If your commercial use does not involve the selling of the Licensed Material, you are permitted all other forms of commercial advantage and monetary compensation for your use of the Licensed Material. Selling means providing to third parties, for a fee or other consideration (including without limitation fees for hosting, performing, exhibiting, or consulting/support services related to the material), a product or service whose value is derived from the content of the Licensed Material.

All public works of [Michael of St. Joseph] published under a Non-Commercial Creative Commons license of any kind are bound by this covenant.

Non-Commercial Exemption Covenant (NCEC)

Question & Answer

What is the Non-Commercial Exemption Covenant?

It is a promise by me not to retaliate if you make money using my copyrighted material so long as you are not directly selling the material. I wanted to be more precise in what I will personally allow under "NonCommercial" terms of a Creative Commons license. If you wish to sell my work, or adaptations of my work, feel free to reach out to me directly. Or if there is any other use you have for my work that is not allowed here, please reach out to me. This is the simplest, most clear way I have found to empower you and encourage a more reasonable open standard for sharing art in the digital age.

Why did you make the Non-Commercial Exemption Covenant?

I believe it is the best and most honest balance of public good and private gain. The common modern argument in favor of intellectual property is that copying is the same as stealing. This is, categorically, not true. However, intellectual works have value and creators should be permitted the fruits of their labor. It is my belief that enabling redistribution and adaptation will have greater benefits for all parties involved. Prohibiting only 1 form of commercial use leaves financial incentives for others to expand on my work while reserving the right to sales for myself. By the Creative Commons' own admission, their Non-Commercial clause is intentionally vague. I have used the NCEC to clarify what I will share with others.

I want to use the Non-Commercial Exemption Covenant, how should I do that?

You should consult with legal counsel if you have any questions, concerns, or doubts about licensing or content sharing decisions. Nothing I have written should be construed as advice or as creating a legally binding relationship. It is also necessary for you to publish your work under a Creative Commons license with a Non-Commercial clause for this covenant to be relevant. With all that being said, to change who the covenant is being used for, simply replace my underlined name in the brackets [ ] above with your name or your company name. You are free to change the wording in any way that suits your purposes.