ASSI CAD & Programming file policies

CAD File Policies

*CAD Drafting*	*As-Built Drawings*	*Facility Management*	*CAD Consulting*
*3-D CAD*	*CAD Renderings*	*Internet & Web*	*CAD Programming*
*Architecture*	*Engineering*	*Graphics*	*Interior Design*
*Location*	*History*	*Projects*	*Home*

ASSI is in the business of producing drawings, CAD drafting, CAD Consulting and programming. As such much of what ASSI produces are part of ASSI business development which gives us the advantage over our competition. This includes specialized programming, CAD procedures, file system structure, production of part and graphic libraries, and office procedures. To protect our business and copyrighted materials we maintain three different policies for distribution of the CAD products that we produce:

Policy Type One:
Drafting to produce a graphic or printed / plotted product:

When ASSI is commissioned and paid to "produce drawings and or graphics" then the product (a printed or plotted hard copy) becomes the property of the client but the CAD file remains the property of ASSI. Pricing for "drawing production only" differs from "CAD file production".

Our reasons for this policy are:

Much of how we do our work so effectively is how we have structured our files in their layer setups, saved layer sets, tab setups, block / part assemblies, and general file settings. We consider that "programming information" and "programs" developed by ASSI, for ASSI, belong to ASSI.
AutoCAD files often reference many JPG graphic files, all of which are set up in an AutoCAD search path. Since graphic images are like xrefs we would have to send the whole batch of them thus "giving away" our graphics.
We get graphic files from many sources, some client supplied, others from vendors, and some we create ourselves. Even the client supplied graphics have to be converted to AutoCAD friendly graphics from their original format. These graphics represent many hours of labor that are not part of our billing and are thus the property of ASSI.
If we provided all of the graphics and the programming that become part of the CAD files then anyone who got access to the CAD file could immediately do what we can do without having to create the graphics or AutoCAD systems themselves. In other words they would have a definite unfair advantage.
ASSI was involved once with a competitor taking our CAD files and programs and then taking our customers away from us. We do not wish to engage in similar litigation again.

In short ASSI will not "give away" ASSI's tools to do business.

Policy Type Two:
CAD work to produce CAD files:

When ASSI is commissioned and paid to "produce CAD files" then the CAD files and any products produced (plots, prints, other program data files including graphics and spreadsheet files) are the property of the client and ASSI unless otherwise negotiated. Pricing for "CAD file production" differs from "drawing production only".

If you pay ASSI to produce CAD files then you get the CAD files and associated files.

Policy Type Three:
CAD Programming:

When ASSI is commissioned and paid to produce CAD programming property rights to the files must be negotiated and agreed to in writing before the project is started. The following are examples of agreements made with ASSI:

Program files remain the property of ASSI and the client is granted a license.
Program files become the property of the client and ASSI.
Program files become the property of the client and ASSI is under contract to not use the programming for other clients and to refrain from distributing the programming except under the direction of the client.
Program source files are the property of ASSI and encrypted versions become the property of the client.

In short ASSI will sell programming work under a variety of agreements to meet your need.

This file updated 06/15/2004