how is this rude? Did they cut in front of you in a line to go see Barbara Mandrell? Did they kick your dog? Did they mock you in some way? What’s “rude” in your context? This is a software company who decided to cut off support for a product. It’s business.
Yes, using your lack of thinking it through, one could deduce… joblessness in cities promotes theft. That makes it all better.
Pixelmonk- What do you imagine you’re accomplishing by continuing to (sometimes rudely) rebuff posters and debate the reasons why AD does what it doe. Unless you work at AD or have some special info on what is happening it might be best if you quit spouting your knowledge on the hows and whys.
At the very least, try to understand you are addressing users who are upset and don’t need your soothing them with a sandpaper rubdown. :banghead:
Getting a new key is not a different story, if that is the only way they have made it possible for us to run the software. It was their decision to go this way with their licensing. There was no stated or implied condition for the use of this software that we would only be able to use it until our current hardware configuration wore out! This can be as simple as a hard disk failure, and you are out of the use of the software you have purchased, unless you are able to get a new key. If that were the understanding, no one would have paid good money for it. It is not a matter of backing up the license, in the case of hardware failure, as some have said, by the way.
So, yes, by all reasonable standards they are effectively “preventing your installed copy from running any longer”, because being able to reinstall the same version of your software, for your own personal, single use, is by any standard implicit in the purchase of a piece of software. If this is no longer the case, it will mean very big issues for the software user – it will be basically a ‘license to kill’ for the software vendors. There will be literally no way for the user to rely upon any software purchase, to intelligently invest money and time and work into any software application. It will all be based upon a guess as to the company’s intention, future buy-outs, etc, etc. Remember, we are not talking about simply no more upgrades or tech support for discontinued software, but about cutting off the use of existing, purchased software.
The simple fact remains that there is a big difference between simply no longer supporting a product (through new releases, tech support, copies, etc), and effectively revoking your right to use it as you purchased it, simply because your hard disk tanks. Another way must be found to provide a usable license in the case of hardware-bound licensing, if a company decides it can no longer support the licensing method they themselves choose to use. They decided to use a system that requires their on-going support. It is their responsibility to provide a system that does not require this support if they are unwilling to provide it. It is a matter of basic logic and public trust.
This is a legal matter we should all watch carefully, as it means a great deal as a precedent in the software industry. The implications are serious.
Nancy Jacobs
Apparently Pixelmonk is ONLY trolling here. He has not responded directly to certain posts agreeing that this move by Autodesk is unfair - rather he continually comments on other issues.
THE FACT IS… Autodesk is revoking our rights to use the software WE purchased in good faith with the EULA stating that this was a PERMANENT license.
Do you dispute this Pixelmonk? And if so, what is your reasoning? Please do not come back with “its part of the support” that Autodesk has discontinued. This has NOTHING to do with support, however you wish to rationalize it. The poster who mentioned Win98 stated it rather well - no more support for Win98 from MS, but they can still use the software with the key they were given.
TRY to understand how unfair this is and WHY we are upset and trying to do something about it rather than argue pointlessly. It does NOT matter WHY (money or other reasons) Autodesk is doing this, it ONLY matters that they are and it is unfair AND possibly not legal. We shall see.
Megalodon
I just received a reply from the BBB.
There appears to be a solution, though it is not clear (as you will read) as to how we continue to acticvate this software should hardware failure ensue. After reading it, if anyone has a better understanding of “corporate-speak,” please fill us in. I assume that the “gobbledeegook” in place of a real contact company to re-activate our standard edition is just that - a place-holder until they contact the parties involved - US. Hopefully those users who receive e-mail from Autodesk will let us know right away if/when they receive a response - preferably BEFORE the effective cutoff date for MB standard activation.
From the BBB:
As background we note Autodesk, Inc. purchased Alias Systems Corp. and related companies (‘Alias’) on January 10, 2006. The MotionBuilder software product line was originally produced by a company purchased by Alias. There were three products in Alias’ MotionBuilder product line: (i) Motionbuilder Pro1 (Pro’’), the most sophisticated product; (Ii) Motionbuilder Standard2 ("Standard’’), the basic product; and (iii) MotionBuilder Personal Learning Edition a noncommercial product solely for learning purposes.
Shortly after Alias was purchased, Standard was retired. ‘Retired’ is used fairly frequently in the software idustry. When applied to a software product or a version of a software product, it means a software company stops providing technical support and/or stops selling additional licenses, However, the right to use all then existing or previously sold licenses for the software continues in full force, unaffected by the retirement,
The Standard retirement includes a special offer by Autodesk to sell Standard end-users the Pro product, with ne year support, for $1,995 USD. This saves a Standard end-user $2,195 USD over the suggested retail price. Notwith landing this offer, Autodesk undersiands some end-users may not wish to purchase Pro, A decision not to purchase ii no way affects an end-user’s right to use the existing Standard product.
Unfortunately, an end-user may create a situation where continued use of Standard may be difficult, and this r lates to a failed activation code. At the time of purchase, the Standard end-user obtained an activation code from a th d party, Protexis, which does not have a relationship with Autodesk, All existing Standard end-users had, and should :ontinue to have, this activation code. The retirement of Standard in no way invalidates, disrupts or revokes this activati n code, and accordingly Standard remains fully operable. However, a failure of the activation code may occur where an end- user (i) drastically changes the hardware environment on the computer on which Standard is installed; (ii) cha ges the operating system for the computer on which Standard is installed; or (iii) moves Standard to another oomputei system. These events may occur after a system crash and are, of course, beyond Autodesk’s control.
If Standard ceases to operate in those circumstances, it was recently determined end-users may contact Pr texis at upportomte,cic mm to obtain a new activation code, Autodesic will not provide replacement software c a new activation code. Once an end-user provides Protexis with the installation code and the Standard produc version number, Autodesk expects Protexis will generate a new activation code to re-activate the software. Accordin ly, endusers have a solution should their actions require the software be re-activated. Our view is that this sati Factorily addresses Mr. X’ concern,
Autodesk plans to issue a fopippal communication to Standard end-users to fully explain this activation code option. Please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned if you wish to review this matter further.
regards,
Mary Ruijs
Senior Corporate Counsel
Holy Typos Batman!!..I think I understand it even so 
…will be interesting to see if AD really does what this says…if they do, I hope the run the "fopippal communication to Standard end-users to fully explain this activation code option. " through a spell checker…hehe
PS: Seems the Upgrade offer link is dead now…hmmm
If that is the case, why the hard sale tactics to try and get users to pay $2000. I think even less of Autodesk than I did before…
… if you think about it, having this 3rd party reactivate is a bit of a mixed bag…it’s fine as long as they are around to activate users. As soon as they are gone or stop activation users are pooched again.
How about a perpetual use key without need to reactivate at any moment MB decides to need one??
I would agree - and it’s probably what we should still push for. If not, there are other options that are available, though not preferred. I think I will add this input to the BBB report to voice this concern as well.
I guess right now it’s a “wait and see” situation.
Megalodon
yeah, although, there is probably a serious need to press on and not stop until there is a long term solution for users…I’d have to see what, if anything AD actually does email out in connection with this latest BBB info…but waiting for a 3rd party stopgap that will be in place for a while and then likely be removed would put users in an even weaker position for getting AD to do anything. :shrug:
Autodesk still has the responsibility to provide activation codes regardless of what third, fourth, ect, party is being used. (How odd of it is for me to currently use the word responsibilty and Autodesk in the same sentence).
Megaladon,
Thank you for taking the time to file with the BBB, and posting the feedback 
Regards!
Good work Megaladon, I wonder if there will be a fee for this new key generation service. Surely it would be easier to give us the keygen software, we are gonna get it anyways, and if they continue with this unreasonable and legally dubious approach it just makes them look bad and turns their original hardcore users into criminals. Nice one …PR suicide.
Ya good work Megalodon…
I think the re-activation by a third party is reasonable
1: They probably developed the anti piracy software
2: This is somewhat standard with the games industry…i.e. certain games have ant cracking software that if they detect certain programs on your system will disable the game from running…you contact the security company, not the game maker.
I realize this is less then ideal, but under the circumstances would find it acceptable.
I think we have to take what we can get, if they can assure us that Protexis will issue activation codes then I’m satisfied.
They will not give us the keygen(not that we couldn’t get it ourselves) that is like making it open source.
If this does come about then going to the BBB was a very good idea.
But who the hell typed that message out, must be voice recognition or something…
I just happened to install the new LW 9 version and happened to read the license. If it’s the same as AD we may not have a recourse. The license states that the license can be terminated at any time for any reason. I think I would prefer a hardware key in that case.
Onya Megalodon, you’ve done real good. Thanks for championing the cause. This isn’t a perfect solution but it’s a big improvement under the circumstances.
C’mon Autodesk make the announcement about this third party option (like the BBB has no doubt told you too) and don’t make out like it was your idea either.
Big up to you Megalodon!
Hadn’t checked in for a couple days so this is a nice surprise. Do you think they’ll actually tell any of us? Should anyone get an email from Autodesk please post it here.
Kudos to us all - though that may be premature. Hopefully with all of the e-mails and this furor of activity on the various forums will actually give us a viable solution.
Unfortunately (as Mark says) it’s unlikely we would get any sort of key-gen since anyone could then give a copy of their software away. As easy as this would be for us, I doubt it would happen - I would prefer a permament key that will work with each persons software no matter what machine it is installed on which would be keyed to our serial numbers. I don’t think it would be that difficult to create - but then I am not a programmer.
Yeah, it had quite a few spelling errors. 
You’re probably right in that we will have to settle for this as opposed to having our own perpetual activation numbers. Though my primary concern in that case would be if “Protexis” went out of business a few months later.
The BBB was one avenue and the FTC I have yet to hear back from. Hopefully everyone here will keep bombarding AD with e-mails showing how we feel. Apparently it’s done something in that the behemoth known as Autodesk will alter their decision. Fortunately we are not asking for the moon, just a few small meteorites. 
Megalodon
Well said!
I guess the question is now “who do we contact at Protexium” or whatever it is they’re called when we need a new activation code?