Patience is in order, but so is this need to convince corporate take-over leaders that this is one complex pie to slice. Everyone has contributed excellent talking points that a pro-forma takeover may overlook.

I think it can be probably assumed that in a number high on the priority list IS for the max return on the Magix acquisition - they DO (likely should?) want to create incentives to divorce the costly maintenance of old licensing and just move to a NEW controlled license distribution. Just how they are going to balance that and bring-on new customers and generate more income is going to PROVE a difficult road ahead.

I'm amazed at how quickly everyone forgets that it usually takes a few days for MAGIX (usually Eric D.) to reply to things like this and put everyone's mind at ease.

A few days? Since this post:

https://www.custcenter.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5200

is sitting right on the Sony support site - how difficult would it have been for the person who posted this FAQ article - to take a "few days" to get it right the first time? I can only assume that Magix authorized Sony to post this stuff?

This question (which I assume is causing the runaway panic) :

"How long will it be possible to activate my older Vegas, ACID, and Sound Forge products?

Older versions will be activate-able for five years using the serial supplied when the product was purchased. "

Should never have been published in it's current state.

The answer to this question - should have had very clear and very concise wording - and named - in detail - EVERY possible SMS/Sonic Foundry app that is effected - complete with info about how long it can be used, from what date it could be activated and so on.

Everyone is talking Vegas - but I want to know about DVD/CD Architect and my iZoTope plugin bundle for Acid Pro and all sorts of obscure stuff that I bought in the last 10-12 years.

If such concise answers are not yet available - the question probably should have never appeared anywhere until such time the concise answers are available.

And now we need Eric D to settle everyone down? Why is it so difficult for Sony to do anything right?

VP

I don't think it is reasonable to think SCS will run their activation server for software that is not theirs. It seems they, SCS, are going to be running it for 5 more years. SCS maybe cannot hand this server DNS/IP address to MAGIX since SCS is still likely using it for their software lineup. Catalyst. If the server can be transferred there are still considerations.

SCS selling the software IP is not far off from them just folding up shop and closing the doors and we are instantly SOL. If we don't upgrade to a "MAGIX" version of a product within 5 years, then why should MAGIX care about us. They never made even one penny off us. Anything MAGIX purchased and is not interested in selling just dies. Welcome to planet Earth.

I am not seeing any official stipulation that there is a cut off date for activations at 5 years out. I have changed the FAQ to reflect that previous versions of the software will still be able to be activated. When I find out more about any specific time frames I will keep the community updated.

Thank you for the quick response, Eric D.

Eric,

Thank you for responding and updating the official FAQ page located at: https://www.custcenter.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5200. I no longer see the 5 year mention.

Good News!

Thanks again.

Here is the problem with Software Activation in general:

#1) It doesn't work as a deterrent! You can get a keygen for Vegas Pro and unlock it for free if you wanted to. (not advocating it, just stating a fact)

#2) Because of #1 only paying customers are impacted by the activation servers being turned off. Pirate users are not impacted!

#3) Since Activation doesn't work in keeping people from using without paying, all it does is P1SS OFF PAYING CUSTOMERS!!!

I don't see why MAGIX would continue the draconian practice of activating software when it serves no useful purpose. It doesn't stop dishonest people from using the software without paying because those who do not wish to pay will simply use a keygen. (Do you really think that all of the kids posting on the Creative COW about making XBOX videos for YouTube paid $399 for Vegas Pro? NOT!) This is not 1990 with CompuServe being accessed by 1200 baud modems by only computer geeks. This is the Broadband Internet where everyone and their grandmother knows where to find unlocked code. Activation on software is about as effective as copy protection on DVDs. Everyone who wants to, knows how to get around it. So all activation does is impact paying customers by not allowing customers to use the software that they paid for. MAGIX will not lose a single sale if they remove activation because people who use keygens were never going to pay for the software in the first place and paying customers want support.

A simple license key approach like Cakewalk has been using or years with SONAR is more than adequate to keep honest people honest (you cannot stop dishonest people form being dishonest). All of the customer angst in this thread would be eliminated if software companies would stop treating their customers like criminals by keeping them in shackles with activation.

When will software companies realize that activation is an inefficient way of preventing illegal use but very efficient way of making paying customers extremely mad? (...and this forum thread is proof of that) Something for MAGIX to consider going forward.

(PS: I wasn't going to post this because I didn't want to fuel the rage, but now that the situation as been defused, I just wanted to offer it up as "food for thought")

~jr

Interesting points JR. I have a couple of questions.

1. How does SONAR's license key approach work?

2. Is it possible for MAGIX to implement such an approach in the older products (like my VP12)?

Jerry
http://www.takeonesolutions.com
Photography • Video

> "1. How does SONAR's license key approach work?"

The same way the licensing for all our VASST Software products works. The software checks that the license key is valid and it lets you use the software. It doesn't phone home. It doesn't require you to attach your editing computer to the internet. It just accepts a valid key and starts to work. I have a lot of software that does this. I believe all of the graphics tools I've purchase from DAZ3D are like this (Carrara, Hexagon, etc.). I enter my license key and they just work. I can go back and install SONAR 2 on Windows XP and it just start working once I enter my license key. IMHO, that's the way it should be. I purchase a valid license key, I enter the license key into the software and the software works.

> "2. Is it possible for MAGIX to implement such an approach in the older products (like my VP12)?"

They can do anything they want. This is what Adobe did with Creative Suite 2 (CS2). It used an older activation scheme and they didn't want to maintain the servers anymore so they issued a final version of Adobe CS2 that did not phone home so that existing customers could continue to use it forever. That's the one nice thing Adobe did for their existing customers.

If Adobe can do it... MAGIX can do it. They just have to want to.

~jr

Guys, guys.

No big deal. I am using 9c, great program, rock-solid.

(1) If they won't support it after x years, no big deal. It runs fine, I know all the ins and outs.

(2) If they won't give key codes after x years, again, no big deal. In case you haven't noticed, Vegas activation keygens are out there. Why do you think there are so many copies in certain countries? I personally will have no problem using one to keep 9c going if I choose to do so.

+1 JohnnyRoy

I agree with all your statements and I will say that I have expressed this view many times in the past (not as well as you have stated) and have received responses that were not so pleasant. (Other software as well as Sonic Foundry - back in the day)

To me, the whole Activation "thing" is yet another device to limit users rights to software they have purchased. Perpetual license should be just that without anything needing a server/activation/phone home etc.

Thanks John Rofrano for your statement!

"I don't think it is reasonable to think SCS will run their activation server for software that is not theirs. It seems they, SCS, are going to be running it for 5 more years. SCS maybe cannot hand this server DNS/IP address to MAGIX since SCS is still likely using it for their software lineup. Catalyst. If the server can be transferred there are still considerations."

I wonder how many have forgotten that we already went through this when Sonic Foundry sold to Sony?

Sonic Foundry kept their licensing server active for a couple years or so. After that, anyone who needed to activate licenses from before the Sony rebranding had to install a patch that caused the activation procedure to look at Sony's new server instead. In that particular case i'm pretty sure it was a very simple DNS bypass, similar to putting an entry in the HOSTS file to point the host name to the right IP address. Whatever is necessary to do the same thing to point to Magix' server probably won't be too much more complex.

In any case, i'm sure the number of activations of older licenses drops off precipitously with time. The number of people who keep older versions running quickly thins out. On the other hand, i too like SIREN. It was discontinued probably 12+ years ago. A few years back i wanted to do a reinstall. It was old enough that the licensing update patch didn't work. I called customer service, and within about 30 seconds they gave me a new key that worked.

And, if you're worried about the 5 year time limit affecting ACID Pro 7 ... i just did a reinstall of that last week and had no trouble activating it online automatically.

And, if you're worried about the 5 year time limit affecting ACID Pro 7 ... i just did a reinstall of that last week and had no trouble activating it online automatically.

Are we assuming the switchover has already occurred? Or are we still hitting Sony servers?

VP

The linked web page doesn't say 5 years anymore. It looks like they changed their minds.

Based on the link in the original post, I don't see anything about 5 years. I do see the limit of 5 times mentioned before it would need to bee adjusted by Magix.

>>>"Based on the link in the original post, I don't see anything about 5 years..."<<<

When I gave the link in the original post (6/20/2016 1:20:56 AM, EEST), the FAQ/KB item did include the text "Older versions will be active-able for 5 years etc.", which of course prompted me to start the topic.

As MAGIX_Eric D said in his post (Date: 6/21/2016 1:15:25 AM, EEST), he changed the text later NOT to include this (i.e. "for five years"). To confirm, read the thread and Vocalpoint's early response, which quotes the original text from the original link, and e.g. the balazer post just above the jetdv post. Note also the time the FAQ was updated ("Updated 06/20/2016 05:10 PM, EEST").

edit: I've now added a screenshot of the original text to my first post in this thread.

OP must have wrong information and still no evidence to back it up. Magix not allowing older activations is burning a bridge, not building one.
They bought Yellow Tools software and it can still be activated.

I just don't see the upside of them doing this,. The downside is the potential for cracked software, serial keys to spread on the net.

There's enough competition out there where this kind of policy ends up on the black list of users.

As I was the OP, the information was correct at the time I started this thread.
See the initial post, which now includes a copy of the original text.
Did kitekrazee even read this thread and the post from MAGIX_Eric D??

Im still running 8.0c on a (gulp) XP workstation.

When I update that workstation to Win7Pro might be a good time to update to the latest working version of Vegas, whatever that is.

I have learned one lesson. If you build a workstation with the best and fastest parts available at the time, it will never go obsolete. Ten years later its still awesome. But the software sure will obsolesce.

I don't really have a problem with software that needs to "phone home" once for activation (and limits the number of activations without calling the vendor to get the number adjusted). That helps cut down on the "escaped" serial number that gets passed around to hundreds of people. I don't like the ones that have to "phone home" each time they start or every month etc. and I am NOT going to support Adobe and others with their subscription/ransom model. CS6 is my last Adobe purchase (I have purchased about 5 versions previous to that as upgrades). I realize you can't do much about the determined pirates, but controlling the number of activations for a given serial number is not that intrusive and I can certainly understand the vendors concern. There definitely is a problem determining that point between pissing off the loyal, legitimate customers and slowing down the pirates (you will never stop them).

mikey

I expect to be able to use my V10, V12 I've paid for, for as long as I wish; I paid for it not a subscription model. I'd expect magix/any acquiring company to honor licenses.

How about every 3-4 years when I upgrade my pc? I need to install fresh Win7/10 and will expect I can install my V12 on the new computer as needed.

if sony turns off their activation servers, I'd expect them or magix to provide a patch to us buyers to enable continued use of what I paid for, right?

My guess at the reason behind this is that the older software is looking at sonycreativesoftware.com (or similar Sony domain name) and Sony doesn't want to commit to more than 5 years of forwarding registration requests to Magix. Likewise neither Sony nor Magix wants to patch those really old applications.

The really old stuff I can sort of understand, but I will be disappointed if Magix doesn't release a patch or something for the latest versions each branch such as ACID, DVD Architect, Sound Forge and Vegas.