of course these are certainly edge-case 
what I’m saying is it’s hard to see this as an improvement for those who are comfortable with the dongle.
I totally understand the need to update the system but I’m not entirely sure this is better…in fact I’m fairly sure it’s not
Back in the “old days of dongles” this wasn’t an issue at all because you could have 10, 20 or more machines onsite setup with Cubase, Nuendo, WaveLab, whatever. The person who needs to use machine X just puts his personal dongle and away we go. 
After he finishes his work on machine X he removes and takes his dongle and the machine is free for any other person with a dongle (or a completely different use of this machine, no Steinberg needed for him/her).
What interests me, is the following:
Does this mean a there will be a background process (or service) rrunning on the PC all the time?
Or just for the time, when it is used for checking the license?
Regards
Maik
No, the system will just check on launch if there is a valid license.
Matthais,
If it seems like I’m hesitant to give you the benefit of the doubt, perhaps it’s worth noting that Adobe made this exact same statement on their forums - one week before moving to the Creative Cloud subscription model and terminating all perpetual license offerings.
I truly hope my misgivings are unfounded, and that you guys are better at keeping your word.
I think your perspective carries a lot of moral weight, and I also sympathise with you as a long-term user with many licenses across different devices and these impeding changes.
But the enemy isn’t Steinberg in this instance, it’s those who want to steal and distribute their work. And we’re all going to have to learn how to transfer from a failing licensing system to a new ‘modern’ system which requires external validation.
I’ve already got a dozen apps like this, so will be a drip in the ocean for me, and I’m amazed that if you’re working professionally this it the first time you’ve faced such a system - or perhaps you have and your concerns are from bad experiences?
As i see it, if there’s no limits on the number of machines that you can manage in terms of de-activating and re-activating within a set period then that flexibility should be seen as a positive for someone who may want to move a single license across more than 2 machines within a days work.
It therefore still carries the same level of portability as a USB dongle… However, the online stipulation, I can see, is where your concerns lay.
I guess the ultimate resolution for yourself is to “suck it and see” when all comes into play? I really would be interested in other software that does this better though, because it seems a very similar theme to everything else I use - in fact, the dongle approach was more an anomality for me and harder to manage if I was away from my main machine.
Hi,
how will Steinberg address European data protection law with the new licensing system (personal computer data is definitely “personal data”,thus protected under the data protection rules)? Will Steinberg guarantee to have the data only stored on servers located in the EU?
Thx, Ernst
Yes, I can confirm that everything is covered by the DSGVO.
hmmm… the what ?
They will bind a computer hardware to your ID they don’t have any choice. Violating GDPR is expensive and yamaha is a big company so the tax payers in EU is hoping for a mistake. 
Thx for the clear answer!
Btw.: I dont understand why some here always talk about a “subscription” model - even though Steinberg explicitely stated that we will be able to buy the product and use it - just with a different authorisation method.
I would love to see no need to connect to the internet every 30 days and yes, it would be more than helpful to allow us to use as many different computers as we want. There is no reason for a limit here - we might switch computers (more than 2) because we work that way and - not to forget - because we move foreward to new computers every couple of months if we want while using the same cubase version that we have paid for!
I think that is not the case actually, since there will be offline activation available, according to what the SB people have been saying…
If you guys using any BUT any plugin by Waves, Native Instruments, Arturia, FabFilter, Spectrasonics, UJam, Cableguys, BabyAudio, IK Multimedia, Plugin Alliance, AAS, AIR Music Tech, Antares, Audio Thing, Melodyne, Hornet Plugins, Izotope, Klanghelm, Lennar Digital, Xfer Records, Overloud, Pulsar, Softube, Sonible, UVi, XLN Audio, Acon Digital, Audio Modern, Initial Audio, D16, Valhalla, Voxengo, Waves, Wavesfactory, 2B Audio, Mastering The Mix, Accusonus, Novation etc etc etc you should not worry about the new license system. They all work fine without the dongle, they start faster, they are safe and nice to use. I never lost a license in my life and never had a problem with no dongle licenses, but I have problems with all my ilok plugins cause they start hard and also have the same issues with the dongle.
Yes, exactly.
So can you imagine when these issues will show their ugly head again (and they will) and a WHOLE LOT MORE customers, with already activated licenses, won’t be able to use their software?
It is not off-line if you need a sync every year. Your computer might off-line but they can track you as person if you need to reactivate licenses. GDPR is more about personal data than computers. Maybe if the reactivation is done through snail mail.
There’s nothing to see there, just empty talk.
Scalable, tough etc BS
Facebook went down a month ago.
Servers fail.
The internet fails.
Companies get bought. Or go bankrupt. What SB says now might mean nothing 3 years from now.
I can have my dongle and use it 10 years from now if I want, no fuss.
Requiring monthly checks IS a timebomb, no matter how nicely is packaged.
It means you are at the mercy of the software provider in order to be able to use your paid software.
I buy a lot of software that just activates once and that’s it. Why does SB feels the need to ALWAYS have something deeply flawed in their licensing schemes?
FabFilter, Waves, NI, Arturia, Plugin Alliance, AAS, Softube, XLN, Valhalla is not using online license. Im not sure about Spectrasonics, it check for new versions now and then but it seems to work without network. So they are not at all the same as Steinberg/Yamaha new system.
Boss, if you have 20 laptops go and buy 10 licenses. Are you sub-renting Cubase by using the dongle? You don’t have any valid arguments in any of your comments from the perspective of professional musician, billboard producer, Dj, theater employer or any field that needs a musician | engineer. You always have the option to “stop investing your money in Steinberg” and stick with a DAW that use a dongle…Unfortunately you will have to go back in time to find one. When you buy a BiG Cheeseburger from Mc Donald’s you are not “investing your precious money” in Mc Donald’s your are investing in your hungry stomac. The same goes with the software: you are not investing in any company you just buy | rent them to make money, to be happy, to have fun and so on… when you don’t like them anymore you move on, you won’t die and they won’t die without you.