They still own all the IP/Patents from Softimage and most likely would at least claim they plan to implement whatever those IP/patents are into Maya, Max or some new thing they buy....or create. As such, they still have a legal right to defend the their "work" and protect their investment. Which is why it will not be open sourced or sold off as well. So, yeah they could definitely come after you, most likely a cease and desist first. I would be curious how the courts would rule on damages though. I would think the Mental ray license would be a much larger liability in the end as it is still a purchasable/'viable' product and, somehow, very expensive per seat as standalone. When you lose, because you will lose, the lawyer fees will kill you at $250 minimum an hour for IP/Patent lawyers and AD would have several the ruling will make you cover...and you will have at least one. So in the end...you lose.
That being said...the plus side of buying Maya is 2016 has some great new features...that my 2014 version doesn't :P But...I believe 3ds Max has unlimited Mental Ray licensing for slave nodes using backburner...which makes no sense. And was my only reason for even considering learning max. I still can't believe it sold to Autodesk for only $35 million...I wonder how much the patents alone were evaluated for. All though...some are no longer valid/expired because someone at AD did not pay the fees - is this in blender yet? Because...it should be. But there are new rules about renewing expired patents...so who knows...someone may see this post and renew it tomorrow. http://www.google.com/patents/US6091422?dq=avid+technology+render#v=onepage&q&f=false On Thu, Sep 17, 2015 at 10:46 AM, Tenshi . <[email protected]> wrote: > I was wondering, "What if" i tried to do some personal work with an > illegal softimage license for a product that is dead? Does AD police come > to my house? Or let's say..AD would not worry about it because they don't > believe in the "power" of Softimage, or i'm only in trouble if i use it for > commercial purposes? Can at least AD let us use it for personal purposes > or reels for example? (yes i know there's a student version). But.. "what > if". just saying.. > > Besides this whole situation THEY created is a disproportional mess from > every angle, at least they can try to open their bank account for a.. > $1500+ new perpetual license? I can't die without getting one.. is just > that paying $3500+ for something i will not use, damn... are companies this > days are playing "take it or leave it" ? > > On Thu, Sep 17, 2015 at 4:52 AM, Patrick Neese <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Only if you bought a network license...i being a hobbyist, read not >> making profit and working solo, didnt know about the differences, i recall >> being told by a reseller on the phone just before purchase it came with >> batch licenses...it does...just for processing. Also paying 3k+ to begin >> with was tough and the network license wasn't even mentioned by my reseller >> when i said i wanted to buy xsi. My reseller also told me i could use >> softimage on a work computer and mobile/home computer...'so you really get >> two licenses' or whatever his exact wording was *buzzer sound* wrong. if >> you read the eula...you can install on two...but cant render/use them at >> the same time. My buying experience wasn't fun. I felt like i never had >> to jump through so many hoops to find someone to hand thousands of dollars >> to for anything, need less get a digital license key some kid in his >> basement could generate. Prior to knowing this info about the network >> license I decided to get the entertainment bundle upgrade because with the >> softimage discount and entertainment upgrade discount i was getting >> everything for the price of softimage and mudbox...talked myself into >> paying a little cc interest for stretching paying it off. Which mudbox >> turned out to be...not worth the money, imho. This is the most expensive >> purchase for a hobby and fourth highest purchase I had ever made at that >> point. >> >> Turns out that "great" cross grade/upgrade meant I couldn't upgrade just >> softimage later, when i was informed of the difference in licenses (its not >> just for studios with x number of users). i now needed to now buy a >> network upgrade for the entire entertainment bundle, no longer on sale. not >> just a softimage upgrade. Oh, the fun licensing stuff you arent aware of >> until you need/want something. Just like when I was informed by a reseller >> years earlier that if i bought the educational version (prior to ad making >> everthing free to students) i could upgrade to retail for much less....this >> was also incorrect. Resellers really know their stuff huh... There was no >> upgrade path for softimage at that time. Maya and max sure...not softimage. >> >> So anyway...now here i was...months after i bought softimage, after my >> original edu purchase of a perpetual edu license had already stopped >> working (the dongle died a third time and now ad owned softimage and didnt >> support the dongle), having the seperate edu upgrade issue, the eol notice >> and the information that i would need to pay 3k or something to get 5 >> render licenses for an eol product. It felt insane...because i knew at >> that very moment somewhere in the world...someone was illegally >> downloading/using softimage and having a better experience. >> >> Which alway makes me think...i should learn blender...then i try using >> blender and remember how bad the ui sucks. Then i remember that AD didnt >> come up with softimage...and now its dead because of them and their years >> of uninteresting features. Then i want a drink. >> >> If only i had 35 million to offer to buy softimage from ad. Can we not >> kickstart that? >> >> In the end even if i could upgrade just softimage to networm...i dont >> think i can justify giving more money to a company that i feel has left me >> and many others high and dry through their actions or the reseller process >> or the cs processes they choose to use. Which is why i would love to be >> able to transfer licenses and pay just the original owner...but us laws >> around IP are at times insane. >> On Sep 16, 2015 2:37 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> doesn’t a Softimage license come with 5 or so batch licenses - or was >>> this changed at some point? >>> >>> >>> *From:* Patrick Neese <[email protected]> >>> *Sent:* Tuesday, September 15, 2015 10:23 PM >>> *To:* [email protected] >>> *Subject:* Re: Soft licenses still available for purchase? >>> >>> As a hobbyist with a single license...I fear the day I create something >>> worth while that I have to figure out how to render with more than one >>> machine...since I only have one Mental Ray license for softimage. I'm >>> trying to learn Maya... It is unfortunate I can't have a softimage/mental >>> ray license (or 20) transferred to me from someone who just isn't using >>> the software anymore...or...is that possible? It appears the LSA could >>> allow for a transfer via written approval by Autodesk (2.1.1 of the >>> 2014 LSA) :) It's worth a shot :) >>> >> >
