Autodesk: Difference between revisions

In the last 2 decades Autodesk has been slowly discontinuing its perpetual licenses into mandatory subscription models. Such events include:

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>

Autodesk is the biggest player in the CAD and BIM software markets.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AutoCAD market share |url=https://6sense.com/tech/cad-software/autocad-market-share |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250715185010/https://6sense.com/tech/cad-software/autocad-market-share |archive-date=15 Jul 2025 |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=6sense}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Revit market share |url=https://6sense.com/tech/bim-and-architectural-design-software/autodesk-revit-market-share |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250624143838/https://6sense.com/tech/bim-and-architectural-design-software/autodesk-revit-market-share |archive-date=24 Jun 2025 |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=6sense}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Market Overview Of BIM And CAD Software Usage Of European Architects |url=https://www.usp-research.com/insights/news/market-overview-of-bim-and-cad-software-usage-of-european-architects/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260322121604/https://www.usp-research.com/insights/news/market-overview-of-bim-and-cad-software-usage-of-european-architects/ |archive-date=22 Mar 2026 |access-date=26 Feb 2026 |website=USP}}</ref> The company has done many things throughout the years to achieve this market dominance (on top of offering products that many professionals consider to be the best the market has to offer), including:

==Incidents==

In February 2025, Autodesk sent an email to Fusion 360 subscribers that HSMWorks entitlement would no longer be included on new subscriptions after 25th of March 2025 and entitlement would end March 25, 2028, for all subscribers. "At that point, you will no longer be able to download, access, or use HSMWorks."<ref name=":1" />

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 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>

In 2012, Autodesk acquired HSMWorks, a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) product for programming Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines, with the intention of integrating the technology into its own software and cloud services.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Oct 2012 |title=Autodesk Acquires HSMWorks Technology |url=https://investors.autodesk.com/news-releases/news-release-details/autodesk-acquires-hsmworks-technology |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260215230602/https://investors.autodesk.com/news-releases/news-release-details/autodesk-acquires-hsmworks-technology |archive-date=15 Feb 2026 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref> HSMWorks could continue to be purchased with a perpetual license until 2016, when Autodesk announced that all Autodesk products, including HSMWorks, would transition to a subscription model, ending support and maintenance plans for perpetual licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson Swan |first=Keli |date=14 Jun 2021 |title=Recent Developments in Autodesk Licensing and Audits, Part I |url=https://scottandscottllp.com/recent-developments-in-autodesk-licensing-and-audits-part-i/#:~:text=Autodesk%20introduced%20subscription%20plans%20in,previous%20versions%20of%20perpetual%20software. |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251118133920/https://scottandscottllp.com/recent-developments-in-autodesk-licensing-and-audits-part-i/ |archive-date=18 Nov 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=scottandscottllp.com}}</ref> In 2019, Autodesk transitioned HSMWorks subscribers to Fusion 360 subscribers, granting them entitlement to download and use HSMWorks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 Apr 2019 |title=HSMWorks 2020 now included with Fusion 360 subscriptions |url=https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/tsarticles/ts/4ZktnaH9yvV8DxOnwA0LCv.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251116105651/https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/tsarticles/ts/4ZktnaH9yvV8DxOnwA0LCv.html |archive-date=16 Nov 2025 |access-date=2 Aug 2025 |website=[[Autodesk]]}}</ref>

Because HSMWorks was subscription-only, or entitlement was only available through a Fusion 360 subscription, from 2016 onward, any person or organization that used up-to-date versions of HSMWorks since then will cease to have access to all data associated with HSMWorks, despite the data being locally stored and HSMWorks being installed (although unusable). HSMWorks data is not compatible with Fusion 360 nor Inventor CAM (products that share some technology with HSMWorks), thus, no solution exists to bridge users' data to actively supported software.{{Citation needed|date=29 Mar 2026}}

In 2009 autodesk acquired [[wikipedia:Autodesk_Softimage|Softimage XSI]], with the sole purpose of eliminating competition. The software was discontinued. Many game studios were forced to switch to other software, due to XSI no longer being updated.{{Citation needed|date=29 Mar 2026}}

In 2007, [[wikipedia:Autodesk_Mudbox|Mudbox]] was bought by Autodesk. the software has had multiple new version releases, but no updates.