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View Full Version : Restrictive activation schemes


Rob Alexander
06-04-2003, 01:35 AM
This is an issue we discuss frequently with regard to music and ebooks, but I find myself faced with something similar in a well-known PPC application. I like this particular product, but find myself thinking, 'If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have bought it.' Here's the situation.

I bought IA Album from IA Style back in late 2001 and have always enjoyed using it. When I bought it, they tied the registration key to my email address and (now I know) every time it starts up, it checks my PPC email address against that registration code.

Now I'm moving back to the US and the email address I've used here will no longer be good. In preparation for my trip, I've rebuilt the PPC from a hard reset, put in all my new contact information and reinstalled all the applications. So far so good except there are two applications for which the change in the email address in 'Owner Information' broke the application: IA Album and Dooblo Borrower.

Borrower was no problem. I emailed them, they changed the email and I've gone to their web page to get a new code. (It's due in another hour or so, but looks like a no-problem change.)

But then I go to IA Style's web pages to do the same and find the following statement about address changes.

In extenuating circumstances where the change to the E-mail address in your PDA is necessary and unavoidable, we do provide a quick and easy on-line Updating Your E-Mail service. On that page, we offer a free one-time change of address. Note that you can only change your E-mail address once [emphasis added], and only the latest E-mail address will be retained in our database.

What's this? 8O Since when is changing your email address an "extenuating circumstance"? I bought this application (yeah, yeah, I know... a license), and have the right to use it in perpetuity, but they seem to be saying that I only get this one change of email ever in my whole life. :really mad: While I certainly understand that they wouldn't want you to change your email address over and over in a short time (which in theory someone might do to give the application to friends), it seems to me that this is a grossly draconian measure and not one that they made clear at the time of sale.

For now, my program will continue to run, but I still feel that they have cheated me by hiding the terms of that restriction at the time of the sale as I would never have agreed to that under any circumstances. (There are plenty of good image viewers out there.) Sure, I may use my current domain for the rest of my life, but I also might just decide to change it in a few years. At that time, they'll have a definite fight on their hands. :2gunfire: But in the meantime, I believe this will be the last of my dollars that IA Style will ever see. :byebye:

So I'm curious as to what other people think. I was in computers in the old days when we consumers defeated copy protection the first time. Now I find myself amazed at how so many people today don't seem to care about various activation schemes that have the potential to leave you without software that you paid good money for. Am I the only one here that 1) knows about this policy of IA Style, 2) would refuse to buy software under these terms if divulged ahead of time, or 3) am angry to find I've been stuck with a temporary license instead of the permanent one I thought I had?

Kati Compton
06-04-2003, 02:12 AM
I think it's ridiculous.

Jacob
06-04-2003, 02:38 AM
It's the "easy" way for them to prevent piracy - also one that will prevent users from buying or returning when they find out this policy.

I agree... it's ridiculous.

doogald
06-04-2003, 02:40 AM
Kinda silly, but anyone who argues that the stealing and pirating of software hurts nobody only needs to read your post. If we were all universally trustworthy not to try to steal software, software makers wouldn't feel forced to try such onerous schemes.

But, to answer your question: if I had known ahead of time, I probably would buy it if the software was worth it, because I have an e-mail address that I am sure will be fairly permanent. If my e-mail address tended to be transient, then I'd probably be pretty angry.

davidspalding
06-04-2003, 05:01 AM
Have these dunsels never heard of spam???

This policy ... won't work. It could work great for people like me with their own domains. I create unique e-mail addresses for every company I deal with. For this software app, I'd create a unique e-mail address which no one else would hve (so it would never get spam, unless the company divulged the address), so it would never need changing.

Now, if we're talking the personal e-mail address on the PDA's owner information ... that's idiotic. It might change for any number of reasonable, practical, expected reasons. This "license" they're granting customers is obviously very short-lived.

I've had to close 4 personal e-mail addresses on my domain over the past 5 years. One, when I activate it, get > 60 spam messages a day -- small potatoes compared to online journalists. Obviously the authors of this program have some catching up to do with this Internet thing. No one, but no one, keeps the same address forever.

Your story is a great testament to why I don't buy software from overseas people who can't even translate their site pages very well.

Pony99CA
06-04-2003, 05:24 AM
I think that policy is kind of silly, too. So I went to the official IA Style support forum (http://discuss.pocketnow.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=69) over at Pocket Now and found a thread where E-mail changes was mentioned (http://discuss.pocketnow.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9628). I'd suggest either posting in that thread or starting a new thread in their forum to make this known.

I've just brought it up in that thread.

As a work-around, I'd suggest getting a permanent E-mail address that will forward to any other E-mail address you decide to use later. Domain names are so cheap now that it can be a decent solution.

Steve

Pony99CA
06-04-2003, 05:33 AM
Your story is a great testament to why I don't buy software from overseas people who can't even translate their site pages very well.
Whoa, where did that come from? IA Style seems to be based in Torrance, California, and their English seemed fine to me on the pages I checked.

If it's just a general, albeit inappropriate, comment, how do you think many Asians, Europeans and so on feel buying software that's only available in English?

Steve

Rob Alexander
06-04-2003, 10:55 AM
Thanks for the feedback folks! It's good to know that I'm not alone in feeling that this is unreasonable. And, Pony99CA, thanks for that link. I'll definitely go over there and check it out. This isn't going to be any sort of crusade for me or anything, but I will be sure they know why I will never consider any of their software again.

Jacob
06-04-2003, 05:02 PM
Make sure to include a link to this thread - they'll see a few others who will be thinking twice(at least) before buying their software.

Pony99CA
06-04-2003, 05:21 PM
Make sure to include a link to this thread - they'll see a few others who will be thinking twice(at least) before buying their software.
If you had visited the link to the Pocket Now thread where I posted, you'd have seen that I already included a link back here. I'm not a noob. :-)

Steve

Jacob
06-04-2003, 06:54 PM
If you had visited the link to the Pocket Now thread where I posted, you'd have seen that I already included a link back here. I'm not a noob. :-)

Steve

I know and I had visited the link - just figured there's more than one way to notify people. Not every company monitors their forums very thoroughly.

Rob Alexander
06-05-2003, 12:50 AM
If you had visited the link to the Pocket Now thread where I posted, you'd have seen that I already included a link back here. I'm not a noob. :-)

Steve

I know and I had visited the link - just figured there's more than one way to notify people. Not every company monitors their forums very thoroughly.

:lol: :twak: Definitely not a noob, Steve! Seriously, though, I know what Jacob was thinking. Since you've already posted that in that thread, I figure I'll just drop them an email tell them what I think. I'll also include this thread there. Cheers, guys!

karen
06-05-2003, 02:26 AM
...of vendors from which I will never purchase and to whom I will never make a recommendation.

Thanks for the heads up.

Pony99CA
06-05-2003, 03:20 AM
IA Style has responded to my post (http://www.pocketnow.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=43043#post43043). Basically, they say if you E-mail them, they'll update your activation, so it's just not automated.

Steve

Rob Alexander
06-06-2003, 04:20 AM
IA Style has responded to my post (http://www.pocketnow.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=43043#post43043). Basically, they say if you E-mail them, they'll update your activation, so it's just not automated.

Steve

Hey, that's good news! It's not at all what it sounds like in their FAQ (http://www.iastyle.com/register/faqs.asp#6), but as long as they're willing to let me do it via email, then I'm happy. I don't plan to change my email address often, and I don't care whether it's on an automated page or via email. I just want to continue using the program I bought. Thanks for pursuing it and getting that answer, Steve. Now I can consider IA Style products again. :way to go:

Pony99CA
06-06-2003, 06:12 AM
Hey, that's good news! It's not at all what it sounds like in their FAQ (http://www.iastyle.com/register/faqs.asp#6), but as long as they're willing to let me do it via email, then I'm happy. I don't plan to change my email address often, and I don't care whether it's on an automated page or via email. I just want to continue using the program I bought. Thanks for pursuing it and getting that answer, Steve. Now I can consider IA Style products again. :way to go:
No problem; I'm a pretty good squeaky wheel. :-D I will leave it up to you to suggest changing the FAQ, though, OK? ;-)

Steve