# Multiple questions about storage, safety and ownership of models in Sketchup free web **URL:** \ **Category:** SketchUp for Web\ **Tags:** model\ **Created:** [September 24, 2019, 11:44am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/multiple-questions-about-storage-safety-and-ownership-of-models-in-sketchup-free-web/104183 "2019-09-24T11:44:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![roy.pedersen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@roy.pedersen](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/roy.pedersen)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 11:44am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/multiple-questions-about-storage-safety-and-ownership-of-models-in-sketchup-free-web/104183/1 "2019-09-24T11:44:34Z")
I struggle to find good answers in your Terms of Service and Privacy Policy regarding these questions below. Hope you can point me into what sections I can get answers to the following questions: Who owns the ideas/concepts/intellectual property involved in a model designed in Sketchup Free web, me or Sketchup? Would you consider it safe to use Sketchup Free web for designing new ideas/inventions that I later plan to patent? Where is the models stored (which country) ? What kind of security measures is taken to keep the models safe from hackers? Are the models stored encrypted on your servers? Or should i consider Sketchup to no longer be free other than to make models I’m not afraid to publish? I know i can use Sketchup make 2017 offline, but it is now 2 years old with no new functionallity. ---
**Author:** ![DanRathbun](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/danrathbun/32/500_2.png) [@DanRathbun](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DanRathbun)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 11:57am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/multiple-questions-about-storage-safety-and-ownership-of-models-in-sketchup-free-web/104183/3 "2019-09-24T11:57:00Z")
> [@roy.pedersen](#): > > Would you consider it safe to use Sketchup Free web for designing new ideas/inventions that I later plan to patent? I would **not** consider it safe. (So the other questions about safety are moot.) > [@roy.pedersen](#): > > Or should _I_ consider _SketchUp_ to no longer be free other than to make models I’m not afraid to publish? **Correct**. Secondly, both SketchUp for Web Free and SketchUp Make are licensed for **non-commercial use** only. (There are some free modelers out there that do not have a restriction on commercial use. But this is another subject not appropriate to this category.) ---
**Author:** ![roy.pedersen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@roy.pedersen](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/roy.pedersen)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/multiple-questions-about-storage-safety-and-ownership-of-models-in-sketchup-free-web/104183/7 "2019-09-24T16:20:00Z")
Thank you for your reply. It was clarifying and to the point. I will consider using the old Sketchup Make 2017 until i figure out if the idea is worth commercializing or not. And then go for Pro-version. I really like the idea of Sketchup as a free tool for everyone, but i understand why Trimble went another direction than Google with this product. ---
**Author:** ![roy.pedersen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@roy.pedersen](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/roy.pedersen)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/multiple-questions-about-storage-safety-and-ownership-of-models-in-sketchup-free-web/104183/8 "2019-09-24T16:30:44Z")
Not sure what you mean by “us”. But this forum seems to be the only way, when i really just wanted a contact email for Trimble to ask this question. Having to register information regarding versions, OS and graphics card information seems pointless for such a question. For technical questions and problems its another story, but i’m not there yet. If i do go for buying a license i will consider changing it. Im not a big fan of entering irellevant information, but im sorry i some how offended you.