Lifetime license removal: Difference between revisions

(3 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)

Line 1:

Lifetime licenses are granted for software that many consumers and businesses rely upon daily for the simple fact that it is more affordable in the long-term for these products and services. As subscription-based products have become more favorable for investors among various companies,<ref>{{Cite web |last=The ProValet Team |date=Oct 16, 2024 |title=Subscription vs. One-Time Purchase: Which Saves You More Money? |url=https://www.provalet.io/guides-posts/subscription-vs-one-time-purchase |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=ProValet}}</ref> many are forced outside of the licenses that they expected were theirs to own as-is following the terminology of "lifetime." The removal of these licenses combat the consumers' [[right to own]] the products that they paid for.

Lifetime licenses (also known as perpetual licenses, or one-time purchases) are granted for software that many consumers and businesses rely upon daily for the simple fact that it is more affordable in the long-term for these products and services. As subscription-based products have become more favorable for investors among various companies,<ref>{{Cite web |last=The ProValet Team |date=Oct 16, 2024 |title=Subscription vs. One-Time Purchase: Which Saves You More Money? |url=https://www.provalet.io/guides-posts/subscription-vs-one-time-purchase |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=ProValet}}</ref> many are forced outside of the licenses that they expected were theirs to own as-is following the terminology of "lifetime." The removal of these licenses combat the consumers' [[right to own]] the products that they paid for.

==Why it is a problem==

~~{{Placeholder box|If the theme or common term is positive for the consumer this section can be omitted.~~

===~~Point 1~~===

===Right to Own===

The sale of these licenses are made with the expectation that the purchaser will forever retain access to this license. When these are revoked among a litany of reasons, via a multitude of methods, such as discontinuing the software or [[Retroactively amended purchase|retroactively amending the agreement]], it defies the [[Right to own|right to ownership]].

~~===Point 2===~~

==Examples==

}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"

==Examples==

{| class="wikitable"

|+

!Company Name

Line 21:

Line 18:

|-

|[[Adobe]]

|Photoshop, Acrobat, Firefly, Premiere, Creative Cloud, etc

|2020-Now

|Adobe has been slowly revoking licenses across its product library that eliminate the ownership of the products that consumers and businesses have paid for.

Line 27:

Line 24:

|-

|[[InfiniteQuant]]

|[[VPNSecure]]

|[[VPNSecure.me|VPNSecure]]

|2025

|After the company InfiniteQuant purchased VPNSecure, the company opted to revoke lifetime licenses that users had paid for

Line 43:

Line 40:

|TBA

|[[Tansee License Changed from Lifetime to 3 Years After Purchase]]

|-

|[[Malwarebytes]]

|2014

|TBA

|-

|[[Wondershare]]

|[[Filmora]]

|2022

|In 2022, Wondershare updated their licensing terms inside their EULA to mark all lifetime licenses as invalid;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Ernie |date=3 Jan 2023 |title=Filmora lifetime license controversy |url=https://midrange.tedium.co/issues/filmora-lifetime-license-controversy/ |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=MidRange}}</ref> in 2024, consumers sued over this revocation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCroskey |first=Kelsey |date=26 February 2024 |title=Wondershare Hit with Lawsuit Over Alleged Subscription Auto-Renewal Practices |url=https://www.classaction.org/news/wondershare-hit-with-lawsuit-over-alleged-subscription-auto-renewal-practices |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=ClassAction.org}}</ref>

|[[Filmora lifetime licenses terminated]]

|-

|[[Iconfactory]]

|[[Linea Sketch]]

|2020?

|In 2020,Iconfactory transitioned Linea Sketch into using a subscription model for users, and revoked licenses for V2 users who had automatic updates enabled on the iOS store.

|[[Linea Sketch revokes lifetime licenses]]

|-

|[[Fongo Inc.]]

|Fongo

|2024

|In 2024, Fongo began switching licenses for Fongo's ad-free version from a one-time payment, to a subscription.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 Apr 2024 |title=Fongo App - removing my “permanent ads removal” purchase |url=https://forums.redflagdeals.com/fongo-app-removing-my-c-permanent-ads-removal-c-purchase-2686747/ |url-status=live |access-date=29 Mar 2025 |website=RedFlagDeals}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sheppard |first=Tom |date=10 Apr 2024 |title=Turns out that Fongo has joined the enshitification march and ad removal has changed to a subscription service with no notice, no warning in the update release notes, and no grandfathering existing customers. Are there any decent companies left? |url=https://twit.social/@TWSheppard/112243898338314374 |url-status=live |access-date=29 Mar 2025 |website=Mastodon}}</ref>

|[[Fongo changes purchased Lifetime Ad Removal to Monthly Subscription]]

[[FreePhoneLine revokes Lifetime VoIP service for monthly subscription model.]]

|-

|[[Autodesk]]

|[[AutoCAD]], [[Autodesk Inventor|Inventor]], etc.

|2023

|In 2016, Autodesk concluded the sale of lifetime licenses,<ref>{{Cite web |last=AutoCAD life time license |date=Jan 5, 2024 |title=AutoCAD life time license |url=https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/installation-licensing-forum/autocad-life-time-license/td-p/12480109 |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]] Community}}</ref> focusing exclusively on a subscription based model; In 2023, they [[Retroactively amended purchase|retroactively amended the agreement]] with the purpose of revoking lifetime licenses from all Autodesk users.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ace_Dragon |date=Jul 1, 2023 |title=Autodesk changes the deal, retroactively cancels all remaining lifetime licenses |url=https://blenderartists.org/t/autodesk-changes-the-deal-retroactively-cancels-all-remaining-lifetime-licenses/1471477 |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=Blender Artists Community}}</ref>

|[[Autodesk retroactively revokes all lifetime licenses]]

|-

|[[MediaMall]]

|[[PlayOn]]

|2021

|In 2021, PlayOn discontinued support for PlayOn Desktop,<ref>{{Cite web |last=JaviPlanma |date=Nov 8, 2021 |title=PSA to Companies: DO NOT OFFER LIFETIME LICENSES if you don't intend to follow through |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/PlayOn/comments/qpi14m/psa_to_companies_do_not_offer_lifetime_licenses/ |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref> which forced users to use PlayOn Home or PlayOn Cloud instead, both of which have no lifetime subscriptions.

|[[PlayOn Desktop discontinued]]

|-

|[[Mailbird]]

|2025

|TBA<ref>{{Cite news |last=Raindog308 |date=Mar 10, 2025 |title=The Mailbird Scam: When a "Lifetime" License is Not Lifetime |url=https://lowendbox.com/blog/the-mailbird-scam-when-a-lifetime-license-is-not-lifetime/ |access-date=May 28, 2025 |work=LowEndBox}}</ref>

|[[Mailbird revokes lifetime licenses]]

|-

|[[Better Way Electronics]]

|Various [[PlayStation]] repair tools

|2024-2025

|TBA

|}

== See Also ==

==See Also==

* [[Storefront shutdown]]

*[[Storefront shutdown]]

* [[Right to own|Right to ~~Own~~]]

*[[Right to own|Right to own]]

*[[Retroactively amended purchase]]

==References==

[[Category:Theme]]

[[Category:~~Common terms~~]]

[[Category:Lifetime license removal]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{StubNotice}}
-Lifetime licenses are granted for software that many consumers and businesses rely upon daily for the simple fact that it is more affordable in the long-term for these products and services. As subscription-based products have become more favorable for investors among various companies,<ref>{{Cite web |last=The ProValet Team |date=Oct 16, 2024 |title=Subscription vs. One-Time Purchase: Which Saves You More Money? |url=https://www.provalet.io/guides-posts/subscription-vs-one-time-purchase |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=ProValet}}</ref> many are forced outside of the licenses that they expected were theirs to own as-is following the terminology of "lifetime." The removal of these licenses combat the consumers' [[right to own]] the products that they paid for.
+Lifetime licenses (also known as perpetual licenses, or one-time purchases) are granted for software that many consumers and businesses rely upon daily for the simple fact that it is more affordable in the long-term for these products and services. As subscription-based products have become more favorable for investors among various companies,<ref>{{Cite web |last=The ProValet Team |date=Oct 16, 2024 |title=Subscription vs. One-Time Purchase: Which Saves You More Money? |url=https://www.provalet.io/guides-posts/subscription-vs-one-time-purchase |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=ProValet}}</ref> many are forced outside of the licenses that they expected were theirs to own as-is following the terminology of "lifetime." The removal of these licenses combat the consumers' [[right to own]] the products that they paid for.
 ==Why it is a problem==
-{{Placeholder box|If the theme or common term is positive for the consumer this section can be omitted.
-===Point 1===
+===Right to Own===
+The sale of these licenses are made with the expectation that the purchaser will forever retain access to this license. When these are revoked among a litany of reasons, via a multitude of methods, such as discontinuing the software or [[Retroactively amended purchase|retroactively amending the agreement]], it defies the [[Right to own|right to ownership]].
-===Point 2===
+==Examples<!-- Web search to flip through: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=lifetime+product+license+revoked+-driver&t=brave&ia=web  Possible things to investigate to add: Norton   --><!-- I want to add this one, BUT the article has ZERO work done. https://consumerrights.wiki/Tango_Elegoo_Edition_False_Lifetime_License -->==
-}}
+{| class="wikitable sortable"
-==Examples<!-- Web search to flip through: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=lifetime+product+license+revoked+-driver&t=brave&ia=web  Possible things to investigate to add: AutoDesk Norton Filmora  https://linustechtips.com/topic/1476599-filmora-is-no-longer-supporting-users-lifetime-licenses/page/2/ PlayOn https://www.reddit.com/r/PlayOn/comments/qpi14m/psa_to_companies_do_not_offer_lifetime_licenses/ Mailbird https://lowendbox.com/blog/the-mailbird-scam-when-a-lifetime-license-is-not-lifetime/  -->==
-{| class="wikitable"
 |+
 !Company Name
@@ Line 21: / Line 18: @@
 |-
 |[[Adobe]]
-|Photoshop, Acrobat, Firefly, Premiere, Creative Cloud, etc
+|[[Photoshop]], [[Adobe Acrobat|Acrobat]], [[Adobe Firefly|Firefly]], [[Adobe Premiere|Premiere]], [[Adobe Creative Cloud|Creative Cloud]], etc
 |2020-Now
 |Adobe has been slowly revoking licenses across its product library that eliminate the ownership of the products that consumers and businesses have paid for.
@@ Line 27: / Line 24: @@
 |-
 |[[InfiniteQuant]]
-|[[VPNSecure]]
+|[[VPNSecure.me|VPNSecure]]
 |2025
 |After the company InfiniteQuant purchased VPNSecure, the company opted to revoke lifetime licenses that users had paid for
@@ Line 43: / Line 40: @@
 |TBA
 |[[Tansee License Changed from Lifetime to 3 Years After Purchase]]
+|-
+|[[Malwarebytes]]
+|[[Malwarebytes]]
+|2014
+|TBA
+|TBA
+|-
+|[[Wondershare]]
+|[[Filmora]]
+|2022
+|In 2022, Wondershare updated their licensing terms inside their EULA to mark all lifetime licenses as invalid;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Ernie |date=3 Jan 2023 |title=Filmora lifetime license controversy |url=https://midrange.tedium.co/issues/filmora-lifetime-license-controversy/ |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=MidRange}}</ref> in 2024, consumers sued over this revocation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCroskey |first=Kelsey |date=26 February 2024 |title=Wondershare Hit with Lawsuit Over Alleged Subscription Auto-Renewal Practices |url=https://www.classaction.org/news/wondershare-hit-with-lawsuit-over-alleged-subscription-auto-renewal-practices |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=ClassAction.org}}</ref><!-- Extra source: https://linustechtips.com/topic/1476599-filmora-is-no-longer-supporting-users-lifetime-licenses/page/2/ -->
+|[[Filmora lifetime licenses terminated]]
+|-
+|[[Iconfactory]]
+|[[Linea Sketch]]
+|2020?
+|In 2020,<!-- Vague guess, wiki article missing actual dates and proper reference formatting -->Iconfactory transitioned Linea Sketch into using a subscription model for users, and revoked licenses for V2 users who had automatic updates enabled on the iOS store.
+|[[Linea Sketch revokes lifetime licenses]]
+|-
+|[[Fongo Inc.]]
+|Fongo
+|2024
+|In 2024, Fongo began switching licenses for Fongo's ad-free version from a one-time payment, to a subscription.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 Apr 2024 |title=Fongo App - removing my “permanent ads removal” purchase |url=https://forums.redflagdeals.com/fongo-app-removing-my-c-permanent-ads-removal-c-purchase-2686747/ |url-status=live |access-date=29 Mar 2025 |website=RedFlagDeals}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sheppard |first=Tom |date=10 Apr 2024 |title=Turns out that Fongo has joined the enshitification march and ad removal has changed to a subscription service with no notice, no warning in the update release notes, and no grandfathering existing customers. Are there any decent companies left? |url=https://twit.social/@TWSheppard/112243898338314374 |url-status=live |access-date=29 Mar 2025 |website=Mastodon}}</ref>
+|[[Fongo changes purchased Lifetime Ad Removal to Monthly Subscription]]
+[[FreePhoneLine revokes Lifetime VoIP service for monthly subscription model.]]
+|-
+|[[Autodesk]]
+|[[AutoCAD]], [[Autodesk Inventor|Inventor]], etc.
+|2023
+|In 2016, Autodesk concluded the sale of lifetime licenses,<ref>{{Cite web |last=AutoCAD life time license |date=Jan 5, 2024 |title=AutoCAD life time license |url=https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/installation-licensing-forum/autocad-life-time-license/td-p/12480109 |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]] Community}}</ref> focusing exclusively on a subscription based model; In 2023, they [[Retroactively amended purchase|retroactively amended the agreement]] with the purpose of revoking lifetime licenses from all Autodesk users.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ace_Dragon |date=Jul 1, 2023 |title=Autodesk changes the deal, retroactively cancels all remaining lifetime licenses |url=https://blenderartists.org/t/autodesk-changes-the-deal-retroactively-cancels-all-remaining-lifetime-licenses/1471477 |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=Blender Artists Community}}</ref>
+|[[Autodesk retroactively revokes all lifetime licenses]]
+|-
+|[[MediaMall]]
+|[[PlayOn]]
+|2021
+|In 2021, PlayOn discontinued support for PlayOn Desktop,<ref>{{Cite web |last=JaviPlanma |date=Nov 8, 2021 |title=PSA to Companies: DO NOT OFFER LIFETIME LICENSES if you don't intend to follow through |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/PlayOn/comments/qpi14m/psa_to_companies_do_not_offer_lifetime_licenses/ |access-date=May 28, 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref> which forced users to use PlayOn Home or PlayOn Cloud instead, both of which have no lifetime subscriptions.
+|[[PlayOn Desktop discontinued]]
+|-
+|[[Mailbird]]
+|[[Mailbird]]
+|2025
+|TBA<ref>{{Cite news |last=Raindog308 |date=Mar 10, 2025 |title=The Mailbird Scam: When a "Lifetime" License is Not Lifetime |url=https://lowendbox.com/blog/the-mailbird-scam-when-a-lifetime-license-is-not-lifetime/ |access-date=May 28, 2025 |work=LowEndBox}}</ref>
+|[[Mailbird revokes lifetime licenses]]
+|-
+|[[Better Way Electronics]]
+|Various [[PlayStation]] repair tools
+|2024-2025
+|TBA
+|TBA
 |}
-== See Also ==
+==See Also==
-* [[Storefront shutdown]]
+*[[Storefront shutdown]]
-* [[Right to own|Right to Own]]
+*[[Right to own|Right to own]]
+*[[Retroactively amended purchase]]
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
+[[Category:Theme]]
-[[Category:Common terms]]
+[[Category:Lifetime license removal]]