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added a paragraph on Autodesk's practices when it comes to perpetual license activations and their double standard which allows places with stronger consumer protections to sell their license which will have an activation included in the sale so long as the verification server allows for said activations, and also how support guides and such things as product keys are no longer on the website to allow for easier means of getting said activation going.
expanded the compliance section with the current general terms, corrected the vernor v. autodesk summary, and re-sourced the telemetry detection paragraph off the analytics page, cgarchitect, and scott & scott
 
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*Autodesk stopped selling perpetual licenses for HSMWorks in 2016 and eliminated access altogether in 2025, rendering locally stored information unusable.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=@lenny_1962 |date=3 Feb 2025 |title=HSMWorks End Of Life March 25th, 2028 |url=https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/hsm-support-forum/hsmworks-end-of-life-march-25th-2028/td-p/13297431 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708174804/https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/hsm-support-forum/hsmworks-end-of-life-march-25th-2028/td-p/13297431 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref>
*Autodesk stopped selling perpetual licenses for HSMWorks in 2016 and eliminated access altogether in 2025, rendering locally stored information unusable.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=@lenny_1962 |date=3 Feb 2025 |title=HSMWorks End Of Life March 25th, 2028 |url=https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/hsm-support-forum/hsmworks-end-of-life-march-25th-2028/td-p/13297431 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708174804/https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/hsm-support-forum/hsmworks-end-of-life-march-25th-2028/td-p/13297431 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref>
*Fusion discontinued support for Windows 10, with unclear implications for existing installations.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2025-08-05 |title=Fusion Announcing End of Support for Windows 10 |url=https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Fusion-Announcing-End-of-Support-for-Windows-10.html?_ga=2.208606034.1190329573.1738186074-1680147263.1738186073 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250130015007/https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Fusion-Announcing-End-of-Support-for-Windows-10.html?_ga=2.208606034.1190329573.1738186074-1680147263.1738186073 |archive-date=30 Jan 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref>
*Fusion discontinued support for Windows 10, with unclear implications for existing installations.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2025-08-05 |title=Fusion Announcing End of Support for Windows 10 |url=https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Fusion-Announcing-End-of-Support-for-Windows-10.html?_ga=2.208606034.1190329573.1738186074-1680147263.1738186073 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250130015007/https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Fusion-Announcing-End-of-Support-for-Windows-10.html?_ga=2.208606034.1190329573.1738186074-1680147263.1738186073 |archive-date=30 Jan 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref>
*Autodesk acquired CadSoft EAGLE in 2016 and moved EAGLE and bundled it into Fusion<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sattel |first=Sam |date=2016-07-11 |title=Autodesk acquires EAGLE: Q&A and a look into the future! |url=https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/autodesk-acquires-eagle-qa-look-future/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251213104622/https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/autodesk-acquires-eagle-qa-look-future/ |archive-date=2025-12-13}}</ref> failing to preserve perpetual-license continuity for EAGLE users after the acquisition. Effective June 7, 2026, Autodesk would no longer sell or support EAGLE<ref name="autodesk-eagle-eol-2023">{{cite web |last=Robledo |first=Edwin |date=2023-06-07 |title=The Future of Autodesk EAGLE: Our Path Forward with Autodesk Fusion Electronics |url=https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/future-of-autodesk-eagle-fusion-360-electronics/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251216035540/https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/future-of-autodesk-eagle-fusion-360-electronics/ |archive-date=2025-12-16 |access-date=2026-05-25 |website=Autodesk}}</ref> announcing "EAGLE will no longer be available." <ref name="autodesk-eagle-faq">{{cite web |title=Autodesk EAGLE License & Subscription FAQ |url=https://www.autodesk.com/solutions/eagle-subscription-faq |access-date=2026-05-25 |website=Autodesk}}</ref>
*Discontinuation of permanent licenses for Product Design Suite 2013.'''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Ian |first=Davis |date=2023-06-29 |title=So much for Permanent Standalone licensing... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4-pp1uKNnM |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=U4-pp1uKNnM |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=YouTube |type=video |publication-place=Ian Davis' personal YouTube channel}}</ref>'''
*Discontinuation of permanent licenses for Product Design Suite 2013.'''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Ian |first=Davis |date=2023-06-29 |title=So much for Permanent Standalone licensing... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4-pp1uKNnM |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=U4-pp1uKNnM |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=YouTube |type=video |publication-place=Ian Davis' personal YouTube channel}}</ref>'''
*Able to detect if pirated versions of their software are installed alongside the official one.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Autodesk detected pirated programs after purchasing licenses |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Architects/comments/1ct8nqd/autodesk_detected_pirated_programs_after/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250804044043/https://www.reddit.com/r/Architects/comments/1ct8nqd/autodesk_detected_pirated_programs_after/ |archive-date=4 Aug 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>
*Embeds telemetry that reports installed Autodesk software and usage back to the company, which its compliance team checks against registered licenses to detect unlicensed copies and open audits.<ref name="scott-know">{{Cite web |title=How did Autodesk know to audit you and what do you do now? |url=https://scottandscottllp.com/autodesk-audits-how-did-autodesk-know-to-audit-you-and-what-to-do-now/ |publisher=Scott & Scott, LLP |access-date=2026-07-06}}</ref>
*Sued Timothy Vernor for copyright infringement for selling his single physical copy of Autodesk.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Timothy Vernor v. Autodesk Inc |url=https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca9/09-35969 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210923200001/https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca9/09-35969 |archive-date=23 Sep 2021 |access-date=2026-02-05 |website=Justia}}</ref>
*Established in litigation that its customers are licensees, not owners, of the software they buy; in ''Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc.'' the Ninth Circuit held that the first-sale doctrine does not let a buyer resell a used copy.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc. (slip opinion) |url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/09/10/09-35969.pdf |author=U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit |date=2010-09-10 |publisher=United States Courts |access-date=2026-07-06}}</ref>
*Transitioned all of its products from perpetual licenses to subscriptions and multi-year contracts billed annually in the past few years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-05-06 |title=Autodesk Fiscal Year 2025 Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement |url=https://investors.autodesk.com/static-files/5a13740d-d370-40e9-aeac-8ac257ca85ff |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250705192736/https://investors.autodesk.com/static-files/5a13740d-d370-40e9-aeac-8ac257ca85ff |archive-date=5 Jul 2025 |access-date=2026-02-05 |website=Autodesk Investor Relations}}</ref>
*Transitioned all of its products from perpetual licenses to subscriptions and multi-year contracts billed annually in the past few years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-05-06 |title=Autodesk Fiscal Year 2025 Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement |url=https://investors.autodesk.com/static-files/5a13740d-d370-40e9-aeac-8ac257ca85ff |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250705192736/https://investors.autodesk.com/static-files/5a13740d-d370-40e9-aeac-8ac257ca85ff |archive-date=5 Jul 2025 |access-date=2026-02-05 |website=Autodesk Investor Relations}}</ref>


===Strong-arming user compliance===
===Strong-arming user compliance===
Autodesk is allowed to audit a users premises to verify compliance. If the user or company is found to have overextended licenses, Autodesk requires the user to purchase additional licenses to cover the overextended licenses in question.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AutoDesk License and Services agreement |url=https://download.autodesk.com/us/FY17/Suites/LSA/en-us/lsa.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/iIM3C |archive-date=2026-03-09 |access-date=24 Feb 2026}}</ref> However, the software does not limit the number of machines that can sign in and activate it simultaneously.{{Citation needed}} Autodesk compliance agents threatened to increase fines if legal counsel is hired against Autodesk.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vondran |first=Steve |date=2023-04-12 |title=Autodesk Internal Getting Very Aggressive in 2023 Beware of Over-Assigning Licenses |url=https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/autodesk-internal-getting-very-7707218/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250730215441/https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/autodesk-internal-getting-very-7707218/ |archive-date=2025-07-30 |access-date=2025-10-23}}</ref>
{{Main|Autodesk license compliance audits}}
Autodesk's license agreements reserve a right to audit customers for compliance. Under the current General Terms, a customer that receives an audit notice must run an Autodesk-approved tool to gather data from every device that accesses Autodesk products and submit the results within 15 days; a customer found noncompliant must immediately buy licenses equal to the shortfall plus Autodesk's costs of the verification, and failure to comply is a ''"material breach"'' of the terms.<ref name="autodesk-general-terms">{{Cite web |title=General Terms |url=https://www.autodesk.com/company/terms-of-use/en/general-terms |author=Autodesk, Inc. |date=2026-03-30 |website=Autodesk |access-date=2026-07-06}}</ref> The older License and Services Agreement stated the same audit right and required the customer to provide ''"full cooperation"'' and to ''"pay the reasonable costs of the audit."''<ref name="autodesk-lsa-fy17">{{Cite web |title=Autodesk License and Services Agreement (FY17) |url=https://download.autodesk.com/us/FY17/Suites/LSA/en-us/lsa.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/iIM3C |archive-date=2026-03-09 |access-date=2026-07-06}}</ref> Steve Vondran, an intellectual-property attorney who defends audit targets, has written that Autodesk's in-house team seeks settlements ''"as high as $50,000 or more"'' and that its lawyers have threatened to shut off even licensed software if a company refuses the audit.<ref name="vondran-jdsupra">{{Cite web |last=Vondran |first=Steve |date=2023-04-12 |title=Autodesk Internal Getting Very Aggressive in 2023 Beware of Over-Assigning Licenses |url=https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/autodesk-internal-getting-very-7707218/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250730215441/https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/autodesk-internal-getting-very-7707218/ |archive-date=2025-07-30 |access-date=2026-07-06}}</ref>


===Market control===
===Market control===
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In 2023, YouTuber Ian Davis owned a permanent, standalone license for Autodesk Product Design Suite Ultimate 2013, which failed to renew. Autodesk refused to issue a new license without an additional subscription purchase.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Louis |first=Rossmann |date=2023-06-30 |title=Autodesk screws customers by turning lifetime licenses into subscriptions |url=Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHY9K8X45XA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=OHY9K8X45XA |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=YouTube |type=video}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ian |first=Davis |date=2023-07-03 |title=Thoughts on AutoCad License invalidation |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iQP62_X13g |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=7iQP62_X13g |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=YouTube |place=Ian Davis' personal YouTube channel |type=video}}</ref>
In 2023, YouTuber Ian Davis owned a permanent, standalone license for Autodesk Product Design Suite Ultimate 2013, which failed to renew. Autodesk refused to issue a new license without an additional subscription purchase.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Louis |first=Rossmann |date=2023-06-30 |title=Autodesk screws customers by turning lifetime licenses into subscriptions |url=Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHY9K8X45XA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=OHY9K8X45XA |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=YouTube |type=video}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ian |first=Davis |date=2023-07-03 |title=Thoughts on AutoCad License invalidation |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iQP62_X13g |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=7iQP62_X13g |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=YouTube |place=Ian Davis' personal YouTube channel |type=video}}</ref>


===Retro-active piracy detection software (''2017)''===
===Telemetry-based infringement detection (''2017'')===
In 2017, consumers reported that the data analytics systems built into Autodesk's software detected pirated versions of Autodesk products on PCs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AUTODESK ANALYTICS PROGRAMS |url=https://www.autodesk.com/company/autodesk-analytics |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251210123931/https://www.autodesk.com/company/autodesk-analytics |archive-date=10 Dec 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref> This detection would be able to happen even if the pirated software was uninstalled ''before'' purchasing an official license and installing the real product. Autodesk sent large fines as a punishment.<ref name=":5" /> This software has also been reported to malfunction, and Autodesk is allegedly pressuring consumers into purchasing expensive versions of their licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autodesk detected pirated programs after purchasing licenses (Reply) |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Architects/comments/1ct8nqd/comment/lod8lo2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223030344/https://old.reddit.com/r/Architects/comments/1ct8nqd/autodesk_detected_pirated_programs_after/lod8lo2/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>
Autodesk's desktop software collects usage data that reports back to the company. Autodesk's analytics disclosure states that some collection is required and cannot be turned off, including data used ''"to identify non-valid use of our offerings."''<ref name="autodesk-analytics">{{Cite web |title=Autodesk analytics programs |url=https://www.autodesk.com/company/autodesk-analytics |author=Autodesk, Inc. |website=Autodesk |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251210123931/https://www.autodesk.com/company/autodesk-analytics |archive-date=10 Dec 2025 |access-date=2026-07-06}}</ref> In an account documented by the CAD trade publication CGArchitect in 2021, Autodesk's ''"phone-home"'' tools flagged pirated software on a contractor's laptop connected to a studio's network, which made the studio the target of an infringement claim; the publication reported that EULA missteps of this kind can cost a studio ''"six-figure fines"''.<ref name="cgarchitect">{{Cite web |last=Mottle |first=Jeff |date=2021-02-02 |title=How Work-From-Home and the Software EULA Could Cost You Thousands in Penalties |url=https://cgconnect.chaos.com/features/articles/b29a684f-how-work-from-home-and-the-software-eula-could-cost-you-thousands-in-penalties?from=cgarchitect |website=CGconnect |access-date=2026-07-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260706065451/https://cgconnect.chaos.com/insights/articles/b29a684f-how-work-from-home-and-the-software-eula-could-cost-you-thousands-in-penalties |archive-date=2026-07-06}}</ref> Defense attorneys report that the automated audit scans over-count installations; Scott & Scott LLP has written that free viewer programs are sometimes counted as full product installs, which can produce ''"drastically over-inflated audit exposure."''<ref name="scott-scan">{{Cite web |title=Autodesk Audits: How to Effectively Scan Your Network and Prepare Accurate Results |url=https://scottandscottllp.com/autodesk-audits-how-to-effectively-scan-your-network-and-prepare-accurate-results/ |publisher=Scott & Scott, LLP |access-date=2026-07-06}}</ref>


===Discontinuing perpetual license HSMWorks (''2016'')===
===Discontinuing perpetual license HSMWorks (''2016'')===
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In 2007, [[wikipedia:Autodesk_Mudbox|Mudbox]] was bought by Autodesk. the software has had multiple new version releases, but no updates.
In 2007, [[wikipedia:Autodesk_Mudbox|Mudbox]] was bought by Autodesk. the software has had multiple new version releases, but no updates.


===Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc. (''2007'')===
===''Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc.'' (''2007'')===
In 2007, Timothy Vernor tried to sell his physical copy of Autodesk. Autodesk sued Vernor for copyright infringement in Timothy Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc as Vernor's purchase was for a license. The case made its way to the US Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, where it was decided in Autodesk's favor, limiting the [[first-sale doctrine]]<ref name=":6" />. 
Timothy Vernor bought used copies of AutoCAD Release 14 and resold them on eBay. After Autodesk sent eBay takedown notices, Vernor sued Autodesk in 2007, asking a court to declare that reselling the copies was lawful. A federal district court in Washington ruled for Vernor, but in 2010 the Ninth Circuit reversed, holding that Autodesk's customers are licensees rather than owners of their copies, so the [[first-sale doctrine]] did not permit the resales.<ref name=":6" />


'''Selective product activation based on location'''
===Selective product activation based on location===
Due to EU law perpetual licenses are required to be able to be sold or transferred, allowing licenses as old as the 2010 version of AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD to be activated on new computers (as of 2024) due to the nature of the server side activation codes generated for perpetual licenses. The timetable of allowing only certain versions to be activated and that version number reaching ever closer to the current version is so that the activation server can be removed entirely in favor of the licensing model they currently use. Many of the steps used to ensure less users are able to activate their perpetual licenses include:


Due to EU law perpetual licenses are required to be able to be sold or transferred, allowing licenses as old as the 2010 version of AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD to be activated on new computers (as of 2024) due to the nature of the server side activation codes generated for perpetual licenses. The timetable of allowing only certain version to be activated and that number getting closer and closer to the current version is so that the activation server can be removed entirely in favor of the licensing model they currently use, many of the steps used to ensure less users are able to activate their perpetual licenses include removing product keys from their website, offering trade ins for discounts on their licenses, denying activation of perpetual licenses after the version is no longer supported officially, even if the capabilities are still there to follow EU laws, and, as previously stated in this article, going after pirated versions of the software which may include people who have legitimate perpetual licenses but couldn't get activations through Autodesk so may have circumvented that security feature by generating an activation code some other way, or again some errors may have been the issue at hand causing a false positive for the "piracy"  in question. removing articles for troubleshooting certain errors for older versions of their software is also known to have happened even if the data still exists and a way back machine would make the information available. In short Autodesk only provides license transfers in places that legally require them to do so, which includes at least one activation of the license in question, even if the software is no longer supported on paper, and everyone else with a valid license who can't use it is just plain out of luck.  
*Removing product keys from their website
*Offering trade-ins for discounts on their licenses
*Denying activation of perpetual licenses after the version is no longer supported officially (even if the capabilities are still there to follow EU laws)
*Going after pirated versions of the software, which may include people who have legitimate perpetual licenses but couldn't get activations through Autodesk so may have circumvented that security feature by generating an activation code some other way, or again some errors may have been the issue at hand causing a false positive for the "piracy"  in question.<!-- This line should be re-written to be concise and clear. -Sojourna -->
*Removing articles for troubleshooting certain errors for older versions of their software
 
In short Autodesk only provides license transfers in places that legally require them to do so, which includes at least one activation of the license in question, even if the software is no longer supported on paper. Any consumer with an unusable valid license located outside of such jurisdictions are left with no recourse.


==Products<!-- I personally remember taking a class that used Inventor, and the spotty internet connection some computers in the industrial building would have on occasion would make it HELL for me to do classes since if the internet went out and I did not save before then, I had to start from scratch! LITERALLY forced me to drop my class halfway through because of this, and I did not get my money back for it! - JamesTDG -->==
==Products<!-- I personally remember taking a class that used Inventor, and the spotty internet connection some computers in the industrial building would have on occasion would make it HELL for me to do classes since if the internet went out and I did not save before then, I had to start from scratch! LITERALLY forced me to drop my class halfway through because of this, and I did not get my money back for it! - JamesTDG -->==
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==References==
==References==
<references />
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Autodesk]]
 
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
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