Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Talk:Proton Mail

2026-03-16T00:58:32Z

GoldenCMOS: /* More nuance needed? */ new section

== More nuance needed? ==

The claim on this page that Proton's policy for IP logging "proved to be false" is inaccurate. Proton's website said that no IP addresses are logged ''by default''. While this could be described as confusing or misleading, the situation mentioned in that section does not seem to directly contradict the original written policy. [[User:GoldenCMOS|GoldenCMOS]] ([[User talk:GoldenCMOS|talk]]) 00:58, 16 March 2026 (UTC)

User:GoldenCMOS

2025-01-27T20:12:19Z

GoldenCMOS: Added bio

Hey. I'm just a guy that wants to support the Right to Repair, true digital ownership, etc.

(This doesn't have to be a formal page, right?)

Final Draft software activation

2025-01-27T18:58:56Z

GoldenCMOS: Multiple sentences changed in structure to be more easily read. No new information added.

[[Final Draft (software)|Final Draft]], an industry-standard screenwriting software company, announced in January 2025 that they were discontinuing activation services for Final Draft 10.

==Details of the Change==
Final Draft announced they would discontinue activation and deactivation capabilities for Version 10 on June 30, 2025. This change means:<ref>Final Draft Company Email to Version 10 Users, January 15, 2025</ref> <ref>[[:File:FInal draft.pdf]]</ref>

*Users can't reinstall the software on new computers;
*Software can't be reactivated after operating system updates;
*Technical support ends February 1, 2025;
*Existing installs will continue working until the computer or operating system is updated.

The company offered users an upgrade path to Version 13 at a reduced price of $59.99 (from $99.99) as a solution for affected users.

==Meaning for Consumer Rights==
This case shows key issues with modern consumer rights:

===Loss of Perpetual License Rights===
While users bought perpetual licenses for Version 10, the deactivation of authentication servers effectively removes their ability to use the software on new systems or after updates. This changes what was sold as a permanent purchase into a time-limited license, without explicit user agreement.

===Forced Obsolescence===
The company's decision to disable Version 10's activation creates an artificial barrier to its continued use. The software remains functional on existing systems, and could theoretically continue running indefinitely. However, the authentication requirement forces users toward paid upgrades, regardless of their needs or the software's actual functionality. Users who paid for a perpetual license may not be able to update their systems if they wish to continue using it.

===Industry Standard Lock-in===
Final Draft's position as the industry standard for screenwriting software means users face limited alternatives if they want to maintain compatibility with others in the industry. This market position worsens the impact of their licensing decisions on consumers.

==Broader Implications==
This represents a growing trend in software licensing where companies can unilaterally alter the terms of the sale, taking away perpetual licenses through technical mechanisms rather than legal means. While the company cites security concerns and operating system compatibility, the core word-processing functions of the software still work, raising questions about the necessity of disabling activation.

==Alternatives==
A recent alternative for screenplays is the Markdown-like [https://fountain.io/ Fountain], an open standard supported by most screenwriting and production tools. However, Fountain cannot yet fully replace Final Draft files for production software, because text wrapping in Fountain is app-dependent, and page breaks are therefore not guaranteed to be consistent.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Incidents]]

Final Draft software activation

2025-01-27T00:53:03Z

GoldenCMOS: Reworded intro paragraph to be clearer.

==Final Draft's Deactivation of Version 10: Software Ownership==

[[Final Draft (software)|Final Draft]], an industry-standard screenwriting software company, announced in January 2025 that they were discontinuing activation services for Final Draft 10.

===Details of the Change===
Final Draft announced they would discontinue activation & deactivation capabilities for Version 10 on June 30, 2025. This change means:<ref>Final Draft Company Email to Version 10 Users, January 15, 2025</ref> <ref>[[:File:FInal draft.pdf]]</ref>

*Users can't reinstall the software on new computers
*Software can't be reactivated after operating system updates
*Technical support ends February 1, 2025
*Existing installs will continue working until the computer or operating system is updated

The company offered users an upgrade path to Version 13 at a reduced price of $59.99 (from $99.99) as a solution for affected users.

===Meaning for Consumer Rights===
This case shows key issues with modern consumer rights:

====Loss of Perpetual License Rights====
While users bought perpetual licenses for Version 10, the deactivation of authentication servers effectively removes their ability to use the software on new systems or after updates. This changes what was sold as a permanent purchase into a time-limited license without explicit user agreement.

====Forced Obsolescence====
The company's decision to disable activation creates artificial barriers to continued use. While the software remains functional & could theoretically continue running on existing systems, the authentication requirement forces users toward paid upgrades, regardless of their needs or the software's actual functionality. For instance, an operating system reinstallation can require reinstalling the software, that even though the user has paid for a license for, will not work.

====Industry Standard Lock-in====
Final Draft's position as the industry standard for screenwriting software means users face limited alternatives if they want to maintain compatibility with others in the industry. This market position makes worse the impact of their licensing decisions on consumers.

===Broader Implications===
This represents a growing trend in software licensing where companies can unilaterally alter the terms of the sale, taking away perpetual licenses through technical mechanisms rather than legal means. While the company cites security concerns and operating system compatibility, the core word processing functions of the software work fine, raising questions about the necessity of disabling activation.
<references />