NI have announced they will no longer activate discontinued products

[EvilDragon]

i knew I had read it somewhere (my bold emphasis):

End User License Agreement of Native Instruments - April 2009
2. Registration / Activation
...
The Native Instruments activation uses information about essential system components of the user's audio computer encoded in the Activation Request File. This information does not contain any personal data. The Activation Request File will be used to create an activation key, which works only on the computer where the Activation Request File has been generated.

In case you want to use your Native Instruments product on a different computer or in case of certain changes on your present computer a re-activation might become necessary.

Should Native Instruments for whatever reasons no longer be able to fulfill its obligations to deliver the activation key, it will provide the Licensee with a key which ensures the continued use of the software independent of changes of the computer.
...

Yeah... I found that too in NA Documentation folder. However, that file is dated last year, whereas NA now links you from the login page directly to NI's latest EULA that is on the website:

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/c ... agreement/

...which doesn't contain that clause.

[Hink]

Members are asked to respect the copyright of other users, sites, media, etc. Users linking to, asking for information about, or blatantly bragging about using, warez, crackz, pirated sample content, re-printing material without permission, etc. will result in your post being edited / deleted, and you may be issued with a warning and / or a ban.

please respect this

[szurcio]

Yeah... I found that too in NA Documentation folder. However, that file is dated last year, whereas NA now links you from the login page directly to NI's latest EULA that is on the website:

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/c ... agreement/

...which doesn't contain that clause.

But when you purchase a software license, the EULA valid at the time of purchase should be the one legally binding, not a version that is issued months or years after your contract. Otherwise, it would create a total legal mess and people would never buy anything...

[DarkStar]

Yeah... I found that too in NA Documentation folder. However, that file is dated last year, whereas NA now links you from the login page directly to NI's latest EULA that is on the website:

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/c ... agreement/

...which doesn't contain that clause.

Changing the Terms of an Agreement to the disadvantage of the customer, without clearly notifying them, is an unfair (maybe illegal) practice. Even though the UK is leaving the EU.

[EvilDragon]

Well ok, IANAL (that's one helluva unfortunate acronym! ). Just stating how things are today.

[Stryves]

Well ok, IANAL (that's one helluva unfortunate acronym! ). Just stating how things are today.

I had to look it up, wasn't sure where this EULA was going!

[vurt]

Well ok, I ANAL .

not sure this is the place to announce it...

[EvilDragon]

[Ghostwave]

From what NI came up with to justify this move, I can't understand why they need to set a particular date instead of an OS version number. If they said "those products won't activate on Windows 10's successor or on the next MacOS version", it wouldn't create such a shitstorm. The problem is that they're pulling the plug on something that still works now.

[wagtunes]

Members are asked to respect the copyright of other users, sites, media, etc. Users linking to, asking for information about, or blatantly bragging about using, warez, crackz, pirated sample content, re-printing material without permission, etc. will result in your post being edited / deleted, and you may be issued with a warning and / or a ban.

please respect this

Thank you Hink.

I have kept out of this long enough. Shame on anybody even suggesting going down this road.

I have no horse in this race as all the stuff being dropped I don't own. I wasn't even making music on PC back then.

But then what happens when NI comes after me?

Not counting Komplete 11 (which someday will be 20 years old too and probably can't be relicensed) this is everything I own dependent on NI


Embertone Violin 96
Chris Hein Solo Violin 178
Chris Hein Solo Cello 256
Vir 2 Guitars 650
Reaktor 6 99
Chris Hein Harmonica 115
8Dio Bundle 92
Synthmagic Polycom 121
Realitone Ladies 300

$1607

That's $1,607 of software that, theoretically, could fall on the same fate as the stuff just discontinued. Software that, under the EULA that I BOUGHT IT UNDER, says that if they can't provide a license for me that they will still make it work somehow.

I don't know about you folks but I fully intend to call my lawyer when that day comes and hold NI to their promise.

Having said all that, the other day, with daylight savings time and Cubase having to index all my plugins again (first time since going to Windows 10) I have discovered that all my Wolfgang Palm plugins come up as corrupted and can't be used. That's over $500 down the drain.

Oh well, that's life. I'm not going to cry over it as there's nothing I can really do about it. Sometimes OS upgrades make it so that things just stop working. I have tons of video games collecting dust that I can no longer play. It's been that way since the 90s when I first got on a PC.

But I'll be damned if I'm going to let a company take away my perfectly usable software because they can't license it anymore. Where am I getting $1607 to replace all that stuff? Maybe everybody here defending NI wants to send me a check to pay for replacements, if any even exist.

FWIW, I'm done buying things. It's March and I've yet to buy one piece of software this year and absolutely will NOT be buying anything unless it's to replace something critical that has stopped working, like Cubase 7 that I know someday will probably crap out on me. I just had to replace my keyboard that broke after 6 years. Repairing it cost more than a new one so it was pointless to fix.

What NI is doing, not living up to their EULA, is WRONG.

PERIOD

Anybody defending their breaking of the law (essentially) is wrong as well.

Have a nice day.

PS - Yes, I posted in this sub forum. So enjoy your ragging on me for that. But this had to be said.

[Stryves]

... Software that, under the EULA that I BOUGHT IT UNDER, says that if they can't provide a license for me that they will still make it work somehow ...

That's the frustration to me, and I don't have a horse in this race either.

[masterhiggins]

apple does cause a shit load of headaches for devs

For users, too - I'm one of them. With serious plans to leave Logic after over 20 years.

I’m sort of glued to Logic at this point. I rely heavily on its instruments. Been on it since v4 on PC and it’s midi implementation is still unrivaled. I’ll have to see how they deal with the new ARM processors. I have a feeling they’re going to try and ditch intel completely and won’t that be fun!?

[chk071]

IMO, hell will freeze over before Apple completely switches to ARM, or anything else. But, that's another topic.

[fmr]

I have discovered that all my Wolfgang Palm plugins come up as corrupted and can't be used. That's over $500 down the drain.

Wait... WHAT?

Did you e-mail him? What did he say?

[wagtunes]

I have discovered that all my Wolfgang Palm plugins come up as corrupted and can't be used. That's over $500 down the drain.

Wait... WHAT?

Did you e-mail him? What did he say?

It doesn't matter. He has a no refund policy and no demo mode. I bought them a few years ago, they worked and I've no problems until going to Windows 10. Most likely it's a Cubase 7 Windows 10 conflict.

Point is, stuff happens. That I can understand. Taking my stuff away from me that works perfectly well, sorry, THAT I can't understand and will not accept.

Fortunately, the law is on my side.