I'm very particular about companies with aggressive or idiotic EULAs and licensing restrictions, even though this is quickly becoming the norm and severely limiting my options. Clip Studio has been bugging me for a while with all these fire sales and so many artists regularly hyping this software, so... I really need to just get this off my chest.
As is what happens every month or two, Clip Studio / Manga Studio is again having a fire sale, where it's available at 60% off or 80% off or $15 or whatever. Every time a software company offers such deep discounts, (such as Windows10 being a free upgrade), I can't help but think there's something fishy about their business practices.
Well, aside from the usual DRM and product activation, there's this little gem I read in the EULA:
"3.4 User will need to re-implement the License Registration process again if User changes the configuration of User's computer that the Software has been Installed on. This includes software and hardware changes."
Um, what? I tried to get more information about these "changes", but none are itemized in the EULA or on the web site. That basically means that anything you do to your computer, even run Windows Update or plug in more RAM, could bork your software and require you to either reactivate or buy a new license. It's totally arbitrary. That sound pretty worrying that software you might need to use for a living can just be disabled for any damn reason the developers choose, and they don't have to explain anything to you.
Now, some people can call me paranoid, but I've already been screwed several times by DRM. I had to call Microsoft twice and beg them to use Windows again after my license was invalidated by a mobo swap, and later again by (off all things) plugging in a new video card. My dad had a similar problem with Crysis 2 permanently disabling itself after a video card swap, since the game license was tried to the GPU serial number. I have a copy of Elite Dangerous that I haven't played since I bought it because I cant even get the damn game to update, let alone play (after they promised on their Kickstarter pledge that there would be an offline mode). I bought a hard drive diagnostic tool that didn't tell me it had DRM on it and could only be used on a single PC by its serial number. I've had way too many other things just stop working for no damn reason. I don't even buy things on Steam if they insist on any kind of 3rd party DRM technology (or in some cases, even a 3rd party EULA). Even Steam has prevented me from using my software on occasion after the client wasn't updated correctly and I had to wait days if not weeks for the main client to be patched so I could rebuild my library. I don't own a Nintendo console, but the Wii U has had an automatic, forced update that if you refused the new EULA, it would kill your console (kiss all your games and peripherals goodbye!)
If any developer tells me there's a way for them to deactivate my software after I installed it, then they better damn well tell me what conditions will trigger it. If they don't want to tell me, I can't assume they're just trying to cover their butts. This is legalese, after all. If they say they'll do it, I have to assume they intend to follow through. When it comes to legal matter, if they can, they will.
Entertainment is one thing, but if we're now entering an age where utilities people use for their job can be crippled at any time, then no sale. I've got work to do, and that's too important to trust my livelihood to their whims on good faith because, "It's probably nothing to worry about", and "They can't afford to screw over their customers." My experience has told me that it is indeed something to worry about -- not specifically with Clip Studio since I don't own license it, but I've still had way too many problems with other products I've purchased. I've learned my lesson the hard way. There's a reason why my copy of Photoshop is 17 years old and I absolutely will not buy anything cloud-based, no matter how cheap it is.
Oh yeah, and the EULA explicitly says it uses telemetry logging to monitor (ie, spy on) how you use the software and reports that data back to the developer. This is hardly a surprise as everyone is doing it these days, but supposedly there's a way to turn that off. I suggest looking for that feature. Despite what developers tell you, telemetry is never used to make products better. With every application I've studied, they always use it as a way to justify cutting features so making the software is cheaper. Those cost savings are never passed on to users.
The only good thing about this EULA is that it contains no binding arbitration clause. I have no idea if this is because it's illegal in Japan or not.
| Viewed: |
39 times |
| Added: |
7 years, 4 months ago
25 Nov 2016 08:22 CET
|
|
|
