Cubase 12 - updated licensing info

[midi_transmission]

There is always a downside. But I'm wondering how to deal with crashed computers that you can't deactivate.

Same as you'd do now if you lost your eLicenser dongle. You contact them and explain. They will (at their discretion) manually deactivate / replace a license without it counting against your total of 3.

That is probably the only advantage from an real online activation like they had planed initially, that you have no problem with cases like that. Even a usb dongle can break.

[felis]

The proper way to do it is to just log in with your user ID and password, deactivate the old, and activate the new.

[PAK]

The proper way to do it is to just log in with your user ID and password, deactivate the old, and activate the new.

You can do that if you can boot the OS. It's probably a good idea to do so prior to making major hardware changes or installing any Windows / Mac OS version update etc.

The discussion was about what happens in cases where you can't boot from a computer, or the installation is so broken that the Cubase activation software cannot be launched. In those cases it's unlikely you can just deactivate an install on another PC - The installed software needs to see Steinberg's server in order to properly deactivate. So those cases will require manual intervention in order not to "lose" one of your 3 perpetual key activations.

That's one scenario where a time-limited activation would have an advantage - because it could be allowed to time out and auto-reset. In theory that also saves on support costs. In practice (depending on implementation) if you lost a 30 day activation you likely don't want to wait another 29 days to use it again etc. Plus, simply because you're activating more often, it increases the chances for issues

[felis]

Have you gotten a new computer in the time you've been using Cubase?

[PAK]

Have you gotten a new computer in the time you've been using Cubase?

?? Hopefully, since I don't think a 68000 goes as far these days..
Though Cubase Pro is dongle only. IE The license is independent from the computer.

[Examigan]

68000?

Reminds me of the good old days with my Atari ST.

[chk071]

TBH, I'm really worried now about their transition to the new copy protection system, and, especially, the migration of the user's products. I got 2 emails from Steinberg earlier, where I was notified that I could activate upgrades to two of my products. One was Cubase LE 11, which obviously was meant to be an upgrade for a Cubase LE 6 license I once owned (years ago...), which isn't in my account anymore for a loooong time now. Think I originally had it activated on one of my soft eLicensers once. I don#t even find it in MySteinberg. So, I can't even activate Cubase LE 11 now, because I don't even own the corresponding Cubase LE 6 license, which I'm eiligible to upgrade...

I also got an email that I get a free upgreade to Cubase AI 11. Well... I already have Cubase AI 11. It might, just might be an upgrade for another Cubase AI license I once owned... again, I don't really own that license anymore. IIRC, I gave it away on an eLicenser I sold with some other Steinberg software.

And, in the Steinberg Download Assistant software, I have 5 licenses listed... under those are 2 products which I no longer own (Cubase Artist, and a Wavelab LE license I upgrade to Wavelab Elements...). And, in my MySteinberg account, the display of licenses on my dongle are also faulty.

Phew... I really hope that the migration of the licenses are neither done by the products that are listed in MySteinberg, nor those listed in the Steinberg Download Assistant. But then, how is the migration actually done then? I'm pretty puzzled here, and, I hope that it all goes smoothly, otherwise a lot of people will be pissed off.

eLicenser_Control_Center.png

Download_Assistant.png

MySteinberg.png

[felis]

?? Hopefully, since I don't think a 68000 goes as far these days..
Though Cubase Pro is dongle only. IE The license is independent from the computer.

I ask only because I, like everyone else, don't know how it's going to work.
If they go like Arturia, you can just log in on your new computer
with your user ID and password to deactivate something.
I assume you can also activate on a new computer too, but I haven't had to try that yet.

Arturia Deactivate - Copy.jpg

[felis]

TBH, I'm really worried now about their transition to the new copy protection system, and, especially, the migration of the user's products.....

I got the same thing, and it really makes me wonder if they've got a handle on things.
I had a lot of older licenses, and when I checked one day a few years ago, a lot of them were gone.
I contacted them, and they told me they were 'deprecated'. Didn't matter if I still used them.
I wondered what they have me down as for licenses, but the stuff I'm still using still shows up on my elicensers.

I've been using Steinberg stuff almost since the beginning, but some more recent experiences are giving me doubts. I hope things go smoothly, because I'd really hate to have to switch to something else.

[kritikon]

A shitstorm's a-coming I tell ya. Whatever they do, however they do it...it's Steinberg. So that shitstorm's a-coming round the mountain. TBH I think I'll probably be happy on v10.5 for several versions yet so my pain is postponed at least for a few years. By the time I upgrade and need new "protection" (sounds kinda familiar doesn't it - as in The Godfather) the protection will hopefully not involve nailing my bollocks to a desk before I can use it on my computer.

[pixel85]

Surely at the beginning it will be a mess. These days every big start/change in software is a hot mess or total disaster. Early adopters / unofficial beta testers always suffer the most.
I would recommend to wait a bit and let those who bath in hot water and can't wait even w minute, to struggle at the beginning and wait for hotfixes.
Definitely, good luck for those who will cry that they can't register first day because servers will have hard day to handle all those people trying to do the same thing at the same time - those people will never learn.
I remember how messy were Waves Center and Native Access at the beginning. I'm definitely not making the same mistake again. I'll wait when most of issues (related to licensing system) will be fixed, before I jump to C12.

[AdvancedFollower]

The proper way to do it is to just log in with your user ID and password, deactivate the old, and activate the new.

You can do that if you can boot the OS. It's probably a good idea to do so prior to making major hardware changes or installing any Windows / Mac OS version update etc.

The discussion was about what happens in cases where you can't boot from a computer, or the installation is so broken that the Cubase activation software cannot be launched. In those cases it's unlikely you can just deactivate an install on another PC - The installed software needs to see Steinberg's server in order to properly deactivate. So those cases will require manual intervention in order not to "lose" one of your 3 perpetual key activations.

That's one scenario where a time-limited activation would have an advantage - because it could be allowed to time out and auto-reset. In theory that also saves on support costs. In practice (depending on implementation) if you lost a 30 day activation you likely don't want to wait another 29 days to use it again etc. Plus, simply because you're activating more often, it increases the chances for issues

What some companies allow you to do is log in from *any* computer to your user account on the web, and from there manually deactivate computers. For example, Acustica allow this:


The authorization is removed, and if the removed PC ever comes online and tries to activate again, it will fail since it's no longer authorized.

[PAK]

What some companies allow you to do is log in from *any* computer to your user account on the web, and from there manually deactivate computers. For example, Acustica

Yep, as pointed out, Arturia is another. But, when asked about this specifically, the response from Steinberg was present plans (for the new license system) mean it will require manual intervention. Keep in mind it only applies when you cannot launch the software on the computer you wish to deactivate (OS Boot failure etc). Otherwise deactivation is automated.

However, as we've seen, plans can change. Maybe they'll take the more user-friendly approach, as others do, at some point. Since there's a server side component, in such resets, it'd be possible to limit the amount to prevent abuse. They'd obviously need to weigh that against what they think will be the likelihood of greater abuse if they automate Vs having to speak to them (which raises their support costs, thus why they should be inclined towards a more trusting direction.. ) We'll see

[felis]

Hang on - it's starting for Dorico on Wednesday 1/12/2022

[chk071]

Will it already have the new licensing?

As far as I could see, they've done a lot to the Steinberg Download Assistant recently.