permitteduse

Permitted use is a term used in licensing and contract law to describe the uses of a work, data, or property that are allowed by the rights holder or by applicable law. It defines what recipients may lawfully do with the item—such as copy, distribute, display, modify, or perform—under a specific license or agreement. Permitted use is distinct from prohibited or restricted uses and is limited by the exact language of the license, contract, or statute.

Licenses and terms often specify permitted uses directly or through defined categories. Common categories include personal use, educational use, non-commercial use, internal business use, and commercial use. Additional conditions may apply, such as attribution requirements, share-alike provisions, or restrictions on redistribution, sublicensing, or changing the core nature of the work. Geographic and temporal limits, media formats, and appropriateness for the intended purpose can also constrain permitted uses.

Practical guidance: users should read the license or contract carefully to determine the exact scope of permitted use. The existence of a permitted use does not erase other obligations in the agreement, such as payment terms, privacy or security requirements, or other operational restrictions. In data, software, or creative content licenses, the definition of permitted use guides what is permissible and what would constitute a breach.

Legal significance can include breach consequences and remedies, depending on the governing law and the license; interpretations may vary across jurisdictions and exact contract language. Permitted use is primarily a contractual concept, though some statutes describe allowable acts that may intersect with, but do not replace, license terms.