Software bricking
❗This article is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
#appeals channel in either Zulip or Discord to request removal.An article may be flagged as a stub when it is missing major elements needed to make it useful to a reader. You can help by adding missing sections, verifiable sources, relevant company policies and communications, etc. to make the article more complete.
A piece of software being referred to as "bricked" simply means the program has been rendered unusable. Software bricking is a malicious practice in which a company revokes user access to a previously purchased product in order to pressure the consumer to make another purchase. This anti consumer practice is a common way for companies to attempt to increase their sales.
Why this is a problem
[edit | edit source]Software bricking is a problematic practice as it allows issuers of software to revoke user access to their software for any reason. Software distribution companies can and have used this practice to encourage consumers to purchase the newer version of the software.