Remove DRM for when activation is no longer supported

[jcdeblok]

For those who stopped maintenance and are on a fixed perpetual licence.. will we get a tool to permanently remove the license check?  The license is still valid after all.

If not can you confirm it will be all right for users to remove the DRM themselves? At least in European Union there is a legal frame work, and legal precedence,  that allows users to remove DRM if you have a valid license but there is a technical limitation that prevents the use of software as intended. For example when  a dongle manufacturer goes bankrupt or in this case Autodesk stops playing along.

[jcdeblok]

For those who stopped maintenance and are on a fixed perpetual licence.. will we get a tool to permanently remove the license check?  The license is still valid after all.

If not can you confirm it will be all right for users to remove the DRM themselves? At least in European Union there is a legal frame work, and legal precedence,  that allows users to remove DRM if you have a valid license but there is a technical limitation that prevents the use of software as intended. For example when  a dongle manufacturer goes bankrupt or in this case Autodesk stops playing along.

[dgorsman]

Interesting idea.  Could be useful if there isn't a planet-sized hole to be exploited for making illegal copies.  And still doesn't update the actual software to run on recent OS and/or hardware.

[jcdeblok]

I don't expect OS hardware compatibility to be an issue for the next decade or so. Windows has a pretty good track record of being backwards compatible.  I guess 3ds max 5 will still run fine. I've moved to Houdini and just want to keep 3ds Max around for legacy stuff and being able to access older files and assets.

But that's all besides the point, I don't expect Autodesk to release a tool to remove the license check because  that would be, shock and horror, consumer friendly.

Which leaves the option of user removing the DRM themselves for which the follow appies:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32009L0024

(13)

The exclusive rights of the author to prevent the unauthorised reproduction of his work should be subject to a limited exception in the case of a computer program to allow the reproduction technically necessary for the use of that program by the lawful acquirer. This means that the acts of loading and running necessary for the use of a copy of a program which has been lawfully acquired, and the act of correction of its errors, may not be prohibited by contract. In the absence of specific contractual provisions, including when a copy of the program has been sold, any other act necessary for the use of the copy of a program may be performed in accordance with its intended purpose by a lawful acquirer of that copy.

For those in the EU:

This:  "This means that the acts of loading and running necessary for the use of a copy of a program which has been lawfully acquired, and the act of correction of its errors, may not be prohibited by contract. "

This basically means it's ok to remove DRM as long as you have a valid license to use the software. The moment Autodesk stops activation it becomes "necessary" to crack the software for loading and running it. 

[Anonymous]

I could be runing my software in Windows 7 if I want for a long time, or even Windows Xp 64, even when it's not a supported OS it can still be activated and used since I acquired a PERPETUAL license for it.

It's not Autodesk right, or any other user in fact, to judge if I'm using the correct OS or Hardware, that's my business not their business, what I am entitled to is to use my PERPETUAL license for as long as I want, that's what PERPETUAL means, no matter if Autodesk don't want to release patches anymore or not, I'm entitled to use it.

[rkmcswain]

@Anonymous wrote:

I could be runing my software in Windows 7 if I want for a long time, or even Windows Xp 64, even when it's not a supported OS it can still be activated and used since I acquired a PERPETUAL license for it....... I'm entitled to use it.

You can keep using it forever. This question was answered here.

[jcdeblok]

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@rkmcswain wrote:

@Anonymouswrote:

I could be runing my software in Windows 7 if I want for a long time, or even Windows Xp 64, even when it's not a supported OS it can still be activated and used since I acquired a PERPETUAL license for it....... I'm entitled to use it.

You can keep using it forever. This question was answered here.

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Which is true, but by denying to activate the license when you do a reinstall or go to a new workstation it all comes to a stop. So while this is not legally speaking the same as terminating the license, in practice it makes it unusable.

And for this situations, where you have a valid license but have a technical roadblock that prevents you from use it for intended purposes, you're free to take the steps necessary to remove that roadblock. (under EU law).

But I'm pretty sure Autodesk isn't even going to comment officially on this and has black helicopters on standby 🙂

[Anonymous]

And if you have it installed on a Win 7 machine, you will need to upgrade to at least Win 8 soon.  This will require a reinstall and an activation.  This seems like a huge loophole in the PERPETUAL LICENSE plan.

[rkmcswain]

@Anonymous wrote:

And if you have it installed on a Win 7 machine,

End of life for Windows 7 is January 14, 2020 anyway. Might as well get the latest Win 10, some good hardware, and get the Autodesk products you have on it and activated now.

[Anonymous]

I have heard that Max and Maya 2010 are not fully functional on Win 10.  Since I certainly do not have the time to test, I'll go with Win 8.  Your other advice about installing on the best system possible is sound.