Rosetta Stone: Difference between revisions
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'''Rosetta Stone Inc.''' is an American company that develops and sells language learning products<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone |url=https://www.rosettastone.com/about/company/ |url-status=live |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=Rosetta Stone}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone Inc. (Public, NYSE:RST) |url=http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:RST |url-status= | '''Rosetta Stone Inc.''' is an American company that develops and sells language learning products<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone |url=https://www.rosettastone.com/about/company/ |url-status=live |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=Rosetta Stone}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone Inc. (Public, NYSE:RST) |url=http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:RST |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425185824/http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:RST |archive-date=25 Apr 2009 |website=Google Finance}}</ref>. | ||
==Consumer impact summary== | ==Consumer impact summary== | ||
Their standalone software solutions have often been sold under perpetual licenses<ref name="GEULA">{{Cite web |title=GLOBAL END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT |url=http://resources.rosettastone.com/CDN/us/pdfs/eulas/eula-global-eng.pdf |url-status= | Their standalone software solutions have often been sold under perpetual licenses<ref name="GEULA">{{Cite web |title=GLOBAL END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT |url=http://resources.rosettastone.com/CDN/us/pdfs/eulas/eula-global-eng.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904223201/http://resources.rosettastone.com/CDN/us/pdfs/eulas/eula-global-eng.pdf |archive-date=2011-09-04 |archive-format=PDF |website=Rosetta Stone |via=Wayback Machine}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=LEARN SPANISH With Version 4 - Install software from CD-ROM or Digital Download |url=http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish#comp-bottom |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009133447/http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish#comp-bottom |archive-date=2013-10-09 |website=Rosetta Stone |type=Click on "Compare Products" |via=Wayback Machine}}</ref> and some of their subscriptions were marketed as "lifetime" or "forever". In spite of that, Rosetta Stone recently remotely bricked its CD based and downloadable products by blocking activation or refusing to provide activation numbers (depending on the version)<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone, Ltd Complaints |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/complaints |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032342/https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/complaints |archive-date=2026-02-23 |website=Better Business Bureau®}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone, Ltd Reviews |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/customer-reviews |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032250/https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/customer-reviews |archive-date=2026-02-23 |access-date=20 Feb 2026 |website=Better Business Bureau®}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone Reviews |url=https://www.trustpilot.com/review/rosettastone.com |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251231150605/https://www.trustpilot.com/review/rosettastone.com |archive-date=2025-12-31 |website=Trustpilot}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=2026-02-01 |title=PSA: Rosetta Stone is "bricking" permanent licenses to force users into subscriptions |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1qt3jx8/psa_rosetta_stone_is_bricking_permanent_licenses/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032313/https://old.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1qt3jx8/psa_rosetta_stone_is_bricking_permanent_licenses/ |archive-date=2026-02-23 |access-date=19 Feb 2026 |website=Reddit}}</ref>. They've also blocked some of their "lifetime" subscriptions, claiming "lifetime" is the lifetime of the software. | ||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
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*V3 (2007): standalone CD only language learning software (perpetual license). | *V3 (2007): standalone CD only language learning software (perpetual license). | ||
**CDs: standalone installable CD based software (perpetual license) that included a 3 month trial to online privileges (subscription) with the option to extend it<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Learn Spanish |url=http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish |url-status= | **CDs: standalone installable CD based software (perpetual license) that included a 3 month trial to online privileges (subscription) with the option to extend it<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Learn Spanish |url=http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906070028/http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish |archive-date=2011-09-06 |website=Rosetta Stone |via=Wayback Machine}}</ref>. | ||
**Online Access/TOTALe Online<ref>{{Cite web |title=TOTALe Spanish (Latin America) 12-Month Online Access |url=http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish/totale |url-status= | **Online Access/TOTALe Online<ref>{{Cite web |title=TOTALe Spanish (Latin America) 12-Month Online Access |url=http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish/totale |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100110050010/http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish/totale |archive-date=10 Jan 2010 |website=Rosetta Stone |via=Wayback Machine}}</ref>: an online only version of the software (subscription based access), where users could access and use the software online. This version was subscription-based. | ||
*V4 TOTALe (2010): | *V4 TOTALe (2010): | ||
**CDs : standalone installable CD based software (perpetual license) that included a 3 month trial to online privileges (subscription) with the option to extend it<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />. | **CDs : standalone installable CD based software (perpetual license) that included a 3 month trial to online privileges (subscription) with the option to extend it<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />. | ||
**Online Access/TOTALe Online: an online only version of the software (subscription based access), where users could access and use the software online<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Learn Spanish |url=http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish |url-status= | **Online Access/TOTALe Online: an online only version of the software (subscription based access), where users could access and use the software online<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Learn Spanish |url=http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019020107/http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish |archive-date=19 Oct 2012 |website=Rosetta Stone}}</ref>. This version was subscription-based. | ||
**Digital Download (2013): a downloadable version of the standalone software (perpetual license) became available in 2013<ref name=":1" />. This version included a 3 month trial to online privileges (subscription). | **Digital Download (2013): a downloadable version of the standalone software (perpetual license) became available in 2013<ref name=":1" />. This version included a 3 month trial to online privileges (subscription). | ||
*V5 (2014): available as standalone installable CD based software (perpetual license), downloadable software (perpetual license) or an as a online subscription (time limited). Lifetime subscriptions were also available. | *V5 (2014): available as standalone installable CD based software (perpetual license), downloadable software (perpetual license) or an as a online subscription (time limited). Lifetime subscriptions were also available. | ||