Keyshot: Difference between revisions

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| Official Website =https://www.keyshot.com/

| Logo =QuestionMark.svg

|short_description=KeyShot is a 3D rendering program developed by Luxion, Inc.}}"'''{{PAGENAME}}''' is a real-time 3D rendering and animation software developed by Luxion. Designed to create high-quality visuals quickly and easily, KeyShot is widely used in industries such as product design, engineering, automotive, and marketing.

|short_description=KeyShot is a 3D rendering program developed by Luxion, Inc.}}'''{{PAGENAME}}''' is a real-time 3D rendering and animation software developed by Luxion. Designed to create high-quality visuals quickly and easily, KeyShot is widely used in industries such as product design, engineering, automotive, and marketing.

==Luxion KeyShot License Server Deactivation and Perpetual License Controversy==

In 2023 and 2024, Luxion, the company behind the 3D rendering software KeyShot, began deactivating license servers for older versions of its software that were sold under perpetual license agreements. This move effectively rendered many legally purchased licenses unusable, especially for users who needed to reinstall or move their software to a new device. The decision sparked criticism from users, raising serious concerns over digital ownership, software sustainability, and fair use rights.

In 2023 and 2024, Luxion, the company behind the 3D rendering software KeyShot, began deactivating license servers for older versions of its software that were sold under perpetual license agreements.<ref>{{Cite web |title=End of Life (EOL) Details for KeyShot Studio 8 and 9 |url=https://support.keyshot.com/en/knowledge-base/end-of-life-eol-details-for-keyshot-8-and-9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://support.keyshot.com/en/knowledge-base/end-of-life-eol-details-for-keyshot-8-and-9 |archive-date=2025-03-26}}</ref> This move effectively rendered many legally purchased licenses unusable, especially for users who needed to reinstall or move their software to a new device. The decision sparked criticism from users, raising serious concerns over digital ownership, software sustainability, and fair use rights.

==~~Incidents~~==

=== The End-of-Life (EOL) Policy and Server Deactivation ===

~~This is~~ a ~~list~~ of ~~all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category~~:{~~{PAGENAME}}~~|~~{{PAGENAME}} category]].~~

Luxion announced a staged '''End-of-Life policy''' for its older software versions, with key milestones that severely impacted perpetual license users:

~~{{Placeholder box~~|~~Replace the placeholder text in the sections below with the incidents that affect this product and a short summary. Also replace the link so it point to the right product line~~ or ~~company article.}~~}

{| class="wikitable"

~~===Example incident one (~~''~~date~~''~~)===~~

|+

~~{{Main|link~~ to the ~~main article}}~~

!KeyShot Version

~~Short summary of~~ the ~~incident (could be~~ the ~~same as the summary preceding the article).~~

!EOL Date

~~===Example incident two ('~~'~~date~~''~~)===~~

!Impact

...

|-

|2–7

|April 30, 2023

|Servers deactivated; no installation, activation, or support

|-

|8-9

|January 1, 2025

|Servers deactivated; existing installs remain, no reinstallation possible

|-

|10

|January 1, 2026

|Same outcome expected as for Version 8-9

|}

After each EOL date, Luxion '''shuts down the license servers''' required to install, activate, or move the software to new hardware. Even though the software may continue to work on an already activated machine, '''any hardware change, crash, or OS reinstall renders the license useless'''.

~~Incidents affecting all~~ of ~~the~~ product ~~line/company's products can be found in the product line/company article: [[Product line title]]/[[Company article title]]~~

Luxion states that these changes are part of routine product lifecycle management, and encourages users to upgrade or move to a subscription model.

== Legal and Ethical Concerns ==

The deactivation of license servers for perpetual licenses raises multiple '''consumer rights issues''':

~~==See also==~~

* '''Breach of contract or implied contract''': Customers argue that a perpetual license constitutes a contract promising lifetime access.

~~{{Placeholder box|Link~~ to ~~relevant theme articles~~ or ~~products with similar incidents~~.}}

* '''Digital ownership erosion''': Users paid full price expecting to own the software indefinitely.

* '''No offline fallback''': Luxion’s system depends entirely on online server validation, with no offline key or workaround.

* '''Lack of communication''': Some users reported learning of the policy too late to migrate, deactivate, or prepare alternatives.

No consumer protection lawsuits are known as of mid-2025, but the case has been cited in discussions of digital consumer rights and software ownership.

== Luxion's Position ==

Luxion maintains that its EOL policy is standard in the industry and necessary to ensure security and product evolution. They recommend affected users upgrade to a newer version or subscribe to a cloud-based model. In some cases, discounts were offered to existing customers.

However, this rationale has done little to ease frustrations from users who feel locked out of the software they legally purchased and relied on.

== Conclusion ==

Luxion’s decision to disable license validation servers for perpetual KeyShot licenses marks a significant moment in the erosion of software ownership. While legal gray areas remain, the ethical clarity is strong: removing functionality from a paid product without user consent undermines consumer trust.

This case serves as a cautionary tale for digital consumers: '''“perpetual” may not always mean what you think.'''

==References==

{{reflist}}~~https://support.keyshot.com/en/knowledge-base/end-of-life-eol-details-for-keyshot-8-and-9~~

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 | Official Website =https://www.keyshot.com/
 | Logo =QuestionMark.svg
-|short_description=KeyShot is a 3D rendering program developed by Luxion, Inc.}}"'''{{PAGENAME}}''' is a real-time 3D rendering and animation software developed by Luxion. Designed to create high-quality visuals quickly and easily, KeyShot is widely used in industries such as product design, engineering, automotive, and marketing.
+|short_description=KeyShot is a 3D rendering program developed by Luxion, Inc.}}'''{{PAGENAME}}''' is a real-time 3D rendering and animation software developed by Luxion. Designed to create high-quality visuals quickly and easily, KeyShot is widely used in industries such as product design, engineering, automotive, and marketing.
 ==Luxion KeyShot License Server Deactivation and Perpetual License Controversy==
-In 2023 and 2024, Luxion, the company behind the 3D rendering software KeyShot, began deactivating license servers for older versions of its software that were sold under perpetual license agreements. This move effectively rendered many legally purchased licenses unusable, especially for users who needed to reinstall or move their software to a new device. The decision sparked criticism from users, raising serious concerns over digital ownership, software sustainability, and fair use rights.
+In 2023 and 2024, Luxion, the company behind the 3D rendering software KeyShot, began deactivating license servers for older versions of its software that were sold under perpetual license agreements.<ref>{{Cite web |title=End of Life (EOL) Details for KeyShot Studio 8 and 9 |url=https://support.keyshot.com/en/knowledge-base/end-of-life-eol-details-for-keyshot-8-and-9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://support.keyshot.com/en/knowledge-base/end-of-life-eol-details-for-keyshot-8-and-9 |archive-date=2025-03-26}}</ref> This move effectively rendered many legally purchased licenses unusable, especially for users who needed to reinstall or move their software to a new device. The decision sparked criticism from users, raising serious concerns over digital ownership, software sustainability, and fair use rights.
-==Incidents==
+=== The End-of-Life (EOL) Policy and Server Deactivation ===
-This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
+Luxion announced a staged '''End-of-Life policy''' for its older software versions, with key milestones that severely impacted perpetual license users:
-{{Placeholder box|Replace the placeholder text in the sections below with the incidents that affect this product and a short summary. Also replace the link so it point to the right product line or company article.}}
+{| class="wikitable"
-===Example incident one (''date'')===
+|+
-{{Main|link to the main article}}
+!KeyShot Version
-Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
+!EOL Date
-===Example incident two (''date'')===
+!Impact
-...
+|-
+|2–7
+|April 30, 2023
+|Servers deactivated; no installation, activation, or support
+|-
+|8-9
+|January 1, 2025
+|Servers deactivated; existing installs remain, no reinstallation possible
+|-
+|10
+|January 1, 2026
+|Same outcome expected as for Version 8-9
+|}
+After each EOL date, Luxion '''shuts down the license servers''' required to install, activate, or move the software to new hardware. Even though the software may continue to work on an already activated machine, '''any hardware change, crash, or OS reinstall renders the license useless'''.
-Incidents affecting all of the product line/company's products can be found in the product line/company article: [[Product line title]]/[[Company article title]]
+Luxion states that these changes are part of routine product lifecycle management, and encourages users to upgrade or move to a subscription model.
+== Legal and Ethical Concerns ==
+The deactivation of license servers for perpetual licenses raises multiple '''consumer rights issues''':
-==See also==
+* '''Breach of contract or implied contract''': Customers argue that a perpetual license constitutes a contract promising lifetime access.
-{{Placeholder box|Link to relevant theme articles or products with similar incidents.}}
+* '''Digital ownership erosion''': Users paid full price expecting to own the software indefinitely.
+* '''No offline fallback''': Luxion’s system depends entirely on online server validation, with no offline key or workaround.
+* '''Lack of communication''': Some users reported learning of the policy too late to migrate, deactivate, or prepare alternatives.
+No consumer protection lawsuits are known as of mid-2025, but the case has been cited in discussions of digital consumer rights and software ownership.
+== Luxion's Position ==
+Luxion maintains that its EOL policy is standard in the industry and necessary to ensure security and product evolution. They recommend affected users upgrade to a newer version or subscribe to a cloud-based model. In some cases, discounts were offered to existing customers.
+However, this rationale has done little to ease frustrations from users who feel locked out of the software they legally purchased and relied on.
+== Conclusion ==
+Luxion’s decision to disable license validation servers for perpetual KeyShot licenses marks a significant moment in the erosion of software ownership. While legal gray areas remain, the ethical clarity is strong: removing functionality from a paid product without user consent undermines consumer trust.
+This case serves as a cautionary tale for digital consumers: '''“perpetual” may not always mean what you think.'''
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}https://support.keyshot.com/en/knowledge-base/end-of-life-eol-details-for-keyshot-8-and-9
+{{reflist}}
 [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]