I fully understand that I am REALLY late to be talking about this, but I feel this needs to be mentioned, since I am seeing replies in the thread relating to disregarding or criticizing the TOS (Terms of Service). FULL DISCALIMER: I do not work at Autodesk, nor am I affiliated to them in any way. I am not calling anyone out; I am simply clarifying an issue that seems to be prevalent especially in this thread. This message is for everyone's own good.
1. The company that makes and licenses its software (in this case, Autodesk) has full right to put whatever it wants in the TOS/EULA. This allows the software to make changes to the user's computer in a way that the software will work best (preventing piracy, collecting data, installing special modules, etc).
2. If a user wants to use the software, they MUST agree to the TOS and everything (yes, everything) contained within it. Pressing the big Agree button assumes that the user has completely read the TOS, therefore the software has FULL right to everything that the user has "agreed" to. This is the biggest danger to NOT FULLY READING WHAT YOU'RE AGREEING TO, because if you're name's on the contract, the company isn't responsible. Please, for your own sake, READ IT BEFORE AGREEING.
3. In Autodesk's defense, it is a highly reputable company for developing useful and efficient software, and therefore its risk of piracy is a lot greater than most. The Genuine Service which its software will install is merely a way to protect and ensure legality in several aspects:
-First, it protects YOU from potentially infected versions you may have come across and downloaded (perhaps through piracy).
-Second, it protects you from being held responsible for piracy (Piracy is a pretty big deal, legality-wise. When one pirates software, they are essentially stealing what others have worked hard on and deserve payment for. Piracy is also not a victimless crime, so if you are caught downloading pirated software, you CAN be held responsible for being associated.).
-Lastly, bringing everything together, you basically agreed to have the Genuine Service installed on your system, and it is only trying to do its job. Maybe a few bugs prevent it from being uninstalled, but it's not useless, or infringing on your rights. The way to get around these bugs was mentioned previously in this thread, but it's probably not Autodesk's fault if it won't correctly uninstall.
TL:DR Don't criticize the TOS if you hit the Agree button on it.
