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For any software that has anything resembling DRM, which is a vast majority of software, once the company goes out of business, there’s no way to activate it. (
by jchw 5y ago
For any software that has anything resembling DRM, which is a vast majority of software, once the company goes out of business, there’s no way to activate it. (Unless they address the conundrum before taking down the activation servers, of course.)
This isn’t really a downside of the licensing scheme itself, though. If it was DRM free and on the honor system, it would not have this drawback.
Of course, it’s currently unclear if a software development tool can remain relevant for many years after it is effectively unmaintained, so maybe this isn’t that interesting of a question.
- qw 5y agoJetbrains support offline activation, using a key. I don't know if it has an expiration date, but it could be a solution.
- bogwog 5y agoOn the other hand, no DRM is immune to being cracked. > Of course, it’s currently unclear if a software development tool can remain relevant for many years after it is effectively unmaintained, so maybe this isn’t that interesting of a question. I wonder if there has ever been a company that pledged to release the source code of their software in the case of bankruptcy, e.g. as part of the purchase/license agreement so that if the company is bought in a bankruptcy auction, the new owners can't change their minds. Although I guess in that case, the incentive to pirate the software goes up lol