software protection/registration/license

[lamooreus]

My normal use of notation software in my professional work is on three computers:
My Cubase computer for input and orchestration.
My office computer for final tweaks and printing.
My tablet PC for when I’m traveling, teaching, presenting, or working remotely at another studio.
My licensing for both Finale and Sibelius allows me to do this all under one license.

I’ll need the capability of being able to license on all three systems. If, in addition to the base level authorization you are proposing, I can purchase additional licenses for the other rigs at a reasonable price then this will probably work fine.

[nussbichler]

@lamooreus

My normal use of notation software in my professional work is on three computers:
My Cubase computer for input and orchestration.
My office computer for final tweaks and printing.
My tablet PC for when I’m traveling, teaching, presenting, or working remotely at another studio.
My licensing for both Finale and Sibelius allows me to do this all under one license.

I’ll need the capability of being able to license on all three systems. If, in addition to the base level authorization you are proposing, I can purchase additional licenses for the other rigs at a reasonable price then this will probably work fine.

This is very similar to my work setup. Today You are forced to be flexible - I´d like to have the opportunity to work only on one computer in one place. But this is not our age

For Cubase I bought two extra Versions zu be able to work on three computers, it´s money, but Cubase Elements is not very expensive. The problem is that the different versions do not have the same functions but for sketching and teaching it works.

To be honest: I prefer the iLok System, there You can have more licences at the same time. With one iLok Account (=SoftElicenser) You can run Your Software on multiple computers…But it´s a decision of Steinberg, not of Daniel, to update the possiblities of the eLicenser (= old System, not flexible, crashes many times, needs to be updated very often…) or to switch to iLok (= better system, flexible and secure). - another idea: have a look at Native Instruments…

And by the way: I do not want to buy software and if I loose a dongle, I would have to buy it again!

[bobk]

As much as I’ve been looking forward to switching from Sibelius to Dorico, this authorization scheme might be a deal-breaker.

I used Steinberg’s USB dongle for years when Arturia required it, and I found it very buggy - much more so than the iLok system. I don’t recall the specifics (it’s been a few years since Arturia abandoned it), but it was a PITA.

If you’re going to require a hardware dongle, at least use iLok so those of us who use ProTools don’t have to deal with two frikkin’ USB dongles, which is particularly annoying if you’re using a laptop, and even more so if you’re using a laptop and traveling.

But while the iLok might be the lesser of two evils, hardware dongles still suck, IMO. I’ve had two iLok2s in a row fail, each in less than a year, after rarely being moved from a USB hub at home and having never been mis-treated. They just stopped working. (At least they have a 2-year warranty, and PACE replaced them without charge; but their ZDT insurance, which I purchased a couple of months before the most recent failure, feels like a scam.)

Somehow, Arturia managed to switch to two-computer software/internet authorization without going out of business.

Waves ditched the iLok and no longer requires a hardware dongle. While I dislike their single-computer limit, at least the Waves Central app is easy to use and makes the process of moving licenses between computers pretty simple. (You even have the option of using a standard USB flash drive as a dongle.)

I can think of a number of examples of music software that allows two-computer authorization. Let’s start with Sibelius. By all reports, it has remained a profitable product despite allowing two authorizations.

In addition to Arturia, Native Instruments allows two authorizations, as does Eventide (via the iLok soft-authorization system), Nomad Factory, PSP Audioware, Spectrasonics, Overloud, and MOTU (Digital Performer). That’s just off the top of my head - I’m sure there are many more.

Come on, Steinberg! The world won’t end if you allow two authorizations, and this potential customer would appreciate it.

[helgetjelta]

I have both iLok and eLicenser dongles.

Both works nice, and have done so for many, many years now. No problem at all

And I have a lot of licenses on them.

And both can transfer from one dongle to another of the same type. No problem at all. So please stop this nagging.

[DG1]

@bobk

If you’re going to require a hardware dongle, at least use iLok so those of us who use ProTools don’t have to deal with two frikkin’ USB dongles

As Steinberg owns eLicenser, that won’t happen, so there is no point in asking. Besides, that would mean that those of us who use Cubase or Nuendo would have to deal with two frikkin’ USB dongles.

To be fair I’ve had many more problems over the years with iLok, and none whatsoever with eLicenser, so I expect we all have different experiences.

DG

[Romantique_Tp]

iLok and PACE’s BS are the main reasons why copy protection dongles get a bad name. Thank God Dorico wont be using that junk.

[MarkSealey]

I’ve also had iLok and eLicenser for many years (for Ivory II and VSL tools/libraries respectively).

Not a single problem.

If that’s how Dorico will work as well, I’m happy!

[cparmerlee]

@Daniel at Steinberg

I have just posted a statement concerning exactly how the licensing for Dorico 1.0 will work:

That announcement seems quite vague with regard to the dongle. You wrote "If you would like to transfer your copy of Dorico to a USB-eLicenser "

Is the iLok a supported USB e-licenser or isn’t it? It would be better if you would simply state exactly which dongle or dongles you will support.

[Makumbaria]

@cparmerlee

@Daniel at Steinberg

I have just posted a statement concerning exactly how the licensing for Dorico 1.0 will work:

That announcement seems quite vague with regard to the dongle. You wrote "If you would like to transfer your copy of Dorico to a USB-eLicenser "

Is the iLok a supported USB e-licenser or isn’t it? It would be better if you would simply state exactly which dongle or dongles you will support.

You will be able to use an elicenser USB key (NOT ILOK) OR elicenser software license.

[kenneth_gaw]

Surely everyone is eventually going to need a dongle if it is required to transfer the license to another machine. What happens when I replace my desktop? If this is the case, why do Steinberg bother with the non-usb license at all, since this can only be usable for a limited time.

Like a lot I users, I rely on being able to use notation software on both my desktop and laptop, and although the proposed system is usable, it is really quite unnecessarily awkward. With Presonus Studio One I’m actually allowed FIVE installations, although I’ve only ever needed two, and these can easily be activated and deactivated from their website.

I strongly suspect that this scheme is being imposed from above, and is not necessarily the preferred option of the Dorico team.

It also could also become a problem if competition from web based subscription music notation systems become more intense and people can create music from any device.

[Makumbaria]

You can reactivate a license in a new computer. No need to use a usb key just to do that.

[dspreadbury]

You cannot reactivate a license from a Soft-eLicenser on another computer, I’m afraid: once an activation code is activated on a single computer, it cannot be reactivated on another computer. You would need to transfer the license to a USB-eLicenser (i.e. a Steinberg USB license key, not any other manufacturer’s USB hardware key) in order to use it on another computer.

[Makumbaria]

@Daniel at Steinberg

You cannot reactivate a license from a Soft-eLicenser on another computer, I’m afraid: once an activation code is activated on a single computer, it cannot be reactivated on another computer. You would need to transfer the license to a USB-eLicenser (i.e. a Steinberg USB license key, not any other manufacturer’s USB hardware key) in order to use it on another computer.

This is strange Daniel, because right now we can reactivate a soft-elicenser license (but not using the same code). Dorico will be different?

Software/license activation & reactivation

[wcreed]

If iLok can do it, why not Steinberg?

[ShikiSuen]

@wcreed

If iLok can do it, why not Steinberg?

Who knows.

[Laurence_Payne]

Steinberg programs were using a dongle way back in the days of Pro24 on the Atari ST. Though the protection seems rather more effective now. I sometimes wondered if I was the ONLY user who had paid for his software!

[dspreadbury]

This is strange Daniel, because right now we can reactivate a soft-elicenser license (but not using the same code). Dorico will be different?

No, the situation will be the same: as you say (and as the page says), you can’t reactivate using the same code, so you have to contact support in order to obtain a replacement code, which involves getting in touch with the support people to issue a new code, which of course is to an extent at their discretion, but I’m fairly sure they won’t refuse any reasonable request.

[Romantique_Tp]

If it’s the same then the reactivation process is actually automatic, no need to contact support.

See “How to reactivate step by step”: http://www.steinberg.net/en/support/software_reactivation.html

[Ed_Doll]

Yes, indeed. Usually, there is no need to get in touch with support. Moving with a Soft-eLicenser based Dorico to a new system or re-installing Dorico after a new operating system installation requires a reactivation through MySteinberg only.

[JJDekker]

Exactly elicenser is the only protection that has not been breached, let’s keep it that way.
And I don’t understand the installer gripes either. It’s not that you reinstall your DAW every week now is it? (Not even mentioning how easy elicenser is if one is bothered to RTFM)