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barrygoyette
Known Participant
November 1, 2022
Question

Adobe refunds for Pantone in the way?

  • November 1, 2022
  • 5 replies
  • 2291 views

Just wondering if indesign and CC users have received your Pantone refunds yet? I haven't. You'd think if Adobe sold you a subscription that included Pantone colors, and then stopped paying Pantone for that license, that they would, you know, be the big one... and refund the amount (which according to Pantone is $15/mo) and make an appropriate adjustment to the subscription rate. I mean... you'd think that, right. Time to start screaming folks, as this.... this just isn't right. 

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5 replies

Dave Creamer of IDEAS
Community Expert
Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 4, 2022

>>>... and refund the amount (which according to Pantone is $15/mo) and make an appropriate adjustment to the subscription rate...

 

This statement implies that Adobe was paying $15 per month to Pantone out of our subscription fee.

<startspeculation>

Chances are, Adobe was paying pennies per subscriber. I suspect Pantone wanted to increase the payment (I'm not referring to the $15 fee) and Adobe said "no". Pantone then decided go it on their own, but--most importantly--they had to make up for lost income from users that did not need to use their color system. Not to mention make a profit--I'm sure their financies have been affected by the shrinking of the print inductry as a whole. Hence, Pantone came up with the $15--Adobe's cost was probably more like a few cents per user.

<endspeculation>

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
    Abambo
    Community Expert
    AbamboCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 4, 2022
    @barrygoyette wrote:

    (which according to Pantone is $15/mo) 

    I don't think it is worth $15/month to have access to an ill programmed application.

    ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer
    Robert at ID-Tasker
    Robert at ID-Tasker
    Legend
    November 1, 2022

    $15/month is for you or me trying to go directly to PANTONE - for Adobe it would be cents or less when divided per sold CC licence. 

    B
    barrygoyetteAuthor
    Known Participant
    November 1, 2022

    Of course. My point is really that adobe and pantone should work this out. If this essential feature of the entire suite of products is going to cost users an extra $15/month. From the USER side this is a defacto increase of $15/mo. What Adobe pays for it is irrelevant.  

     

    Regardless...apparently my read on this issue goes against the grain in this place. My hope was to encourage others to speak out (frankly...most people don't even know about it, and won't till that next branding project starts up). I'll just quietly go back to complaining about how bad the current AI selection tools are in LR 12, and how they are a step backward from the previous version. Cheers!

    Robert at ID-Tasker
    Robert at ID-Tasker
    Legend
    November 1, 2022

    My point was - you can't expect $15/month refund on your CC subscription - when Adobe would have to pay pennies. 

    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 1, 2022

    The color book .acb files are effectively the same as fonts—they have to be installed. If Adobe removes the Emigre library from Adobe Fonts would they owe you a refund? If you think you own the Pantone .acb files from an earlier version, why not install them your self in the latest version?

      B
      barrygoyetteAuthor
      Known Participant
      November 1, 2022

      All beside the point. Today Adobe's subscription is worth less than it was. This issue is between Adobe and Pantone... I have no say in the matter. Adobe is now paying less as they are no longer licensing the library. Adobe should do the right thing and adjust their subscriptions to reflect the change. It's really simple. 

      BobLevine
      Community Expert
      BobLevineCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      November 1, 2022

      Who said anything about "legal" legs? And just because you don't do print/identity work, doesn't mean that others don't. Look... I'm a meat and potatoes kinda guy. If a restaurant gets in a fight with their potato supplier, and just serves me meat.. well they owe me for the potatoes. And sure I can eat somewhere else, except.. Adobe is in fact, largely a Monopoly in the design space, so no I can't eat somewhere else. Now.. Adobe has just offloaded a license that has been part of their software since nearly the beginning, to the tune of $15/mo. That's not nothing to them, or to the "vast minority" of  users who actually know what printer ink smells like. Lucky you to not care when you pay for something you're not getting. Must be nice. I'll stick by my original point.. Adobe "should" adjust their licenses to reflect their savings on Pantone. Or they should develop another industry standard to replace it. (And look, Pantone deciding now's the time to cash in on a library that is at a low point in its importance is ridiculous. We will all find our ways around it, because anyone who would pay $15/mo when they are already paying Adobe for it.. [abuse removed]. 


      Again, I get the frustration but for a decade while adding services and features there were no increases with each one. This is a package of services. What's in it changes from time to time.

       

      I'm sorry you're going through a hard time because of it. When Adobe killed DPS, it really pulled the rug out from under me. I was as angry as I've ever been in almost 30 years of using their products. They've killed Flash, GoLive, FormsCentral, Business Catalyst, Muse, and well, I could go on but you get the picture. None of those resulted in a lowered price and neither will this.

       

      Finally, calling Adobe a monopoly doesn't make them one. There's plenty of competition out there.

        E
        Community Expert
        Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        November 1, 2022

        Adobe didn't stop paying Pantone for that License.

        Pantone changed the terms of the license. 

         

         

        B
        barrygoyetteAuthor
        Known Participant
        November 1, 2022

        Every so often, Adobe changes the terms of your license by raising its price. You have a right to agree to those terms or not. If you decide not to agree, you stop paying for the license. Just like Adobe did here when Pantone changes the terms. 

        Dave Creamer of IDEAS
        Community Expert
        Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        November 1, 2022

        I have never actually read the license, but I don't imagine you will find any program or service _guaranteed_ in the terms. Programs come and go; services come and go. I remember the Digital Publishing Suite (InDesign), Fireworks, SpeedGrade, and others I've probably forgotten about. This has occurred even before the Creative Cloud/Suite: ImageReady (from Photoshop), Dimensions (not the 3D program), Streamline, etc.

         

        For better or worse, one still has to abide by the length and terms of the subscription agreement.

         

         

        David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
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