eSellerate shutting down their servers

[CheapCharlie 87]

If anybody hasn't been informed, eSellerate will shutting down their servers.  Initially, original software downloads will be effected.  Eventually, the deactivation and activation portion of said such DRM will be shut down.  This brings up a very important issue for end users.  When eSellerate was initially used as a DRM, software companies took pains to inform users that they would never loose access to their content since eSellerate was a long term reliable software company.  Fast forward now, if your initial software developer hasn't changed over to the new licensing system, or worse is out of business, you will loose access.

 

This gives me time to thank Aerosoft for not currently using this system.  It is so refreshing to see a software publisher treating us consumers with respect instead of presuming we are all criminals out to pirate their IP.             

[harrry 37]

Not a great year for simmers.  First a large Australian company leaves many of its customers in the lurch.  Another developer inserts spyware, and now Essellerate.  I commend Aeorosoft for its honest policies.

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

5 hours ago, CheapCharlie said:

This gives me time to thank Aerosoft for not currently using this system.  It is so refreshing to see a software publisher treating us consumers with respect instead of presuming we are all criminals out to pirate their IP.             

 

Thank you.  Personally I never seen the point in any serious protection. It's damned expensive to implement, even more expensive to support (around 40% of all support we do on PMDG aircraft is related to the activation) and for paying customers it is just bad.  You punish the honest customers while having a limited effect on piracy.

 

Now do not tell anybody, but I am using a pirated copy of Adobe product. I have paid for the license of course, but the activation always seems to fail. So it is easier to use the cracked version. How much sense that does make?

[mopperle 4162]

And just to add something before people get into panic mode:

esellerate was just one of the platforms within Digital River (standing behind esellerate). Companies using esellerate have been informed months ago that this plattform will be shut down 30th June. All business will be done in the future by MyCommerce/Share-It, the other platform within Digital River and there is a migration path to this new platform, which is then used by e.g. our friends at FDST, as you can read in their forum. So nothing should be lost, other then a dev ignored what he has been told by Digital River.

 

While the safest way of course is the one Aerosoft goes (own shopsystem with own servers for downloads), especially for smaller companies (which are mainly pure devs) it is simply not feasible to run a complete shopsystem on their own.

[MartinM 27]

It does not only affect flightsimmers. There is a lot more. I got my Antivirus license purchased through them too

[CheapCharlie 87]

6 hours ago, MartinM said:

It does not only affect flightsimmers. There is a lot more. I got my Antivirus license purchased through them too

 

This just brings another argument into the equation.  Software DRM never really stops piracy; a quick Google search with show a number of salacious websites with cracks/fixes etc to circumvent said DRM.  The DRM simply punishes end users.  Worse, some unethical developers use the DRM to force users off older software so that they are required to purchase new software at full price. 

 

Also, as the Aerosoft Team have testified, DRM systems cost money to implement and support.  That extra cost in built into the software's retail price.  If a DRM add $10/Euro to the final price, wouldn't it be better for the developer to leave out said DRM and sell the product for a lower price.  The sales volume would increase while reducing the need for additional support resources.  Perhaps, this might allow such developer to focus on adding addition features to a said product or more frequent updates as opposed to fielding emails for failed/exhausted activations.

 

Finally, here is a real life example of software in the business world.  Honeywell Aviation Company has been providing us new DVD disks to allow us to upload a new software package for the Honeywell Primus Epic Avionics suite used in the Embraer E-175/195 series aircraft.  While speaking to the Honeywell Representative, I asked him what DRM is contained on his disk.  He chuckled and replied, "None, those measures never accomplish anything."  Wise words indeed.  

        

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

DRM licenses and support adds around 10% tot a sales price.

[pellelil 59]

Regarding DRM the sad truth is it in many cases adds more problems to the ligit users, where as those running pirated software simply install and run it. I recall years ago I bouht some software for music production I had sitting idle for 3 weeks after purchase because the developer could not process any authoring because their server was not up to par.

 

As a developer there is little poetic justice in knowing that much pirated software/keygens comes with additional payload in form or malware Its just sad when developers deliberately put malware on the PCs of paying costumers (no need to mention any names here).

 

So best of both world is running legit software without DRM.