Autodesk compulsary subscriptions

#1

Hello all, i am just posting to get feedback on an issue i have with autodesk subscriptions. I purchaced 3ds max version 7 a number of years ago and kept a subscription going for several years. I have sinced moved on to other software but use max occasionally for spacific tasks. I have just recieved the following mail from autodesk.

"Our records show that your Autodesk Subscription contract has expired which could mean that your firm is benefiting from using software, for which it is no longer eligible.

Unfortunately, without a Subscription contract, you are not licensed to use previous versions of Autodesk software; these need to be removed from both office and home computers.

We would also like to take this opportunity to focus on the positive benefits of maintaining your Autodesk Subscription:"

I may be being a little nieve here but are autodesk really allowed to stop me useing software i paid for in full, I am a freelancer and the annual subscription is prohibitivley expensive in the current economic climate.

can anyone shed any light on this.

Cheers

#2

I think that since you changed to a subscription that you we’re benefiting from alot cheaper rates than buying each copy because your we’re “licencing” it for a year only. Then they are probably right. whether thats right or wrong morally is another question. But I’d guess the licence you agreed when you signed up for subscription based payments will be correct unfortunatly.

#3

I should have read the small print,

Would i be within my rights to use the origional max 7 i paid full price for initially?

It seems that autodesk has adopted a really heavy handed stance now it has got a tighter grip on the 3d app market.

#4

Hmmm…I dont know if they can stop you using a licence you have paid for…assuming you are all payed up to the latest version of MAX that your subscription allows.

I don’t see how cancelling your VOLUNTARY subscription voids all purchases up to that point. The subscriuption isn’t a compulsory thing, but just makes sense in the long run for upgrades.

But I could be wrong.

#5

Probably a good time to contact your lawyer…

It seems to me though, purely common sense, that baaah888 is right, if you got reasonable cheap subscriptions and never paid the full price, that you kind of hired the product instead of buying it. If you did pay the full price for one version, that should be the version you are allowed to keep…

#6

thats intresting…

So, If someone buys a copy of max for (£3000) and one years subscriptions (£400) and then dropped out of that subcription plan they would loose all right to use the software?

Seems pretty expensive for one years use.

#7

I thought that when your subscription lapsed you were still entitled to use the latest version that your subscription covered, but not any previous versions you had.

#8

Yeah, reading that again it only mentions previouse versions.

#9

Looking at some more info i can see that i may have got the wrong impression regarding how the subscription works.

I assumed that since newer versions of max had a few new features i was just paying for an annual upgrade of software i already had. I didn’t realise i was essentially hireing the application from version 7 onwards.

There is something about all this that makes me feel like i’m being held to ransom. For autodesk to tell me i need to remove all my versions of max, including the max 7 i paid for in full is quite threatening and makes me feel like a software pirate.

I will certainly be paying attention when signing up to anything like this in future, my re seller didn’t mention any of these repercutions when i cancelled the subscription.

#10

AFAIK it does.
While under subscription you’re entitled to use any version of the software, once out of subscription you’re “locked” into your last maintained major version.

#11

License agreements have a sly side to them. Particularly in the hands of a company such as Autodesk. It’s best to run these questions by an Autodesk employee and get them to explain every question you have in detail.
The whole compulsory maintenance fee they are forcing through bugs the heck out of me and has me extremely cautious about where they are going with this. It feels like a multi tier plan in progress, slowly taking us towards total client lock-in with no room to wiggle. Be ware!

#12

Telephone call for Christian, I have a Mr Ben Dover on the line for you.

Heh, actually I thought I’d try and find out by calling them. The first time they decided to put me through to some guy in the AD Inventor department. The second call went through instantly to “3d studio max alias max”'s voicemail. The third call rang 20 times and nobody bothered picking it up.

sigh

#13

I wouldn’t remove the software, personally the way i see it is, you’ve paid money for it, they’ve taken the money. Now that they aren’t getting any money from you, they email you demanding you remove the software, including previous versions. It’s a rather bad way of treating customers.

#14

That right, happened to me last year when I needed to used a previous version of max for a project and on that year I decided to stop my superscription. I had to get the superscription with an added late fee. To add more to my pain I discovered that even though I have payed the late fee my superscription does not last for another year from the day I paid but from the date the original contract started, which meant that 3 month later I had to pay again for the superscription. It did piss me off and I did say to myself that I need to move to another software, but by that time AD got hold of Softimage.

paintbox in my experience layers cost more then the superscription…

#15

:wip:

Tangent rant: I had approached(by reference) one very senior Autodesk rep inquiring about bulk license prices (max/Maya educational) for a new educational venture for an existing company.
To say that this guy had airs was an understatement.He even insisted that the name of the institute could not have the name of parent company in any way.
During the conversation he said “I’ve heard you are also talking with the Houdini guys,Not that it’s any of my concern…”:rolleyes:
That’s 6 minutes of my time i’m never getting back.

b

#16

Well done Autodesk you’re going to get so much bad publicity for this.

#17

I think generally Autodesks approach in this matter (and others) is pretty sucky. But I can understand why autodesk are like this - a lot of there software is very highend, aimed at very technical people in engineering and architecture, in companies that turn over millions - even there letter and emails that i get from time to time are written as if I’m a company of 100 people with an IT dept. When the fact is I’m one fairly laid back illustrator working from a small insignificant office is a small city. Its so impersonal that sometimes I just wish I could go back to a simpler time, pay for my software, have a simple serial and just use it without the hustle of corporate crap and corporate attitude that we get from Autodesk.

More Adobe - less Autodesk

#18

I have no problem with the idea of a subscription service, and honestly it saves ALOT of money in not needing to pay a full fee for a new version…but nullifying all purchases, including the ORIGINAL purchase…something just doesn’t seem right there.

#19

As customers maybe it’s time you guys show Autodesk what you really think of them by not supporting their products because they treat you like crap. Move to a different application which treats it’s customers as humans and which has fair prices for their applications. I can’t quite see why some people bend over backwards (or forwards) for Autodesk the way they shaft you.

It was better in the early -90’s :slight_smile:

/ Magnus

#20

Dear customer:
Thank you for contacting Autodesk, Inc.

You are entitled to use the latest version; previous versions can only be used when you have an active subscription contract.

If you have any other issues, don’t hesitate to contact us again.

Best Regards,

Inger Haemmerli
Autodesk Business Center