This is all getting a bit perplexing. Adobe, the software giant and the name behind the incredibly popular Photoshop application, has found itself in a rather uncomfortable position. Adobe is now informing its user base that they may be at the risk of getting sued by third party app developers if they are using older versions of its line-up of Creative Cloud apps.
In the communication with Creative Cloud subscribers, Adobe says, “please be aware that if you continue to use or deploy the older versions, unauthorized versions of Creative Cloud, you will not have the third-party claim coverage pursuant to your contract with Adobe. Should you continue to use or deploy these unauthorized versions, you may be at the risk of potential claims of infringement by third parties.”
The Creative Cloud itself is a mammoth subscription platform, which includes photo and video editing apps and services including Photoshop, InDesign, Lightroom CC, Premiere Pro and Dreamweaver to name a few. The Creative Cloud subscription allows users to use the portfolio of apps on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android devices.
Adobe had last week confirmed that it will no longer allow users to download older versions of its Creative Cloud apps, except for the previous two versions. “Please note that going forward, Creative Cloud customers will only have direct download access (from the Creative Cloud Desktop app and Adobe.com) to the two most recent major versions of Creative Cloud desktop applications,” the company also says in an official communication. However, they did not elaborate on the reasons as to why the older versions of the Creative Cloud apps will no longer be available.
Just last year, Dolby had sued Adobe for copyright infringement, claiming that Adobe hadn’t been completely forthcoming about its cloud sales numbers.
Whatever the issues that Adobe might be facing, it just doesn’t feel right for the company to pretty much scare its customers with the potential scenario that they may face legal repercussions from another company, while using Adobe software. And that Adobe can do nothing about it. In fact, it is more shocking for users to suddenly realise that they apps and services they paid religiously for, every month, are actually not owned by then. This is the latest example of the modern day software ecosystem, where what you think you may own, is actually not yours.
The Adobe Creative Cloud subscription doesn’t come cheap either. For individuals, the Photography plan with Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Photoshop as well as 20GB cloud storage costs Rs 676 per month, while the option with 1TB cloud storage will set you back by Rs 1,353 per month. There is the option to subscribe to single apps as well, and that will set you back by Rs 1,420 per month. If you subscribe to all apps, it’ll cost Rs 3,585 per month. Businesses pay Rs 2,300 per license for single app subscription, or they can choose to pay Rs 5,412 per month for each license to be able to use all Creative Cloud apps.
What do customers do in this case? Well, with the power of the realms of paper that makes up each end user license agreement (EULA), software companies can pretty much force users to upgrade, downgrade or take away content they may have bought, at a whim. As a user, you only have the option of looking for alternative to apps you use, if they are made by companies that have this habit of dropping such bombshells from time to time.
Adobe has shared a statement on the matter with News18: "Going forward, Creative Cloud customers can download only the two most recent major versions of Creative Cloud applications. This change enables us to develop the features and functionality most requested by customers and ensure peak performance across all Creative Cloud apps and services. We always encourage our customers to use the latest version of Creative Cloud to have access to the latest features, optimal performance, security updates and other benefits," says the company.
Comments
0 comment