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A lot of software is provided "free for personal use, licensed for commercial use".

For example, the FastStone Image Viewer is provided with these conditions:

FastStone Image Viewer ... provided as freeware for personal and educational use. In these cases, you are granted the right to use these programs free of charge. However, for commercial use, license is required.

Is it a commercial use when I install the software on my company computer and use it only to view my personal photos? (Of course supposed that the employer does not have a problem with using the company laptop for personal use, too.)

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    I know that is unlikely to be discovered, but how would you prove that software installed on your company laptop is not being used for comercial purposes?
    – Peter M
    Commented Jul 19, 2022 at 13:50
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    @PeterM Is it me who has to prove it? Is the fact that the software is installed on my work computer a sufficient proof that I am using it for "commercial use", if I am a backend programmer and my work does not consist of any picture handling?
    – Honza Zidek
    Commented Jul 19, 2022 at 14:49
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    IMHO By having that software on your work laptop it is reasonable for Fastone to ask the question "Is it for personal use?", at which point, yes, it is up to you (and your company) to prove that it is only being used for personal use. Try to imagine how you would explain it to a judge, when they don't know or care what your role technically is. Of course that is predicated on Fastone being 1) aware of your usage, and 2) caring enough to ask the question.
    – Peter M
    Commented Jul 19, 2022 at 15:04
  • Then again, if it is decreed that using that viewer is not private use, the implication is that you viewing your personal photos on the company computer is not private use?!
    – Hagen von Eitzen
    Commented Jul 19, 2022 at 15:08
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    What happens if it associates itself with image file types and accidentally opens a file while at work, or a work-related file at any time? Some sorts of software might obviously have no relation to your work - e.g. if you install software to control your knitting machine and your work does not involve knitting - but an image viewer is far too general for it to be clearly not work related.
    – Stuart F
    Commented Jul 19, 2022 at 16:26

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