Our documentation (including but not limited to data sheets, errata, application notes and user guides), images, website and other original creations are valuable assets protected by copyright law. Although we encourage the broad dissemination of product literature and related information to support designs that use our products, we also aim to protect these assets as necessary.
Please review these guidelines to determine if you are required to request permission to use Microchip copyrighted material. Note that all parties using Microchip copyrighted material for commercial or educational purposes must properly acknowledge Microchip’s ownership of its copyrights and properly use Microchip’s trademarks.
Use of Copyrighted Materials for Commercial Purposes
We often consider requests by customers, distributors and other parties to reproduce, translate and/or reprint our copyrighted material in a book, website, CD, magazine or other reference material to be sold or distributed on the open market. Offering our copyrighted material at a trade show or industry conference for the purpose of promoting product sales also requires our permission. When we approve such requests, we still own all rights to the copyrighted material including any translations of such material.
If you would like to reproduce, translate and/or reprint our copyrighted material for commercial purposes, you must follow the three-step process noted in the "Instructions for Requesting Permission to Use Copyrighted Materials" section to request our written permission to use our materials.
Use of Copyrighted Materials for Non-Commercial Purposes
Written permission is not required for these two uses of copyrighted material:
- Personal Use: If you use Microchip copyrighted material solely for your personal use, you do not need our written permission to use such material. However, distribution or reproduction of such materials and images to others (including posting on a website) does require our written permission.
- Educational and Non-Profit Use: If you use Microchip copyrighted material solely for educational (non-profit) purposes falling under the “fair use” exception of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, then you do not need Microchip’s written permission. For example, our permission is not required when using copyrighted material in:
- An academic report, thesis or dissertation
- Classroom handouts
- A presentation or article that is solely educational in nature (e.g., technical article published in a magazine)
