Editing Paragon NTFS software license invalidation (section)

==Paragon NTFS License Invalidation==
Paragon Software's NTFS for Mac product is a program that provides read/write access to NTFS-formatted drives on macOS. Paragon Software effectively invalidated customer's licenses purchased prior to September 2022 while implementing a new licensing system without migrating existing customers.

===Background===
NTFS for Mac is a commercial solution that allows Mac users to write files to Windows-formatted drives. Unlike free alternatives, the software was marketed as a reliable, high-performance program with official support. Customers bought perpetual licenses as evidenced by purchase confirmations that did not mention any time limitations or a subscription model.
[[File:Email back & forth with paragon customer support.jpg|alt=email reply from paragon support suggesting they re-purchase the software with a 30% discount|thumb|email reply from paragon support suggesting they re-purchase the software with a 30% discount]]

===Licensing system change===
In 2022, Paragon Software implemented a new licensing system (Paragon Licensing Center) for their products. Customers who had purchased perpetual licenses before September 2022 discovered that:

*Customers' accounts from the previous system were not migrated & no longer existed in the new licensing system.<ref name="wherearemylicenses">{{cite web |date=2025-03-05 |title=Paragon Customer Portals: Where Are My Licenses? |url=https://kb.paragon-software.com/article/8878 |access-date=2025-03-05 |publisher=Paragon Software}}</ref>
*Their previously purchased licenses were not recognized by newer software versions.
*Older software versions that recognized these previously purchased licenses were incompatible with current macOS versions.
*Instead of honoring existing licenses, Paragon required affected customers to repurchase the software at a 30% discount.<ref name="migration">{{cite web |date=2025-03-05 |title=License migration to the new Licensing Center |url=https://paragon-software.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/29128301313553-License-migration-to-the-new-Licensing-Center |access-date=2025-03-05 |publisher=Paragon Software}}</ref>

===Lack of Prior Disclosure===
At the time of purchase, Paragon Software made no indication that licenses would require migration or that they would eventually be invalidated. Customers purchasing NTFS for Mac before September 2022 were not warned that their licenses would stop being recognized in future updates. No expiration date, subscription model, or time-limited clause was mentioned in purchase confirmations. The sudden revocation of access without prior notice is a large deviation from the original terms of sale.

===Paragon's Fragmented Licensing System===
Paragon Software currently has 4 separate licensing portals, each managing different product versions & purchase periods. This fragmented system has caused issues & confusion among users, particularly when attempting to locate or activate previously purchased licenses.<ref name="wherearemylicenses" />

The four licensing portals are:

*'''MyParagon''' – Manages licenses for products purchased between '''September 2015 and March 2020'''.
*'''ParagonBox (UC35)''' – Covers purchases made between '''April 2020 and October 2023'''.
*'''Paragon Licensing Center (UC35)''' – Handles licenses from '''November 2023 to August 2024'''.
*'''Paragon Licensing Center (LC)''' – The latest licensing portal, used for products purchased '''since September 2024'''.

Each portal requires separate credentials, & licenses from older portals are '''not automatically migrated''' to the new system. Users often find themselves locked out of their purchased software due to the transition between these systems. The lack of consolidation has led to customer frustration as people stumble around trying to figure out which portal has their valid license.<ref name="wherearemylicenses" />

====Customer Experience====
A specific case documented in March 2025 provides clear evidence of the issue:

*A customer purchased NTFS for Mac on October 12, 2019, receiving a perpetual license with a serial number.
*In March 2025, after experiencing technical issues, he attempted to reinstall the software.
*Upon trying to log in, he received ''"invalid login or password"'' errors despite using a password manager.
*The customer was able to create a new account using the same email address on March 3, 2025.
*In the new Paragon Licensing Center (lc.paragon-software.com), no licenses appeared in the customer's account.
*The "Revoke license" page in the new system showed no license information and returned an error when attempting to use it.
*He confirmed that his license was still visible in the old system (my.paragon-software.com), but only offered version 15.5.106 for download, which is incompatible with current Mac systems.
*Version 17.0.243, available from the new system, didn't recognize the previously purchased license.

When contacting Paragon Support, they acknowledged the licensing change:<ref>[[:File:Paragon NTFS license ticket censored for privacy.pdf]]</ref><blockquote>''It looks like you are experiencing an activation problem with one or several of our products.''

''1. If you purchased the product (APFS for Windows, NTFS for mac, ExtFS for mac, HFS for Windows, LFS for Windows) after September 2022, please follow the steps below:''

''In most cases the license has been registered to the new Paragon Licensing Center.''

''Please make sure you can log in at:''

''https://lc.paragon-software.com/sign-in''

''You can use the Forgot password button if needed.''

''Activate the software version downloaded from the user portal via logging into the same Paragon Licensing Center account from the application itself.''

''IMPORTANT:''

''Please note that you need to download and use ONLY THE LATEST BUILD available below (previously installed versions won't detect newly migrated or purchased licenses):''

''https://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/''

''https://www.paragon-software.com/home/extfs-mac/''

''https://www.paragon-software.com/home/apfs-windows/''

''https://www.paragon-software.com/home/hfs-windows/''

''https://www.paragon-software.com/home/linuxfs-windows/''

''2. If you purchased the product before September 2022, you are eligible for 30% discount for the new purchase.''

''Please reply to this e-mail with "I need discount" and we will provide you with the link.''

''If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact our Support Team by replying to this e-mail.''

''Best regards,''

''Customer Support Team''

''Paragon Software Group''</blockquote>

===Customer Reactions===
Following the licensing system change, many users affected expressed frustration on forums & social media platforms, including Reddit. A thread on the r/macapps subreddit detailed multiple cases of users losing access to their software due to the licensing update.<ref name="reddit">{{cite web |date=2025-03-05 |title=Paragon Software - NTFS for Mac - Gone' Downhill |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/17ohx3e/paragon_software_ntfs_for_mac_gone_downhill/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |publisher=Reddit}}</ref> Common complaints included:

*Previously valid licenses failed to activate after the update.
*Lack of support response, with some users waiting weeks for a resolution.
*Frustration over Paragon maintaining three separate user portals, causing confusion.
*Users seeking alternatives due to loss of trust in Paragon Software.
*Some customers ultimately resorting to requesting refunds or switching to competing software like Tuxera NTFS for Mac.

The backlash indicates that the licensing change was not properly communicated to users, leading to confusion & loss of confidence in Paragon Software.

===Revocation of previously purchased software===
This incident represents a clear example of a company redefining what "ownership" means after a customer buys the product. By creating a technical barrier (new licensing system) that prevents users from using software they legitimately purchased, Paragon converted perpetual licenses into limited-time licenses that became unusable after system changes, with no warning at the time of purchase as to when the license would stop working.

This practice aligns with several modern consumer exploitation tactics outlined in our [[Mission statement]]:

*Changing a purchased item into a significantly different version after the sale (by making the license unusable).
*Redefining "purchase" and "ownership" after the fact—turning a product advertised as a "perpetual license" into a time-limited, revocable service.
*Creating a technical barrier that renders previously functional products unusable.

Customers followed the correct procedure by:

*Purchasing the software legitimately.
*Maintaining their account information.
*Following all troubleshooting steps provided by Paragon.
*Contacting customer service through official channels.
*Attempting to use the license revocation process as directed.

Despite this, customers are effectively told their purchase is no longer valid and they would need to pay again. Customers who bought Paragon software legally are forced to either:

*Repurchase software they already owned.
*Lose access to functionality they had paid for.
*Seek alternative solutions, potentially less reliable or feature-complete.