[Locked] No perpetual licenses are you serious?

[Mattrman]

I just head that Adobe was planning to abandon its perpetual license in favor of an on line only rental program. At first I thought that this must be a joke. I have been using adobe products for 18 years. Primarily Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign. I am currently an owner of CS 6 Master collection and obviously do upgrade my products and have consistently done so over the years. I am not connected to the internet full time and in fact my work computer is never directly connected to the internet. So how does this work? Is adobe now forcing me to connect to the internet - it seems that this is the case.

In regards to upgrade cycles, I dont want to rent my software and be tied to a rental agreement. I want to upgrade when I choose, not rent my software like some kind of loaner program!

I want to purchase the software then not worry about it. For instance when I travel, I dont want to be bogged down with downloads and upgrades chewing up my bandwidth. I have traveled to many places where internet access is very limited. Downloading from a wireless card in China is painful, I dont want to be bogged down with no software or large megabyte downloads costing me a fortune on the other side of the planet.

Adobe I know that I am just one person and you will probably not listen to me but did someone ask? No one asked me about this. How simple could this be - I want to buy the software then use it when I want where I want, is this too much to ask?

Please let me continue to use this software in the way that I have used it for so long. If others wish to have the creative cloud then great! More power to them, don't alienate your other users. Please provide both alternatives.

Best regards - Matt

[jonf50585586]

I'm a professional, I heavily rely on Adobe, and I could afford CC.

However, I am averse to the idea of not owning the software application that I work with.

It makes me feel at the mercy of a corporation.

The Adobe CC concept reminds me of Bernard's London 1930s concept of official "planned obsolescence" in functioning products.

Every year, you would, for example, be obliged to exchange your radio for a new radio, at a government agency.

And, of course, pay for the product in return. That is, if you still think you need a radio.

Adobe CC is quite the same concept, only that it also works on a monthly basis.

[Herbert2001]

I feel it is a throwback to medieval times. Hence the term "Digital Serfdom", which I think pretty much sums up Adobe's (and other vendors) rental model.

I am not really interested in becoming a digital serf myself - which is why I will never yield to any Digital Serfdom.

[John__SLS_Publicity_]

Despite earlier comments I have given in and subscribed as I need some of the new features and like the portability option of only having to rent one version to cover both my desktop PC (Windows) and laptop (Mac).

However my plea remains for Adobe to provide a "stick at" frozen version available after X months rental.

[Jeff_Know1]

Good luck with that, John. I'm  sure that by giving them your money every month they are going to be very eager to offer you a 'frozen version' eventually. Really, I can totally see it happen buddy.

If you want to continue to use the software, you have to pay. If you want to open up your created files in the future, you have to pay. I see no reason at all why Adobe wouldn't start offering a frozen version when they have you over a barrel.

[Gavin Farrington]

That's not true.  There is a perpetual license version available.  It's called Lightroom 6 (vs Lightroom CC) and they're identical products except that unsurprisingly, the non-CC version doesn't include the cloud connected stuff.  Other than that, it's still the full Lightroom product you would expect.

Pro Photographer Tech (ProTogTech) | Adobe Lightroom 6 Perpetual License

[pik80]

Actually Gavin Adobe doesn't really give you an upgrade path to LR 6 as a perpetual license. The upgrade for the perpetual license is only available via Adobe.com which has had numerous security breaches recently. I detail the problems with the new perpetual LR in my Amazon review: Amazon.com: Kendall L. Vaughan's review of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6

[jerryl67339702]

Blackmagic's DaVinci Resolve 12 and Fusion 8 are already much better softwares than Adobe Premiere and After Effects. If adobe doesn't ditch this horrific plan less and less users will buy their monthly subscriptions, Adobe has made a bad move....

[DAVIDE PEPE]

I don't know those software but I think people is so disappointed that they'll leave Adobe for this terrible sales choice apart from the existence of better software.

A lot of people I know stopped to buy or upgrade with Adobe. In Italy there is people who is desperately try to get a copy of  CS6 to avoid to pay for a rental plan.

As an independent artist I can really really understand them. There are months in which having to pay even just 60 Euro for the rental of the suite is simply not affordable.

I repeat I don't want to have their software for free I'm simply requesting to have the chance to buy and keep using it until I'll be able again to buy a future release.

I'm very sorry people is just able to be disappointed and don't write here. I think here there is just the 0.000001% of the people I've heard.

This rental choice has been a really SHAMEFUL and disappointing way to bind users to the adobe company.

I really really loved Adobe!!!

[afallenmind]

Wow, two years later and it's still being called a bad decision. I was coming here to see if I could ALSO buy the stand alone program without this whole paying-per-month stuff. Look, I see both sides of it and I think that if someone can afford the monthly plan, but not a lump sum, the monthly is the way to go. The BS of it all is that there is no other option. And really, we all know why.

Adobe: Come on, guys. Seriously, whoever is running this idea: ya gotta stop trying to nickle and dime your customers to death. It's just not good business. For example, and this is just off the top of my head, I myself had that lump sum of money that I saved up to get After Effects. Buuuuut...... you guys lost my business, because I will not pay per month. Which sucks, because I had been hoping for a very long time to get AE. Thanks for messing it up for a looooooooooot of potential customers, including a long time customer of Adobe products such as myself.

[DV19]

This situation really makes me sad.... I've own Adobe products (Illustrator & Photoshop) for nearly 20 years, have bought a lot of updates over that time (not every one but most) and now I'm at the end of the rope with Ill-CS5 and PS-CS6.... Not being able to buy the next version really sucks.... I only use these programs every couple of weeks, but I like having them and wish I could get newer versions... The "rental-subscription" deal is BS as far as I'm concerned and I can't believe Adobe is turning their back on me... I feel betrayed!  

[JohnnyVette]

I work for an extremely large (unnamed) company that has used Adobe Master Collection for many years.  We upgraded to Adobe CS6 Master Collection a little over a year, or so, ago.  We cannot, ever, purchase a product that requires an internet connection because we work in several Classified areas where all computers are on a private network with ZERO internet capabilities ever.  They cannot be connected to the internet because of Classified reasons and high level security.  Is Adobe willing to lose such a large customer base by not coming up with a way for us to upgrade our software without the need to be on the internet?  We work with several other companies that are in the same boat we are.  In fact, all of our vendors are not allowed to update to Adobe's latest update because of compatibility reasons.  Therefore, Adobe is losing tons of money and, in the long run, possibly losing customers as we may be forced to find other avenues.  Adobe needs to cater to ALL of their customer base, not just some.  My upper level management has asked me to keep my eyes and ears open to any alternative processes that would, either, allow us to upgrade our software, or to purchase other packages.  Can anyone from Adobe comment on this and provide me with some hope? 

Thanks.  John

[Herbert2001]

You may want to contact Adobe sales directly, and discuss your options. Many other companies and government services must do work without access to the web, and I would be very much surprised if Adobe would not have some sort of option available.

[nobodypanic]

Even as a professional I am very unhappy with CC.   Its not just about costs of software (even though for me, it is more expensive,  by 300-400 every 2 years).  Its about having control over the tools you use to earn a living.   Lets say you were using InDesign to do your page layout the last few years and its really the only program holding you to the cloud,  and Affinity for example releases a page layout application that you decide you really like and switch to using that.  You have 2 years or so of work that was done with indesign CC,  that you might not be able to go back and modify our work with for clients because if you end your subscription to CC you no longer can use that software.   I dont want a software company to have that much control over my work.

And think about the minor updates we have gotten with each release over the years,  a lot of people do not upgrade every year because the software just does not change our workflow enough to make it worth investing each update.  Adobe now gives you no choice.   Thing is, people having a choice to upgrade or not was an incentive for Adobe to work on making their software better.   Now,  they dont have to worry about that,  they can limp along with luke warm updates.

Also, your software can also dictate the need to upgarde your hardware.   I do like a shiny new mac,  but I really dont like being forced to upgrade when I really dont need to.  Adobe has stated you dont have to run all these updates,  but if that is the case why are we paying for then?   We are then forced to pay for software that is out of date until we buy a new machine because Adobe wants to rent us the software. 

Bottom line,  at this point, as creatives this software we use is a vital part of our work,  and at this moment we are giving Adobe way to much control over what we do.   I dont mind the Creative Cloud,  but it should be a choice,  not the only option.

[jamesjf]

Adobe cloud, sign in and connecting at regular intervals is a real pain  and I am not keen on it but understand adobes position. If I was on the adobe board of management I would be looking at effective ways of stymieing unlicensed use of products that have cost a lot to develop. But these measures should try to avoid disgruntling legitimate users and need a balanced approach. What is the point of reducing unlicensed use if you lose paying customers. All of the adobe CC suit is available for download via torrents with very functional keygens that generate a product key and give functional response codes for off line product activation plus a list of adobe domains that need blocking via the host file.      

[ciaranr47588605]

Try this for an blatant bit of "lets get all lifelong purchasers of CS6 illustrator into the cloud or of the adobe platform"

I wonder why adobe has JUST forced me onto subscription. I brought a lifetime hard copy of Illustrator CS6 8 years ago andi it worked fine until yesterday.

Yesterday adobe throught it would be better for there bank balance if they deleted my serial numbers and made it revert back to trail by deleting my lifetime serial number from the software.

Adobe then say that resellers can sell me a serial number which they can't its not true

I find it incredible that Adobe reverts my lifetime package to trail and then refuses to sorting the issue to force me to take there very very very expensive cloud subscription.

Here's some facts. I brought this Cs6 software for £750. Its no more complicated that Blender (free), Apples Logic pro (lifetime) for £199.99 I can live with that is a great bot of software. But illustrator today is £250 a year, that £750 after 3 years. that means after 3 years I would have brought the value of the software as a hard copy. After 12 years I would have spent £3000 and after 18 years thats £4500 for this piece of software.

Does anyone think that £4500 is a good price for this piece of software. Then we get on to value of upgrades. I use CS6 because its a great bit of software. Comparing it to the latest version. I find not real difference. I have designed with Illustrator for many many years and see no reason to upgrade. I know many many people think the same there are obvioulsy those in the minority that benefit from the latest version but a majority don't.

So why am I being forced to delete my excellent CS6 software to take the lates version at such an exhorbatant prices. No peice of software is worth £5000 in this type of software.

We are just talking about illustrator we have not even included all the other bits of software like inDesign and photoshop.

Wahst worse given adobe raid oand destruction of me serial number. I know its adobe because the raid has now linked my cs6 software and request me to upgrade to the cloud and the cloud subscription service. The adobe website is demanding cloud subscription and that makes me seriously annoyed.

How dare adobe do something as blatantly arrogant as this. deleteing a viable life long version of CS6 and demanding I pay extortionate fees on subscription. Thats theft fraud and serious abuse of postion. and there's absolutel nothing I can do about it.

There actions have affected our business, my sons study and a whole lot more.

Anyone have any suggestion why adobe os so money grabbing that they would con a legitimate purchase so they could make more money.

Any one else have experience of this type of action by adobe.

[eschelar]

I'm shocked Ciaran, but not surprised.

Literally every single thing Adobe has said about supporting perpetual licenses has been dropped. They said that they would look at other options. Nope. They said that they would make sure perpetual licenses would be available. Nope.

I no longer have any faith in anything Adobe says and I consider them to be a company with criminal policies. I consider ransomware to be criminal. As I said before, they may have lawyers that have adjusted the wording to cover their butts, but the concept of ransomware is illegal in most countries. At least the WCry guys only ask for your payment once. Adobe continues to ransom your own work back to you every month or every year.

And it is totally unfounded. Adobe is the only major company I can think of that has switched to subscription/ransomware in a way that excludes perpetual licenses entirely. This is what takes them into the realm of criminal. Subscriptions services are not inherently criminal or ransomware. Having no choice and losing access to your files *IS* ransomware.

Examples above include Corel, but you don't have to look too far to find other companies that have subcription services with perpetual licensing options.

When you purchased your license for CS6, you made a contract. If Adobe chooses to discard that, they are in breach of contract.

I would suggest to Adobe that if they wish to discontinue that service, they could offer to cancel it *and refund the purchase price*. I don't think it is legal or ethical to simply cancel a perpetual license outright. However, I'd bet cold hard cash that Adobe has defenses in place that make it highly impractical to actually deal with this through legal channels. This kind of behavior strengthens my resolve to encourage no company or individual to ever give a red cent over to Adobe ever again (or until they reverse these inappropriate policies).

My own laptop is Win10 and I run Production Premium CS6 on it. I am worried that my licenses might also be cancelled. It was very difficult for me as a student to scrape together the cash to purchase Adobe licenses, so while that's no longer a large amount of money for me, it's still enough that I wouldn't let it go willingly.

My recommendation would be to ask to have your request escalated to a higher level of staff. It's likely that the lower level people can't do anything anyways. Get them to do their homework. Do not allow them to pass off their company's poor customer service as a make-work project for you. If they ignore you, call Adobe in other countries. Don't sit down and take it.

And above all, not one single penny more!

I have helped over 500 Adobe users to avoid getting into CC subscription services and I have failed twice over the past 4-5 years.

Yes, they lost out on my license, but they lost a lot more too.

They knew it would happen. The memo from Adobe to its shareholders was that when CC was released, they expected enough people to see through its financial drawbacks that they expected to go into loss. They offset that by increasing the cost of the CC service and adding in tricky ways of increasing the cost (my sister pays something ridiculous like 800 CAD/yr for her license, fortunately reimbursed by the company she works for - although since she just gave birth and has dropped down to a very sparse work schedule, I don't know how long that will last).

I think it's both amusing and telling that I have a post above that was moderated twice to allow and twice to hide (currently hidden) because I talked through what it would look like if Adobe's policies were applied back to Adobe and their staff. Adobe felt that this was inappropriate content. I guess that proves my point though. If it's inappropriate for people to do to Adobe staff such that it needs to be hidden from discussion, it's inappropriate for Adobe to do to its customers.

I doubt I'd have had my comment hidden if I suggested that what people should do is allow <Adobe staff member> to purchase a car, then continue ownership of that car as long as they had the title for that car.

I am only censored when I suggest that people should apply Adobe purchasing policies to <Adobe staff member> when they purchase a car.

Amazing.

[lushlush2000]

I only do this as a hobby so I probably don't count, but this decision is a huge bummer. In the past, my upgrades have happened mainly when I'm forced to migrate to new hardware. I had no problem with Adobe's tiered upgrade pricing I had seen in past years, it seemed fair. At least could plan on my own (or see it coming) when that upgrade would occur and how I would pay for it. CS5 seems like the last stop for me...

I am obvisouly not alone when saying I can't afford $50.00 a month for a bunch of apps I will unlikely ever use. Or knowing that if I unsubscribe, my tools and my work will no longer function.

From the CNET article:

It's not just a big difference for customers. With the change, Adobe moves its business more to a recurring-revenue approach. Instead of revenue surging when upgrades such as CS6 arrive, the company gets a steady stream of money.

"There's a stacking effect. When we bring customers in, they stay in. Then when we bring in new customers, we layer the revenue on top," Morris said. "Recurring revenue is going to help Adobe in the long run. That's one reason Wall Street responded very positively." (emphasis added)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57582735-92/adobe-kills-creative-suite-goes-subscription-only/?part...

I'm so disappointed.

Please Adobe reconsider! I think you are slamming the door shut for a large user base.

[SoilentGreen]

I only do this as a hobby so I probably don't count

You are not alone.  Adobe software isn't software that only professionals use,  even though it's always been priced that way.  Lots of us want/need it,  and lots of us bite the bullet, tighten the belt, and scrape together the money to be able to buy it. We count,  whether Adobe cares or not,  we count.  

I could have just as easily went out and found an unprotected download from one of many sites and been on my way,  I chose the high ground,  and for the last year or so have felt like a second class citizen for it.  Sitting by as people who pay monthly get updates, while the people that laid out the cast up front get to wait for the next version and lay out more cash.

I think you are slamming the door shut for a large user base.

If a smaller user base is making them more money because of higher return,  then I doubt that they care if the hobbyist leaves, sad to say...

[_scott_]

At the time of the CS6 release, perpetual license purchasers were told they would recieve all the new features when Creative Suite 7 was released. Hmmm......

[bitm07]

There appears to be a new subscription version of the Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, that includes 125GB of cloud storage and automatic updates in the offing.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 - Buying guide

[Scotty2541]

Oh, thrills.  Like I can't get that anywhere else for a few pennies.

Apparently some sellers still have earlier versions. Both unopened and used.  Buy it once and use it for as long as you want.  Not the 'continue to buy it even when support and upgrades are not needed or wanted' sales model.

[Billy_Payn]

I have a free account with Yahoo and they give me 1TB of cloud storage. I never have to delete an email so long as I live and all my attachments are there, accessible from anywhere, including h264. Luckily CS6 is stable on my machine (cs4 sucked like a dredger) Thanks to Adobe, Ill wait the cc debacle out.

Yes I like using the software and upgraded at least every second release. No I wont rent it. Stick with the subscription only and Adobe will never see another penny from me. Stupid.

[Lucienr123]

Hi,

I found good replacements for Photoshop and Lightroom. For Lightroom, use Corel Aftershot pro 2 as a replacement. For photoshop, use Corel Photo-Paint professional version, which is part of Corel Draw. If you use these Corel tools with other plug-ins, such as Nik software collection, Perfect Photo Suite and DXO Optics Pro 10, then you don't really need Adobe tools.

[Bteetz]

Thank you for the information about Corel. I've used their products in the past and they are good.  I guess Adobe will be losing customers with this new monthly payments crap.

[Herbert2001]

Corel software is relatively expensive. Here is another option:

Photoline (excellent professional grade Photoshop alternative for general image editing with 32 and 16bpc RGB, CMYK and Lab), with InkScape for improved vector editing, and Krita for excellent digital painting (better than PS!). Davinci Resolve lite for industry quality video editing up to 4k and colour grading, and Fusion 7.5 for industry quality compositing and visual effects. Raw Therapee for professional RAW developing.

Photoline also includes round-trip editing with its app link that connects to InkScape and Krita. Most regular Photoshop plugins work with Photoline (I use Topaz and Filter Forge without any problems in Photoline).

And Scribus is a quite good DTP app (open source) that can serve as a poor man's InDesign alternative.

Only Photoline cost a little money (under $80), the rest is either open source or freely available (Davinci Resolve Lite and Fusion 7.5). Excepting Scribus, all high grade applications. This is my current tool chain for design and video/effects. Although I do still rely on InDesign CS6 for a lot of DTP work.