Fake lifetime license

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Fake lifetime license is a marketing scam in which customers are misled and/or blatantly lied to, with respect to the expiration date of a license they acquired.

This is distinct from post-purchase EULA modification, as the license was never changed, it was always fake.

How it works

Companies may deceptively advertise a product or service as having a "lifetime" or "forever" license, so that when a customer legally gets a license (typically by paying money), the customer is allowed to use the product/service for a limited period of time.

Sometimes, the "lifetime" refers to the warranty of the product, not the lifetime of the customer.

Companies do this to artificially increase profits, such as switching to a subscription model for recurring revenue.

Why it is a problem

Most, if not all, customers expect the license to last for as long as humanly possible. When the expectation breaks, they need to change their plans

Examples

• VitalSource "Lifetime" false advertising - A license labeled as "lifetime" but only extends to 5 years.