#1

Hi! I have a question about the license. I’m a teacher, and the knowledge base helps me prepare for lectures. I mean, it has to do with my work at the university. Does using Obsidian in teaching count as commercial use of the product? Or is it a private use? I do not always know in advance which materials from the knowledge base will be included in the lectures.

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#2

I am also wondering about the lines between commercial and personal use.

One of the things I really like about a tool like this is the idea of linking together thousands of notes over time. And those notes will cover a wide variety of topics – some of which are personal, others professional, but most of which could be in the vague in-between area. And a note that started as personal might later be used in a commercial context, or vice versa. The analogy of a “second brain” is good I think. I don’t have a separate brain for work and for personal.

Do any of the licensing options allow for this type of usage?

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#3

If a good percentage of your Obsidian usage is directly work-related (e.g. you frequently need to look up things in your vault in order to do your work), a commercial license is needed.

We understand that it’s often not easy to separate work and personal, and if you use Obsidian to document your learning or knowledge, those bits of information would inevitably be applied to your work. It’s okay to do that without a commercial license, but for example if you constantly use Obsidian to take meeting notes during work or store a team knowledge base, that would require a commercial license.

Not a super clear line, I agree, so please use your best judgement. We trust your judgement!

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