I am having difficulty understanding Autodesk's activation and licensing requirements. Can someone walk me thru it?

[michellem]

Hello Everyone;

I am having difficulty understanding Autodesk's activation and licensing requirements. I was hoping someone could walk me thru it. I have seen the example on this page https://www.autodesk.com/company/terms-of-use/en/offering-types-and-benefits#version but it does not clarify things for me.

I thought I might start by asking a simple question:

My understanding is that for someone to use Revit or Autocad, the software must be installed on a device and receive an activation code. The activation code ties the software to the device. Next the user must get a license which is tied to their ID (ie email). Is this correct?

Sincerely;

Michelle

[Simon_Weel]

There was a time it worked like you describe, but not anymore. You need an Autodesk Account and on your Autodesk Account page, assign licenses to that account. Install the software, launch the program, like AutoCAD, and you'll be presented a login-window. Enter your Autodesk credentials and off you go.

[michellem]

Hello Simon;

So if activation is no longer a thing and access to the software is based your AutoCad account and the software license assigned to that account then let's look at this scenario.

Per the link in my previous posting, Authorized User #1 obtained a subscription in 2013 and by 2017 had all versions of Autocad installed on his computer from Autocad 2010 to Autocad 2018. Per that link, he has the right to use all of those versions. Note that the link is an official Autodesk web page and that it has statement indicating that it is current as of May 26, 2023.

Note that the user's subscription has been continuous and has not changed since day 1. For purposes of this discussion, let's say the user downloaded and kept the full installation files for each version of Autocad - so the user does not need to download anything from Autodesk's website.

In 2018, the company bought this user a new computer. If the user's access to the software is based solely on their user account and not the hardware it is installed on, shouldn't the user be able to install and use on the new computer all the Autocad versions he had installed on the old computer?

Or  perhaps Authorized User #1 would be in the same boat as Authorized User #2?

Michelle

[pendean · Accepted solution]

@michellem SUBSCRIPTION means your user is actively paying Autodesk to use 2020 through 2024 licenses: are they really doing that but still only wishing to use 2010-2013-2018 software? That seems quite the pointless expenditure of $$$$.

Or did you mean to use a different word to simply mean the user(s) are just using an AutoCAD license they purchased as a single license back in the day?

AFAIK these newer licensing requirements do not apply to old out-of-support software like 2010-2013-2018, are you sure they do?

But on a side note... Autodesk has about completely shut down auto-authorizing any software 2014 and older: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/subscription-changes/autodesk-to-end-activation-for-versions-2011-201... their software, their rules, their EULA tat the purchaser agreed to, not much we as end users can do about it. You are welcome to take the matter up with your legal counsel, no one here is going to disagree with much of your sentiments on the topic.

TIA

[michellem]

Hmm...I mentioned AutoCAD in my post as that is what the Autodesk example uses; however the real issue is Revit. With Revit, everyone involved in a project must be using the same version of the software - the architect, the structural engineer and the mechanical engineer. When the architect, our client, says we need to use Revit 2019 then that is what we must use. We have projects starting today that require Revit 2019 and those projects can last up to three years. So it is important to the firm that we understand exactly what versions of the software we can use and under what circumstances.

By the way, I would say it is a rare circumstance that the user of the software is the one paying for the subscription. The employee is hired, put at a given workstation, and the employer pays Autodesk. IT updates workstations on continuing basis without regard to the particulars of Autodesk's EULA. New machines are bought and old ones retired.

I have seen that link before about auto-activation but I also notice the phrase "perpetual licenses activation" which is not the situation here. The posting seems to imply that software already activated on a given device can continue to be used but that you can't get it to work on a new device. On the other hand, I have seen a different posting stating that the end of auto-activation also applies to subscription. This just leaves me confused.

Adding to the confusion, Simon's posting stated that activation was a thing of the past. So how can you use 2010 software without activation per the example that I pointed to in my first post? This an official policy posting with an effective date of May 2023; a date which appears right at the top of the page.

So to recap:

• The official posting clearly states 2010 software can continue to be used.
• Other Autodesk announcements state that 2010 software can not be reactivated (new activation)
• I am trying to reconcile these and other official postings into a coherent understanding of the licensing situation.

Michelle