Fake lifetime license: Difference between revisions
Created page with "{{StubNotice}} '''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..." |
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Sometimes, the "lifetime" refers to the warranty of the product, not the lifetime of the customer. | Sometimes, the "lifetime" refers to the warranty of the product, not the lifetime of the customer. | ||
Companies do this to artificially increase profits.{{ | Companies do this to artificially increase profits, such as switching to a subscription model for recurring revenue.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/adobe-creative-suite-officialy-retired/|title=After a record-breaking year, Adobe officially axes the old Creative Suite|date=2022-05-15|first=Hillary|last=Grigonis|work=Digital Trends}}</ref> | ||
==Why it is a problem== | ==Why it is a problem== | ||
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==Examples== | ==Examples== | ||
*[[VitalSource "Lifetime" false advertising]] - A license labeled as "lifetime" but only extends to 5 years. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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[[Category:Common terms]] | [[Category:Common terms]] | ||
[[Category:Theme]] | |||
[[Category:Common license terms]] | |||
Latest revision as of 23:33, 24 May 2026
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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
[edit | edit source]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.[1]
Why it is a problem
[edit | edit source]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
[edit | edit source]- VitalSource "Lifetime" false advertising - A license labeled as "lifetime" but only extends to 5 years.
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Grigonis, Hillary (2022-05-15). "After a record-breaking year, Adobe officially axes the old Creative Suite". Digital Trends.