Class Action Law Suit against Autodesk

[Anonymous]

Any on going Class Action Law Suit against Autodesk because AutoDesk is locking longtime users out of their old AutoCad versions in order to force them to rent AutoDesk's newer products?  I hope the forum managers do not delete this post.  It seems that they deleted my previous post.  

Here is an example with  Microsoft: 

https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-should-pay-damages-for-forced-windows-10-update-say-finns/

[Anonymous]

We have had the same problems with our 2008 version of AutoCad, we have been told that it is an antique and that we should update.  However, we to bought the full suite of AutoCad/Revit.  It worked just fine until Microsoft update Windows to 10 and then the activation code stopped working.  We did not know that the problem was Windows 10, and we called for help.  They gave us an activation code and said that was the one and only time they would give us a code as they did not support 2008 anymore.  We told Autodesk that, that would be fine, (still not being told that it was windows 10 causing the problem.  We got our product working again for a whole 2 months, then surprise, there was an update and our code deactivated.  Called, rather emailed them again and was promptly told that we had our one activation code and that was it.  They (Autodesk) started ignoring us, refusing to answer our emails.  We finally had to give up and buy the subscription after paying over 5000.00 for it in the first place.  Now it's 1135.00 for the subscription.  Super unprofessional.

[pendean]

Are you stating that in your line of work/business you've not been able to recoup the initial 5000.00 cost since the year 2007 (13-years ago) when you purchased your V2008 combo, and you find it a hardship to continue today with a new investment due to low income/ low earnings from your clients?

AND if I may ask another: if you knew Win10 updates broke licensing the first time, why did you continue with Win10 with updates turned on/continued instead of freezing it in time much like your frozen-in-time older software? I'm not victim blaming, just wanting to understand your decision making processes having faced this exact problem once with the knowledge it was going to continue to happen.

Do tell.

[Ognyan]

You  can roll back the windows update and have the software working(probably). Or do a clean windows install and deactivate all windows updates and than do a clean install.

If for some reason it is still not working(key) and Autodesk doesn't want to provide you more codes until the issue is resolved(which is illegal and a unilateral decision in which the owner can not participate>illegal again). According to the European law, you can crack open the software and they cant lift a finger at you.Bark yes, but nothing more as its their fault.

[lm]

Regarding your answers to point 3:

Mine stopped working out of the blue...it appears that the activation was only valid for 6 months (I transferred from my old PC), and now I am stuck, because the license is "broken". Cannot export a license more than once of course.

Regarding your answers to point 1 and 2:

I payed top dollar ($6000 in 2008) for it - a so called "perpetual license". And I only want to exercise my rights to use one license. Why punish the paying customers for other peoples behaviour in terms of using cracked software?

[pendean]

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/previous-version-support/class-action-law-suit-against-autodesk/m-p/9...

[lm]

Yeah, thanks, I got it: you disagree. None of the things in the answer you link to really relates to what I experienced though...

Basically I think the real problem for Autodesk (and thus its customers) is that the ACAD2008 version, for example, fulfills the needs of most of its customer base. I've recently worked on a 3 billion$ metro project in Copenhagen, and we never used any of the more advanced functionalities of AutoCad. We just used it for drafting, and a 2008-version (or others) would be able to handle that task. We dreaded new ACAD-updates, as all they would do basically was to introduce new errors, and a new user interface to learn from scratch - both slowing down our effectiveness for some time.

So therefore, Autodesk has to come up with new ways of making customers pay for things they really don't want. I think that frustrates a lot of businesses, both big and small.

I know you disagree, and it's really good for Autodesk they have loyal customers like you who wants to defend their way of doing business for whatever reasons you have. Too bad there are so few alternatives to ACAD.

Just file me in the circular bin like all the other fools who thinks “perpetual” means perpetual.

[RobDraw]

Maybe, if you examine what you think perpetual means and compare it to the real world version, you would realize the error of your ways.

In order for something to be perpetual, there are certain things that need to remain in place. You have failed at doing that.

If the license was permanent, then it would remain in place no matter what.

Good luck!

[pendean]

"permanent" is not "perpetual".
And that's how the lawyers win, and we all lose.

Enjoy your heartburn.

[lm]

The Software License Agreement (DK version) does actually say "the license to use the Software is perpetual". If you look up that word...well, we could go on forever, or should I say perpetually 😉

If the software stops working on a Windows10 PC or whatever, the whole thing will come to an end anyway at some point -- which is understandable -- but why shut down the (perpetual) Autodesk license then? Not for technical reasons, I would say...

[RobDraw]

One could say that once you need reactivation, you have lost the use of your license permanently.

If you had retained the conditions of use, i.e. the OS it was designed for and avoided the need for reactivation, you could still be using the software in perpetuity.

[pendean]

Perpetual:
1. never ending or changing.
2. occurring repeatedly; so frequent as to seem endless and uninterrupted.

Permanent:
lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely.

Semantics always matter in legal descriptions: again, lawyers win, we all lose. All. The. Time.

Enjoy.

[Anonymous]

where can i sign for class action law suit ? i just got denied activation code as a "1 time thing" about 2-3 weeks ago, I had hdd failure now and cant get another one.

[Ognyan]

To what I know, there is none right now, but im sure that one will come sooner or later.(probably sooner)

Still, since you own the product,have the dvd and password and they refuse to activate in a unilateral way what is yours purchased legally  and protected by the consumer law , in my opinion you should search for other options to activate your software the way you see fit in order to take advantage of what you payed for and enjoy the product.Check one of my threads if you want for some additional info.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/previous-version-support/can-i-obtain-offline-activation-in-the-futur...

[RobDraw]

---

@lm wrote:

Basically I think the real problem for Autodesk (and thus its customers) is that the ACAD2008 version, for example, fulfills the needs of most of its customer base.

---

That couldn't be further from the truth. Without even checking, I'm sure most of the customer base is using Windows 10. ACAD2008 is not designed for that OS.

[RobDraw]

@Ognyan,

So, are you actually using a perpetual license for an unsupported version(s) via means outside of normal Autodesk activation?

[Ognyan]

Rob,you and I have spoken many times and I will be honest if you didn't get the message.I (pretty sure others too)..I don't like you.I really don't like you mainly for your advocacy for something that is not right,not moral and has NOTHING to do with your life.For a person who doesn't work for autodesk you sure do spend 24/7 in their deference..

Second, learn to read.Where exactly in my message did I say that I am using a ''via means outside of normal Autodesk activation'' for my self??

I didn't even spoke about my self and you come with this conclusion? You are a joke.If it helps you sleep better, i have a 2019 perpetual license version so im still in the water,not a ''so called previous version''. Also I did spoke with autodesk some time ago asking if you work for them.Their answer was no(i don't believe it personally), but i am keeping an eye because what you do here is completely unprofessional and unacceptable>jumping on every single post that people feel cheated and you hurry to crash and say ''yeah, its your fault''

Going to say it only once.When you see me posting somewhere on the forums, if you have some decency, never respond to me.I don't want your opinion.Lets see if you can at least do that.

[RobDraw]

A simple "No." would have sufficed but for some reason you feel the need to defend yourself. I'm only here voicing my opinion. Not defending anything but logical thinking. If you can't accept that, that's all on you. I always give people respect until they show me that they don't deserve it. You've gone way past that line. Therefore, your request is denied. I will or will not respond as I see fit.

[cadffm]

can

wan't

will

That are different things 😎

[SilverVane]

@Anonymous Hi, I take your point that people use cracked versions of software, even a few businesses - although in my experience of 20 years in the media industry, this is extremely rare and never involved Autodesk products that I can remember.

Anyway, my main point was: I can't imagine anyone that uses cracked software bothering with any version more than a couple of years out of date. Why would you install 2015 or older, when a cracked version of 2021 is sat there? I'm not even sure its possible to find cracked versions of 2015 today (I haven't looked, and don't recommend anybody tries!). 

Assuming pirates only want the latest software, why not do the decent thing and allow an engineer/stock activation code that would be confidentially supplied to affected customers, that would enable them to activate their perpetual licenses in perpetuity, and be done with it. Problem solved. Customers with legacy licenses are happy, current subscribers are happy, and pirates won't care or notice the difference. Nobody with any serious interest in Autodesk products would bat an eyelid. By their own admission, current software uses a completely different activation system.

Given Autodesk's hands are seemingly tied by their legacy activation software vendor (I suspect a likely tale, based on a grain of truth), it is the only honourable course of action. As things stand, they are abandoning the customers that helped build Autodesk into the company it is today.  

The reason why they won't do this might be because there is a chance that a proportion of customers with legacy perpetuals will switch to rental. If this is the case, they are literally scraping the bottom of the barrel. 

[Ognyan]

Also from what ive read, when Adobe pulled that stunt and everyone copied the idea from them,they actually set a page for all of the old perpetuals providing them with a special key?(different from their one) for activation and everyone happy.To my knowledge, AD is probably the only company in existence that is trying to take everything.For me , its a corporate unilateral decision and not a technical problem as they state.