[FR] Drop eLicenser and create something more flexible

I’m traveling a lot and I constantly run into the situation NOT having my eLicenser with me when I quickly want to get something done in Nuendo. When on the road, dongles get lost, break, get misplaced. For me as a paying user, this is a constant hassle and source of frustration.

I KNOW illegal copies are a problem. But I think with todays possibilities, there are solutions to copy protect a software AND respect how your paying users use the software.

Huge Yamaha Nuage installations probably always remain in a single place and those dongles can be plugged in and forgotten. But when you have a mobile studio, using the laptop a lot, having multiple machines in same or different locations, traveling around and constantly working on movie projects or game SFX, a dongle is the wrong solution.

  • Apple with Logic has its own soft-copy-protection, connecting to the Apple Store.
  • Reaper has NO copy protection what so ever. Enter a serial number and you can get work done no matter where you are.
  • Studio One to my knowledge connects to Presonus servers and periodically checks if the license is valid.
  • iZotope is starting this as well, they have a Product Portal where you can login and download the latest software versions of the products you own. And authorize them. No iLok needed anymore.
  • Propellerhead Reason can be activated over the internet.
  • Waves moved away from iLok to implement their own license and update center software that works in software and over the internet. It checks your account for eligibility, downloads and activates your product and from then on you can use it offline.
  • Even iLok recognizes the world moved on and people work on multiple machines in different environments. iLok now has a “cloud” feature where you can activate a license on a computer dynamically. If you change the machine, you’re not locked out. iLok automatically de-activates the license on the other machine and activates it on your current machine. So you can seamlessly transition between your workstation and your laptop when on the road. A genius and flexible solution, while still providing copy protection for companies.
  • and many more…

I would very much like Steinberg to implement either a soft-activation solution with a Steinberg user account, so I can work on different machines (not at the same time). Not having to think of the stupid dongle all the time. This is currently my number one productivity killer as I’m somewhere in Switzerland, as a paid user, not being able to open my paid-for software. This is not right.