal as well as commercial use.

 

That goes for all programs, not just Photoshop.  The idea behind student teacher pricing is to make the programs more affordable for users. 

Also, think about it.  How would they restrict your usage anyway?  Since there is no difference in features, how would Adobe or another company even know if you were using a "Student" priced version, vs a "Non Student" priced one, for commercial ventures?

I'm sure there are many freelancers who purchased the Student priced one when eligible to do so, and have continued to use it for commercial purposes.  There is no way for Adobe, or any other company who sells full featured versions at student discounts,  to prevent that since they don't have and eye into your home. It's just common sense that the student license "grants" permission to use it commercially.

 

Except, um, MS Office.  Well, I'm not sure about the full suite with educational discount.  But the "Home and Student" version is not licensed for commercial or non-profit or government use.  It tells you this, I believe, at the top of every screen while you're using it.

As for enforcing it, I suppose for someone sitting in their bedroom, there's nothing Microsoft can do.  But if you were in an office environment, pulling up documents, and a client noticed a not insignificant "Non-commercial" use label on the top of the window, it would look a bit unprofessional.  Not sure how Microsoft would sanction such uses, though, and I can't realistically imagine a squad of informers roaming around offices looking for improperly licensed software.

I sort-of thought that - like with Office - that it was time-limited. Same for Maya, I think it was. One of those 3D apps... can't remember which one. :blink:

"...I can't realistically imagine a squad of informers roaming around offices looking for improperly licensed software."

Actually, the Business Software* *Alliance (which has both Adobe & Microsoft as members) offers rewards to people who turned in companies for using pirated software. Kinda makes every employee a potential informer :-) They also audit companies themselves and have a rep for playing hardball. I saw they just got a $500,000 settlement out of a Texas company in February.

"BSA Anti-Piracy currently offers a national Rewards Program called ‘Know It / Report It / Reward It’ offering as much as $1,000,000 in cash for qualifying reports of software piracy" - BSA Facebook page

Quote - "...I can't realistically imagine a squad of informers roaming around offices looking for improperly licensed software."

Actually, the Business Software* *Alliance (which has both Adobe & Microsoft as members) offers rewards to people who turned in companies for using pirated software. Kinda makes every employee a potential informer :-) They also audit companies themselves and have a rep for playing hardball. I saw they just got a $500,000 settlement out of a Texas company in February.

"BSA Anti-Piracy currently offers a national Rewards Program called ‘Know It / Report It / Reward It’ offering as much as $1,000,000 in cash for qualifying reports of software piracy" - BSA Facebook page

So using a fully paid for but less functional home version of software for commercial purposes is "piracy" now, is it?  Gosh, quite a dilution of the word.  I remember when pirates were fearsome. ;)

Anyway, you describe a hilarious scenario.  Puts a whole new meaning to the idea of whistleblowing.  I'm just imagining a raid -- team of BSA agents with tactical breaching tools battering down the front door of an an accounting firm while frightened receptionists climb out the windows.  That may not be quite what you mean... but then again....

There can be huge price differentials between different locations; Adobe aren't the only culprits but they are one of the worst.

For example, when I was about to buy Design Premium CS3 the price in the UK was (I think) £1399. The same package in the US was $1199 (about £850). I had a protracted correspondence with Adobe UK complaining about being overcharged £350, their response being some guff about 'localisation'. I replied that I'd seen a friend's version bought through Adobe UK and despite the localisation, they still managed to spell colour wrong. I don't think they came back to me.

I ended up buying the download version through Adobe's US store for the US price; I'd advise any English speakers to do the same. Unless you enjoy being financially penalised for being foreign.

I tried to buy my PhotoShop CS6 upgrade through an Adobe US store, trouble with that idea was I had to start up another account with a US address and phone number. I got into trouble putting in a fake zip code and phone number, so gave up. I thought that if I needed technical support I'd be found out.  :-(

"So using a fully paid for but less functional home version of software for commercial purposes is "piracy" now, is it? "

If the lic. says no commercial use, they're not gonna take kindly - whether they call it piracy or something else. At any rate, they'd probably only break the door down for a counterfeiting operation or like Microsoft did a few weeks ago to take down a botnet. For your regular business running one copy of Word on 20 machines or whatever, it's just lawyers. Frankly, you're probably better off with SWAT though.