Interpreting COBIT licensing
A reader asked about apparently contradictory information on COBIT licensing requirements for consultants. Here is my interpretation:
Some time ago I blogged about the guidelines for use of COBIT, which says
Providing Audit, Advisory and Consulting Services to External Clients Use of COBIT is permitted for making presentations and proposals, and to develop software tools and other materials for the purpose of developing and delivering audit, advisory and consulting services. Copies of COBIT and any of the tools, materials or output from the tools that contain more than 20% of COBIT content cannot be provided or sold to clients or prospective clients without permission or licensure from ISACA.
My attention has been drawn to a separate licensing page, which says
Consulting Use License This license is designed for consulting enterprise use of COBIT 5 and the supporting family of publications for their staff who are providing guidance based on COBIT 5 for third-party consulting purposes
A cursory reading of this might lead one to think that every consultant must be licensed. Since the licensing page, also says
...providing copies to others, or to otherwise use COBIT 5 except as permitted by ISACA or detailed in the ISACA guidelines [quoted above] is not permitted. COBIT 5 licensing is required for training; consulting; company-wide internal and commercial uses. The path to licensure is shaped by ISACA’s COBIT 5 content/use licensing guidelines which can be found at www.isaca.org. Pursuant to ISACA’s guidelines, some uses require a lawfully obtained copy or permission from ISACA, other more substantive uses will require a license from ISACA
...I would assume that the licensing terms do not supercede the terms of use, i.e. consultant licensing is required only where you are providing more than 20% of the content of COBIT as part of your consulting output or product. Certainly that's how I plan to interpret it until informed otherwise. Anyone from Fort COBIT care to comment?
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