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?
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?