Can't activate Encore from CS2 anymore

An update Jeff.

As promised I received an eMail from the Escalations Support Team requesting information about our issues. Here's what I wrote:

"Hi Xxxxxx

We run CS2 on a Mac to drive a vinyl cutting machine.

After a power failure, we reinstalled the operating system and CS2.

Because the activation server has been turned off, we were unable to activate our CS2 Premium software.

Adobe pointed us to a page where activation-free versions could be downloaded.

First Problem:

1). Not all of the software from CS2 Premium is available on this page.

I keep asking where I can replace our copy of Acrobat Pro and no-one can answer me.

It seems that Adobe has deactivated Acrobat Pro for us, and has not replaced it for us.

Why won't Adobe replace the software that we paid for?

Telephone support say "go to the forum", the forum says "go to LiveChat", LiveChat says "go to the forum".

Now the forum says talk to the Escalations Support Team.

Unless you can replace the software that was taken away from us, there's not really a lot to talk about.

I have spent far too long going around and around in circles for what is actually a very simple problem:

Give us back our software.

Second Problem:

2). The cutting software that we use will not work on cracked or pirated software (this is a GOOD thing).

The replacement (non-activation) version of CS2 Illustrator that you have provided us with appears - to the cutting software - to be a cracked or pirated version.

We cannot use it. The cutter that has worked flawlessly for many years will not operate with your version of Illustrator.

After 4 days of lost production, I have had to rebuild a replacement Mac to a specific version of OS X, install a copy of CS3 to run on it, and install a specific version of the cutting plug in. Now it all works again - finally.

So – where are we?

1. 1.        What use is CS2 Premium to us now? We may as well throw it in the bin, correct?
2. 2.        Will Adobe do this again next year with CS3? Will this deactivation fiasco be an annual event?
3. 3.        What do you call it when someone takes something from you (without your permission) and doesn't return it?

We run quite a few copies of the Creative Suite here and have always done the right thing with regards their licences.

We are now very concerned that we can have "owned" software retrospectively deactivated and crippled without our permission.

I'm really unsure whether there is actually anything you can do for us now Mandhir.

As you can see, this is a more of an Adobe Management issue – the design and handling of the Activation/deactivation Program has been very poorly thought through and very poorly executed. Feel free to pass on my eMail to someone who can actually alter this system. I don't think they ever will alter the system, as this would be an admission of failure. And so far NO ONE has admitted any failing on the part of Adobe. In fact, some people seem to think that Adobe has actually done us some sort of favour. I don't agree – we now no longer have the use of a product that we paid for – that can't be an advantage to us, can it?"

Within the hour I received a phone call from another rather nice fellow who wasn't able to help us, but promised to forward our concerns up the Food Chain. I'm not confident anything will change, but I'm willing to debate our issues with anyone who's able to argue that we shouldn't feel annoyed, and more than a little concerned that this will happen again next year with CS3.

An automotive analogy would be where my 7 year old car is recalled by the factory (taken from my driveway, in fact) but replaced by a similar car minus two wheels and one door.

"Where's my wheels & door?" I ask.

"We don't make those wheels and doors any more. But you're welcome to help yourself to wheels and doors from our Parts Division."

"But they don't have any wheels and doors..." I say.

"That's correct - we don't make them any more..."

"So give me my old car back" I say.

"We've crushed it..."