Editing Autodesk

{{CompanyCargo
| Founded       = 1982
| Industry      = Software
| Logo          = Autodesk.png
| ParentCompany = 
| Type          = Public
| Website       = https://autodesk.com
| Description   = Software company known for various products such as AutoCAD. Modern versions operate via Always-online DRM. Has ended users' lifetime subscriptions.
}}
[[wikipedia:Autodesk|'''Autodesk, Inc.''']] is an American software company headquartered in San Francisco, California, that provides software products and services for the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, education, and entertainment industries. The company was founded in 1982 by John Walker, who was a co-author of the first versions of AutoCAD.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Alex |date=6 Mar 2024 |title=John Walker, Tech Executive Who Popularized AutoCAD, Dies at 74 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/technology/john-walker-dead.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250708174807/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/technology/john-walker-dead.html |archive-date=8 Jul 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> 

Autodesk primarily develops and maintains computer-aided design (CAD) software used globally across many engineering and design industries. Autodesk's extensive portfolio of proprietary software enables its programs to interoperate, facilitating cloud-based building information management (BIM) collaboration among owners, architects, engineers, and contractors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro: Create, collaborate, and stay up to date |url=https://www.autodesk.com/products/bim-collaborate/overview?plc=COLLRP&term=1-YEAR&tab=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250130014051/https://www.autodesk.com/products/bim-collaborate/overview?plc=COLLRP&term=1-YEAR&tab=subscription |archive-date=30 Jan 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref>

Modern versions of Autodesk Products, such as Inventor or AutoCAD, have been known to operate via [[Digital rights management#Always-online DRM|always-online DRM]] and have served to provide significant inconvenience for consumers if their internet goes out or their license verification servers are offline for maintenance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Install network licensing software |url=https://www.autodesk.com/support/download-install/admins/network-deploy/install-licensing-software |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250130014417/https://www.autodesk.com/support/download-install/admins/network-deploy/install-licensing-software |archive-date=30 Jan 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref>   

==Consumer impact summary==

===Ownership degradation===
In the last 2 decades Autodesk has been slowly discontinuing its perpetual licenses into mandatory subscription models. Such events include:

*Autodesk stopped selling perpetual licenses for HSMWorks in 2016 and eliminated access altogether in 2025, rendering locally stored information unusable.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=@lenny_1962 |date=3 Feb 2025 |title=HSMWorks End Of Life March 25th, 2028 |url=https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/hsm-support-forum/hsmworks-end-of-life-march-25th-2028/td-p/13297431 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708174804/https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/hsm-support-forum/hsmworks-end-of-life-march-25th-2028/td-p/13297431 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref>
*Fusion discontinued support for Windows 10, with unclear implications for existing installations.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2025-08-05 |title=Fusion Announcing End of Support for Windows 10 |url=https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Fusion-Announcing-End-of-Support-for-Windows-10.html?_ga=2.208606034.1190329573.1738186074-1680147263.1738186073 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250130015007/https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Fusion-Announcing-End-of-Support-for-Windows-10.html?_ga=2.208606034.1190329573.1738186074-1680147263.1738186073 |archive-date=30 Jan 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref>
*Discontinuation of permanent licenses for Product Design Suite 2013.'''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Ian |first=Davis |date=2023-06-29 |title=So much for Permanent Standalone licensing... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4-pp1uKNnM |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=U4-pp1uKNnM |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=YouTube |type=video |publication-place=Ian Davis' personal YouTube channel}}</ref>'''
*Able to detect if pirated versions of their software are installed alongside the official one.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Autodesk detected pirated programs after purchasing licenses |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Architects/comments/1ct8nqd/autodesk_detected_pirated_programs_after/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250804044043/https://www.reddit.com/r/Architects/comments/1ct8nqd/autodesk_detected_pirated_programs_after/ |archive-date=4 Aug 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>
*Sued Timothy Vernor for copyright infringement for selling his single physical copy of Autodesk.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Timothy Vernor v. Autodesk Inc |url=https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca9/09-35969 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210923200001/https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca9/09-35969 |archive-date=23 Sep 2021 |access-date=2026-02-05 |website=Justia}}</ref>
*Transitioned all of its products from perpetual licenses to subscriptions and multi-year contracts billed annually in the past few years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-05-06 |title=Autodesk Fiscal Year 2025 Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement |url=https://investors.autodesk.com/static-files/5a13740d-d370-40e9-aeac-8ac257ca85ff |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250705192736/https://investors.autodesk.com/static-files/5a13740d-d370-40e9-aeac-8ac257ca85ff |archive-date=5 Jul 2025 |access-date=2026-02-05 |website=Autodesk Investor Relations}}</ref>

===Strong-arming user compliance===
Autodesk is allowed to audit a users premises to verify compliance. If the user or company is found to have overextended licenses, Autodesk requires the user to purchase additional licenses to cover the overextended licenses in question.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AutoDesk License and Services agreement |url=https://download.autodesk.com/us/FY17/Suites/LSA/en-us/lsa.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/iIM3C |archive-date=2026-03-09 |access-date=24 Feb 2026}}</ref> However, the software does not limit the number of machines that can sign in and activate it simultaneously.{{Citation needed}} Autodesk compliance agents threatened to increase fines if legal counsel is hired against Autodesk.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vondran |first=Steve |date=2023-04-12 |title=Autodesk Internal Getting Very Aggressive in 2023 Beware of Over-Assigning Licenses |url=https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/autodesk-internal-getting-very-7707218/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250730215441/https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/autodesk-internal-getting-very-7707218/ |archive-date=2025-07-30 |access-date=2025-10-23}}</ref>

===Market control===
Autodesk is the biggest player in the CAD and BIM software markets.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AutoCAD market share |url=https://6sense.com/tech/cad-software/autocad-market-share |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250715185010/https://6sense.com/tech/cad-software/autocad-market-share |archive-date=15 Jul 2025 |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=6sense}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Revit market share |url=https://6sense.com/tech/bim-and-architectural-design-software/autodesk-revit-market-share |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250624143838/https://6sense.com/tech/bim-and-architectural-design-software/autodesk-revit-market-share |archive-date=24 Jun 2025 |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=6sense}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Market Overview Of BIM And CAD Software Usage Of European Architects |url=https://www.usp-research.com/insights/news/market-overview-of-bim-and-cad-software-usage-of-european-architects/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260322121604/https://www.usp-research.com/insights/news/market-overview-of-bim-and-cad-software-usage-of-european-architects/ |archive-date=22 Mar 2026 |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=USP}}</ref> The company has done many things throughout the years to achieve this market dominance, apart from being a voluntary choice for some consumers, including:

*Offering licenses to their products free of charge to students and educators. This creates a self perpetuating cycle where people join the labor market already proficient in the tools Autodesk offers which makes companies more likely to adopt those tools so that they are able to hire the best talent, and they'll also be able to replace employees with someone else trained on that same tool more easily. This in turn pushes the education system to keep on training students on these tools since they're in high demand and in turn it will give them their best chance when looking for jobs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autodesk Student and Educator Resources |url=https://www.autodesk.com/in/education/home |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260322121611/https://www.autodesk.com/in/education/home |archive-date=22 Mar 2026 |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=Autodesk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 14th Network Effect: Expertise |url=https://www.nfx.com/post/14th-network-effect-expertise |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260322121621/https://www.nfx.com/post/14th-network-effect-expertise |archive-date=22 Mar 2026 |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=Nfx}}</ref>
*Acquisitions. Since its inception Autodesk has made over 50 acquisitions<ref>{{Cite web |title=Acquisitions by Autodesk |url=https://tracxn.com/d/acquisitions/acquisitions-by-autodesk/__Kxu4Vt6UZ7eVfgRkhMvgWtudb5ZVezJ52v763sVyeK4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://megalodon.jp/2026-0322-2124-54/https://tracxn.com:443/d/acquisitions/acquisitions-by-autodesk/__Kxu4Vt6UZ7eVfgRkhMvgWtudb5ZVezJ52v763sVyeK4 |archive-date=22 Mar 2026 |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=Tracxn}}</ref> with some sources claiming over 80.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autodesk |url=https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/autodesk |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817045424/https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/autodesk |archive-date=17 Aug 2021 |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=crunchbase}}</ref> As of 2026 they offer over 100 products.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=The Ultimate Autodesk Software List: All 112 Products Explained |url=https://quadrasol.co.uk/blog/autodesk-software-collection/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://megalodon.jp/2026-0322-2128-13/https://quadrasol.co.uk:443/blog/autodesk-software-collection/ |archive-date=22 Mar 2026 |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=Quadra Solutions}}</ref>

Their market dominance allows them continuously raise the prices of the subscriptions for their products.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autodesk continues to enshittify Fusion 360 with a 27% price increase |url=https://www.ondsel.com/blog/autodesk-enshittifies-fusion-360/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260322122128/https://www.ondsel.com/blog/autodesk-enshittifies-fusion-360/ |archive-date=22 Mar 2026 |access-date=20 Feb 2026 |website=Ondsel}}</ref>

==Incidents==

===Windows 10 support discontinuation (''2026'')===
In 2024, Autodesk announced that Fusion would no longer support Windows 10 installations after the start of January 2026. Stated in their support article, "Autodesk will no longer consider Windows 10 for validation, bug fixing, and product support of future releases." The phrasing has rightfully baffled consumers, and with a lack of elaboration from support teams, it is unclear whether existing installations will continue to function, especially since the line "existing installations cannot be repaired or reinstalled" is confusing and leaves questions unanswered.<ref name=":2" />

===HSMWorks end of life (''2025'')===
In February 2025, Autodesk sent an email to Fusion 360 subscribers that HSMWorks entitlement would no longer be included on new subscriptions after 25th of March 2025 and entitlement would end March 25, 2028, for all subscribers. "At that point, you will no longer be able to download, access, or use HSMWorks."<ref name=":1" />

===Discontinuing perpetual license for Autodesk Product Design Suite Ultimate (''2023'')===
In 2023, YouTuber Ian Davis owned a permanent, standalone license for Autodesk Product Design Suite Ultimate 2013, which failed to renew. Autodesk refused to issue a new license without an additional subscription purchase.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Louis |first=Rossmann |date=2023-06-30 |title=Autodesk screws customers by turning lifetime licenses into subscriptions |url=Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHY9K8X45XA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=OHY9K8X45XA |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=YouTube |type=video}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ian |first=Davis |date=2023-07-03 |title=Thoughts on AutoCad License invalidation |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iQP62_X13g |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=7iQP62_X13g |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=YouTube |place=Ian Davis' personal YouTube channel |type=video}}</ref>

===Retro-active piracy detection software (''2017)''===
In 2017, consumers reported that the data analytics systems built into Autodesk's software detected pirated versions of Autodesk products on PCs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AUTODESK ANALYTICS PROGRAMS |url=https://www.autodesk.com/company/autodesk-analytics |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251210123931/https://www.autodesk.com/company/autodesk-analytics |archive-date=10 Dec 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref> This detection would be able to happen even if the pirated software was uninstalled ''before'' purchasing an official license and installing the real product. Autodesk sent large fines as a punishment.<ref name=":5" /> This software has also been reported to malfunction, and Autodesk is allegedly pressuring consumers into purchasing expensive versions of their licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autodesk detected pirated programs after purchasing licenses (Reply) |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Architects/comments/1ct8nqd/comment/lod8lo2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223030344/https://old.reddit.com/r/Architects/comments/1ct8nqd/autodesk_detected_pirated_programs_after/lod8lo2/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

===Discontinuing perpetual license HSMWorks (''2016'')===
In 2012, Autodesk acquired HSMWorks, a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) product for programming Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines, with the intention of integrating the technology into its own software and cloud services.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Oct 2012 |title=Autodesk Acquires HSMWorks Technology |url=https://investors.autodesk.com/news-releases/news-release-details/autodesk-acquires-hsmworks-technology |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260215230602/https://investors.autodesk.com/news-releases/news-release-details/autodesk-acquires-hsmworks-technology |archive-date=15 Feb 2026 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref> HSMWorks could continue to be purchased with a perpetual license until 2016, when Autodesk announced that all Autodesk products, including HSMWorks, would transition to a subscription model, ending support and maintenance plans for perpetual licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson Swan |first=Keli |date=14 Jun 2021 |title=Recent Developments in Autodesk Licensing and Audits, Part I |url=https://scottandscottllp.com/recent-developments-in-autodesk-licensing-and-audits-part-i/#:~:text=Autodesk%20introduced%20subscription%20plans%20in,previous%20versions%20of%20perpetual%20software. |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251118133920/https://scottandscottllp.com/recent-developments-in-autodesk-licensing-and-audits-part-i/ |archive-date=18 Nov 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=scottandscottllp.com}}</ref> In 2019, Autodesk transitioned HSMWorks subscribers to Fusion 360 subscribers, granting them entitlement to download and use HSMWorks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 Apr 2019 |title=HSMWorks 2020 now included with Fusion 360 subscriptions |url=https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/tsarticles/ts/4ZktnaH9yvV8DxOnwA0LCv.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251116105651/https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/tsarticles/ts/4ZktnaH9yvV8DxOnwA0LCv.html |archive-date=16 Nov 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref>

Because HSMWorks was subscription-only, or entitlement was only available through a Fusion 360 subscription, from 2016 onward, any person or organization that used up-to-date versions of HSMWorks since then will cease to have access to all data associated with HSMWorks, despite the data being locally stored and HSMWorks being installed (although unusable). HSMWorks data is not compatible with Fusion 360 nor Inventor CAM (products that share some technology with HSMWorks), thus, no solution exists to bridge users' data to actively supported software.{{Citation needed|date=29 Mar 2026}}

===Softimage XSI acquisition (''2009'')===
In 2009 autodesk acquired [[wikipedia:Autodesk_Softimage|Softimage XSI]], with the sole purpose of eliminating competition. The software was discontinued. Many game studios were forced to switch to other software, due to XSI no longer being updated.{{Citation needed|date=29 Mar 2026}}

===Mudbox acquisition (''2007'')===
In 2007, [[wikipedia:Autodesk_Mudbox|Mudbox]] was bought by Autodesk. the software has had multiple new version releases, but no updates.

===Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc. (''2007'')===
In 2007, Timothy Vernor tried to sell his physical copy of Autodesk. Autodesk sued Vernor for copyright infringement in Timothy Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc as Vernor's purchase was for a license. The case made its way to the US Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, where it was decided in Autodesk's favor, limiting the [[first-sale doctrine]]<ref name=":6" />.  

'''Selective product activation based on location''' 

Due to EU law perpetual licenses are required to be able to be sold or transferred, allowing licenses as old as the 2010 version of AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD to be activated on new computers (as of 2024) due to the nature of the server side activation codes generated for perpetual licenses. The timetable of allowing only certain version to be activated and that number getting closer and closer to the current version is so that the activation server can be removed entirely in favor of the licensing model they currently use, many of the steps used to ensure less users are able to activate their perpetual licenses include removing product keys from their website, offering trade ins for discounts on their licenses, denying activation of perpetual licenses after the version is no longer supported officially, even if the capabilities are still there to follow EU laws, and, as previously stated in this article, going after pirated versions of the software which may include people who have legitimate perpetual licenses but couldn't get activations through Autodesk so may have circumvented that security feature by generating an activation code some other way, or again some errors may have been the issue at hand causing a false positive for the "piracy"  in question. removing articles for troubleshooting certain errors for older versions of their software is also known to have happened even if the data still exists and a way back machine would make the information available. In short Autodesk only provides license transfers in places that legally require them to do so, which includes at least one activation of the license in question, even if the software is no longer supported on paper, and everyone else with a valid license who can't use it is just plain out of luck. 

==Products<!-- I personally remember taking a class that used Inventor, and the spotty internet connection some computers in the industrial building would have on occasion would make it HELL for me to do classes since if the internet went out and I did not save before then, I had to start from scratch! LITERALLY forced me to drop my class halfway through because of this, and I did not get my money back for it! - JamesTDG -->==
As of 2026 Autodesk offers over 100 different products,<ref name=":4" /> some of the most notable ones are:
*Autodesk AutoCAD - 2D and 3D CAD software for drafting, design and modelling.
*Autodesk Revit - 3D BIM software for drafting, designing and modelling buildings and structures.
*Autodesk Inventor - 3D CAD software for mechanical design.
*Autodesk Fusion - 3D CAD/CAM/CAE software for product design and manufacturing workflows.
*Autodesk 3ds Max - 3D modelling, animation and rendering software.

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Autodesk]]