Native Instruments file for insolvency...

[sprnva]

At least the plugin alliance installer allows you to download and export the blob. I'm going to keep both a backup of the installers from the website and one made by the installation manager as the one made by the installer requires the manager to install.

You can also save out a license file for offline activation. However those license files are machine-locked unless you activate to a USB stick.

Is there really a possibility that we lose access to software licenses that we paid money for if NI goes bankrupt?
Everyone here and on Reddit is talking about archiving the software somehow in case that happens.
I haven't bothered doing anything yet.

We already did. When they shut down Service Center it was no longer possible to reactivate anything that didn't get ported over to Native Access or on systems too old to run it. I have old versions of Komplete that I could install on old systems but can't activate them now. The sad thing is that Service Center supported offline activation but if support won't give you an activation code it's not much use.

Recently we also had Focusrite/Novation kill off almost all of their plugins with no way to reactivate them.

The solution is to not spend money on anything that can be taken away by a server shutdown.

[npdc]

Another helpful link. How do I authorize a USB drive offline?
https://support.plugin-alliance.com/hc/ ... ve-offline

"We do not support SanDisk USB drives because SanDisk USB memory drives do not provide drive-specific serial numbers. Please use another brand when activating your plugins to a USB memory stick."

[Sascha Franck]

With regard to the kind of company they have become, I understand your sentiment. With regard to the several hundred people who are working there, I can´t wish ill on them - simply because I am sure there´s many people there who try their best under adverse circumstances and who have families to feed. I merely wish them a better future, one where they can proudly write "great place to work" on glassdoor, not "dumpster fire".

Don't get me wrong, I wish each and every of their employees (minus the guys responsible for the direction NI took in this decade) all the best and either a great new job or being able to continue with their work.
I also wish there'd be a solution for all the Kontakt library users (I mean, I'm at least using them occasionally myself as well and own Komplete Ultimate, which has some nice stuff in it without any doubt).
But as far as the company itself is concerned, they can just go down.

[Sascha Franck]

Fwiw, if they really shut down their servers one day, that'd be a fantastic justification for using cracks instead of official software. People already did that when Service Center was abandoned.
Another pretty bad side effect of all this.

[NothanUmber]

Is it normal that companies who have to file for insolvency don't have to mention this with any word on their homepage? It might be interesting for someone who is going to invest a non-negligible amount in software or hardware that it is unknown atm. how long this piece will receive support or can even be reactivated.

[EvilDragon]

Yes it's normal. Under EU law, once a company is under insolvency management, only the insolvency manager can make any public statements, nobody from NI themselves can.

[SLiC]

It is being discussed on their forum, but hasn't been commented on by any employees (who normally post), they are probably as shell shocked as we are...given that its being discussed openly on every forum and YT etc, they will have to have PR company come up with something as their public silence may be worse than an announcement...they are probably mid-negotiation with buyers, sales suddenly stopping won't help that!

[NothanUmber]

Fwiw, if they really shut down their servers one day, that'd be a fantastic justification for using cracks instead of official software.

I fear the unavailability wouldn't make using cracks any more legal. Imho this should change. Companies who sell DRM secured software would have to store a DRM-free, recent copy of the client (and if applicable the server backend) at a third party entity. When that software cannot be bought anymore for let's say one year then this DRM-free copy would automatically be released as freeware, so people who rely on the software can still use their projects and data.

[npdc]

Yes it's normal. Under EU law, once a company is under insolvency management, only the insolvency manager can make any public statements, nobody from NI themselves can.

Gotta love the EU laws once again.
So people making music under a rock will have no clue what's going on.

[EvilDragon]

I fear the unavailability wouldn't make using cracks any more legal. Imho this should change.

In most if not all of EU it's legal under those circumstances.

[Sascha Franck]

I fear the unavailability wouldn't make using cracks any more legal.

As EvilDragon said, it might even be legal - but that's not what my posting was about. I just find it pretty bad that you might have to resort to using cracks in order to continue using software that you've paid for.

[Caine123]

problem with cracks is how would it impact your system and you never know what these would do to it? open up vulnerabilities etc....? not going into warez talk but this shouldnt be an option but giving us offline installers. i would never use cracks on my studio rig,

[Scoops]

Huh?

This is very sad news indeed.

Sure, but somewhat to be expected.

Yep, I totally expected this
I was working at Motorola when Google bought it. All the uppers and visionaries left Moto, and Google was in it much like a venture capatalist looking to strip out the things they wanted. Not that Moto ever filed, but the cycle is terribly similar.

If we look at NI, visionaries left, VC came in, we saw the decline of the empire, (lack of customer service, poorly implemented apps, and no product innovation) and now it's approaching rubble.

Not that NI can't rise out of the ashes, but do they have a Phoenix VST?

I personally started to move away from that nonsense when the Native Access debacle started.

Just my $0.02

[enCiphered]

I’m genuinely puzzled by how emotionally charged some of these replies are. Wanting a company to fail over a synth or system you don’t like feels wild.
We’re talking about music software, not ideology or ethics. Dislike it, ignore it, critique it.. all fine. But rooting for people to fall because their product doesn’t align with your preferences crosses from evaluation into something personal. Very ugly.

[npdc]

I’m genuinely puzzled by how emotionally charged some of these replies are. Wanting a company to fail over a synth or system you don’t like feels wild.
We’re talking about music software, not ideology or ethics. Dislike it, ignore it, critique it.. all fine. But rooting for people to fall because their product doesn’t align with your preferences crosses from evaluation into something personal. Very ugly.

The music software community is no different from other communities. All kind of apples here as well.