A very important discussion re: iLok - please read

[midigeek]

<<< The least they can do is make an effort to protect their paying customers in the process. I don't know about all of you - but I've got many many thousands of dollars invested in plugins. The loss of a $30 iLok should not result in the loss of $100 or $10,000 in plugins.>>>

While sometimes I understand where Eric is coming from but I truly do not understand this stance on forcing or even asking customers to pay for software again. I do understand the need to purchase the iLok. Which will someday be at most music stores. But like Allen from Pace said on DAW-Mac, Pace will someday offer a way of backing up the key info from the iLok to a server on the internet. If you lose the iLok the leys can be transfered to a new iLok with permission from each company. Those companies like Bomb Factory, will not hold up the transfer of the other keys as Pace can transfer all keys which have been given the green light for transfer. While this situation will not happen that often it can and will happen to someone.

I will not be making any purchases of Bomb Factory plug-ins until they at least see this and understand this point. I will NEVER purchase software twice if some ******* steals my iLok. But if what Eric is saying is true, then get a police report filed about the lose and BF will replace the keys if you purchase the replacement iLok. If this is not the policy of BF I hope Eric will chime in on this subject once more.

MS

[midigeek]

<<<"Thank you for paying for our product. We are going to support you as a customer and protect your investment. We understand that you invested your money in our audio software, not our copy protection technology, and we do not intend to burden you in any way with the technology we use to protect ourselves from software piracy. If the copy protection device fails, or is lost or stolen, we will provide a means for you to recover your authorizations so you can continue to use the audio software you purchased.">>>

While BF might say today that they would force you to purchase the plug-ins this might not truly happen until someone actually loses their iLok. As BF might believe this is the case but BF will have to address each situation on a state by state basis. As some states will protect consumers better then other states. As it does not cost that much money to force BF to come to Texas for small claims court but it would cost them greatly to fly to Texas with Laywers to sit in a court room here in Harris or Fort Bent County. But I would believe that someone at BF would not let a situation get this far when someone does loses their iLok.

And the other situation most have not addressed is not the thief of the iLok but the situation when the damn thing just breaks. As this is the reason Pace is thinking of setting up a way to backup your key info using the web. I doubt that BF or Eric is going to tell customers to buy the software again if the iLok breaks. If so then everybody should take this as another in many for truly deciding if you wish to even deal with a company policy like Bomb Factory's.

MS

[KamaSutra77]

My bad.. they got the demos up now. Cool! I wrongly assumed that without an ilok you couldnt demo the new plugs.
10 days of fun awaits. Thankf BF, no hard feelings I hope.

[Avid]

I don't make policy regarding copy protection for Digidesign or any other company, but I do have the exciting job of being the admin for the DUC. I know the subject of copy protection always elicits strong opinions. However, I would like to gently remind everyone that any post that even mentions the use of illegal software will almost always be deleted, so please tread carefully in this particular area.

Thanks.

------------------
Bruce Paine
WebAdmin
Digidesign Customer Service

[NYC Drew]

I have been following this thread from the other forum.

In a former life I used to work for a LARGE software company as one of 14 IT guys....

They were pretty stringent on their paying customers with regards to use of their software.

Yet, they were one of the worst cases I have ever seen of flagrant software license abuses. One (or two) copies of product X or Y everywhere. These guys had the “know-how” on how to bypass / crack just about anything, so they did...just for their own internal use.

I wonder how many of these software companies today are in full compliance with the software they purchase & use?

2. If it's true that BombFactory (or any vendor) has referred to a customer as "A__h_Le of the Month", that's deplorable and low.

3. The expected response was received from Bomb Factory - that this would be their last public comment. TYPICAL. I think Bryan has valid & legitimate concerns. BF, please wake up! There's a lot of guys paying attention to how this pans out.

[davemc]

Hi All,

I said this on the other forum.
My ilok already broke, Bombfactory sent me a new one straight away. If someone steals it or if I am stupid enough to loose it. Well I will claim insurance, like I would do if my Rode Classic was lost/stolen. It amazes me that so many people have it in for Bombfactory.
I hope the new plugs cannot be cracked. If people started buying the plugins then the price would hopefully go down. The cracked rate for VST stuff would be at least 500 cracks to 1 purchased.







------------------
Bye Dave
www.indentmusic.com.au

[KamaSutra77]

I dont know about you, nut me.. having more than a few hundred dollars worth of info ona keychain is scary. a hundred thousand? Not ina million years would I trust a goofy keychain with 100thousand dollars LOL almost laughable the idea. No to disparage the initiator. What does the insurance company need to verify proof of ownership in the case of theft, isnt or shouldnt that be enough for BF and its like, in thses cases of negligent handling of the key. What if lightning strikes the thing? I doubt the iLok will last long. Bottom line too much hassel. Enjoying the new demos BTW, tricky download process, a little slow and then not quite complete bin hex decoding, (had to drag and drop) but otherwise nice. Sadly not amazingly impressed with anything yet. Credit card nice and cold tucked away. oh well.

[elbanano]

I own a small, lovely resort in Costa Rica. Petty theft is a way of life in Latin America and I'm always looking to outsmart the rip-offs. I have a guard on constant watch, he carries no gun, but just observes the flow of visitors. As a result, we haven't had a theft in years.
Your house and car have doors, don't they? Locks, too?
I have a friend who travels the world with his laptop and has every plug-in imagineable...all free from the net. He lives in a constant state of fear that his computer may one day be ripped off, so he backs up incessantly...and carries it everywhere he goes. Smart guy.
If even he can take precautions, don't you think the software techs deserve to take theirs?
My friends, nothing is free in this life and every action has a repercussion. Thank god for that...order in the chaos...

[mike connelly]

"While sometimes I understand where Eric is coming from but I truly do not understand this stance on forcing or even asking customers to pay for software again."

Read his post again, it's perfectly clear.

What do you honestly expect, you can just call up the company and claim you lost your ilok and they'll send you another one? How do they know you don't just want another copy of the app, or that you plan to sell the new ilok? How many products will the manufacturer give you a new one if you lose it?


"Someday some of us may have iLoks that have fifty or a hundred thousand dollars worth of software authorizations on it."

So make sure your ilok is insured. And while it's being replaced, you can use a temporary key from their website.

"Don't you we should have a policy that protects the paying customers, and a copy protection technology that protects that investment at the customers end as well as the manufacturers?"

I think the ilok is pretty good, if you don't like it propose something else. Offer a solution!

"What if lightning strikes the thing"

They've already explained, in case of failure, they will replace it! Why do people keep ignoring what's been said?

[Bryan_Golder]

I did offer a solution. Read the other thread at Musicplayer.com. It may not be the ultimate solution, but if I can think of something after chewing on the idea for a minute, the guys who engineer these copy protection technologies for a living should be able to come up with something even better.

-Bryan Golder
[email protected]