(ORIGINAL) License key revoked?

Question

So, I had downloaded my license key from Indiana University, through their website IU Ware. https://iuware.iu.edu/Windows

I had downloaded the Adobe Acrobat XI Pro sometime around 2015/2016, perpetual license. In my new computer, I was using a newer version with the subscription format... but that is over. Since I hate the sub format, I went back and found the license for my older adobe acrobat version, uninstalled CreativeCloud/DC "sub" version, installed the Acrobat XI Pro in my new computer, and pasted the old license code (of Acrobat XI Pro).

Then I get a message that my license has been revoked??

I asked in chat with Adobe support, and I talked to the Genuine Software team... and they said that my license is not genuine. That simply is not possible because I downloaded that program from Indiana University, and obviously IU and Adobe probably have some sort of contract. In any case, I am very unhappy that Adobe revoked my key in order to make some extra $$$ by forcing me into the sub model. I am pretty sure Indiana University is not lying.

And to confirm my suspicions of Adobe's irreponsible behavior, I found this thread from Adobe forum support with all I needed to know:

Re: Counterfeit Adobe XI Professional Serials?

Note the following post from user Ben with a message he received from the software seller, and the rude response from Don Isaacs, the Adobe staff member.

bens86269763 Feb 23, 2017 12:20 PM (in response to SinisterApple)

"Dear Customer,

Please be advised that Adobe has implemented their revoked notifications for all Volume License products early last year (2016).

This means that if you attempt to reinstall your product whether to the same or a different computer the product will generate the message that the license key has been revoked or if you receive the pop-up that your copy of the software is not genuine you will not be able to reactivate the software with the serial key."

Dov Isaacs Feb 23, 2017 1:03 PM (in response to bens86269763)

I think that the key to the problem here is provided by the wording from the “sales manager” of the vendor you believed to be a legitimate seller — Please be advised that Adobe has implemented their revoked notifications for all Volume License products early last year (2016).

Adobe software products sold by Authorized Adobe Resellers to individuals are not “volume licenses” in any way. They are individual licenses. What I strongly suspect was happening was that this vendor was buying or otherwise obtaining volume licenses for Adobe products and “selling” them to individuals such as yourself which is totally contrary to the license agreement for volume licenses, a practice known as “unbundling.” Volume licenses are sold to organizations for use only within that organization such as a company buying an Acrobat volume license for all of its employees for use on company computers. These licenses cannot legally be resold!

There are a few possibilities as to what subsequently happened:

(1) This vendor “sold” more licenses than the volume license allowed for and Adobe noticed same and invalidated the licenses for illegal usage.

(2) Adobe otherwise found about the scheme by the vendor and invalidated the licenses.

(3) Many of Adobe volume licenses are for a particular term, i.e. an agreed period of time. After that time period has elapsed, unless the licensee renews the term, the license effectively expired and you would experience a failure in installation of in subsequent use. A scamster is clearly not going to renew such a license after having illegally pawned off the software on you.

Further evidence of fraud is the fact that this “sales manager” is now blaming Adobe and offering you a non-subscription (i.e., “perpetual license”) copy of Acrobat Pro DC at a “discounted price of £110.00,” a too-good-to-be-true price well below cost.

We really recommend that you better investigate your sources of software to determine whether they are in fact authorized resellers or you will face similar disappointments in the future. Unfortunately, it doesn't take much for a criminal element to setup a website and appear to be a legitimate software vendor.

- Dov

Note what Don from Adobe just said... that means that Adobe is not being clear to its customers on the terms of those volume contracts. In all likelihood, Indiana University probably has the same problem as they provide free software to all its students. Adobe sold a volume contract to IU, and IU gave me a free Acrobat XI perpetual license, and now Adobe pulls the plug and invalidates MY KEY. The software might have been given for "free" to me, but I am a student paying a lot of money. It is my ORIGINAL key... not fake. I want my perpetual adobe acrobat. Most likely I will never get one again, but that means you have a very irresponsible team in sales...

Dov Isaacs · Accepted Answer

There is no “Don from Adobe” – I suspect that you are referring to me, Dov Isaacs…

I'm not going to argue perpetual license versus subscriptions with you especially since you can still license the current version of Acrobat Pro with a perpetual license; you don't need to subscribe to Acrobat at this time.

In terms of the Acrobat Pro XI that you downloaded from Indiana University's website and installed on your system two to three years ago, you are making some overreaching assumptions that Adobe knowingly sold Indiana University a term-limited volume license to Indiana University and somehow hid the fact that it was term-limited and not perpetual. Many if not most such volume license arrangements, especially with academic institutions are in fact for a particular term as negotiated with the institution; it is certainly not hidden. Otherwise, the cost would be prohibitive for such institutions to offer such software to be made available for “free” to their students (obviously, all the costs of a university are at least partially covered by your tuition).

Did you personally discuss this with whoever in Indiana University negotiated with and purchased the volume license in question? Did that person or persons tell you that Adobe somehow fooled them into thinking that this was not a term-limited license or that users who were no longer eligible to use the software (no longer students, staff, etc.) could retain a perpetual license for their own use?

My previous post had nothing to do with your situation. It had to do with criminals buying volume licenses, term-limited or otherwise, and illegally “unbundling” the volume license, selling copies off to unsuspecting (or not) buyers as it they were perpetual software licenses.

In your case, the problem may be that whoever negotiated the volume license for the university didn't communicate the full nature of the license to whoever was responsible in the university for making copies available to students. If it was in fact a term-limited license, when the term of such licenses is up, yes the keys issued under such licenses expire (which appears the same as being invalidated).

Unfortunately, there has been one highly-publicized case where a colleges acquired such term licenses and purposely did not tell their students about the term-limited nature of what they were “given.” Subsequently, the college did “own up” to not being honest with the students. But this isn't an Adobe issue. It is matter between the institution and the students.

In the case of Indiana University, I have looked at your website at What is IUware? and About Adobe software at IU . It certainly does not mention any term limitations explicitly, but you must be eligible to continue using the software.

What is also very possible is that the university may itself be invalidating licenses for students and/or staff when they are no long “eligible” to use the software. To quote the above-referenced website:

IU students, faculty, faculty emeriti, and staff may use the products covered by the Adobe Enterprise License Agreement while affiliated with Indiana University. UITS encourages you to purchase your own retail subscription before leaving the university so as to benefit from the academic discount; see At IU, how can I get university-licensed software?

In fact, the university is telling you implicitly that these are absolutely not perpetual licenses. If you are no longer eligible per above (or the university thinks that you are no longer eligible), the university may in fact be triggering the invalidation of your individual license code. If the university has prematurely terminated your license believing that you are no longer eligible, this is a matter between you and the university, not between you and Adobe.

I do sympathize with your situation in that you may have believed that the software acquired via Indiana University was something that was free to you and available for your use indefinitely, but that clearly isn't the situation and the University website does clearly convey that!

And it has nothing to with some type of insidious plot of Adobe not conveying the terms of licenses to either the university or to you or revoking keys “to make extra $$$” by forcing you to subscribe to anything.

- Dov

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