FOIA section 2(c-10)

FOIA

Definition of commercial purpose

5 ILCS 140/2(c-10). Definition of commercial purpose

3 issues across 3 determination letters:1 violation found · 2 no violation.

Counts are per issue, not per letter, and come from automated extraction checked against sampled letters. Determination letters are not binding precedent.

Authorities the Bureau cites most on this issue

Cellular phone bills and credit card expenditures (PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 44649) cited 1 times

Drafting brief for an AI assistant

Copy this into your assistant to help draft a request, appeal, or challenge to a denial that turns on this issue. It carries the rules and decisions, not your facts: add those yourself. Machine-readable version: foia-2-c-10.json.

TOPIC: 5 ILCS 140/2(c-10) - Definition of commercial purpose
SOURCE: Illinois Attorney General Public Access Bureau decisions compiled at https://illinoisfoia.org/provisions/foia-2-c-10/
NOTE: Determination letters are not binding precedent; they show how the Bureau applies the law. Verify every decision against the source PDF before citing it.

VIOLATION FOUND (1):
- Commercial purpose classification of FOIA request
  Rule: Using information derived from records to provide business services is not selling or reselling the information itself.
  Decision: A fire department's fee for search and retrieval of a fire report (non-binding determination letter, October 26, 2018) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-26621/

NO VIOLATION (2):
- Commercial purpose designation of SpotCrime
  Rule: Requests from news media are exempt from commercial purpose, but SpotCrime's data compilation and sale to subscribers lacks journalistic standards, so it is commercial.
  Decision: A data-aggregation website's classification for daily crime data requests (non-binding determination letter, April 4, 2017) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-34653/
- Request qualifies as commercial purpose
  Rule: Seeking information derived from public records to sell access to paying members falls within the definition of a commercial purpose.
  Decision: PTAX-203 real estate transfer declaration forms (non-binding determination letter, March 27, 2015) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-34157/

MOST-CITED AUTHORITIES: Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 44649

TASK FOR THE ASSISTANT: Using only the decisions above, help draft a letter. Argue from the rule and cite the decision by name and date. Do not invent decisions.

Violation found (1)

Commercial purpose classification of FOIA request
Rule: Using information derived from records to provide business services is not selling or reselling the information itself.
Violation found A fire department's fee for search and retrieval of a fire report · October 26, 2018

No violation (2)

Commercial purpose designation of SpotCrime
Rule: Requests from news media are exempt from commercial purpose, but SpotCrime's data compilation and sale to subscribers lacks journalistic standards, so it is commercial.
No violation A data-aggregation website's classification for daily crime data requests · April 4, 2017
Request qualifies as commercial purpose
Rule: Seeking information derived from public records to sell access to paying members falls within the definition of a commercial purpose.
No violation PTAX-203 real estate transfer declaration forms · March 27, 2015