ableton's unfair copy protection system

darthstephen · Post by **darthstephen** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 3:49 am

i simply can't believe how nasty you guys are. i guess i need pills because i run windows and prefer to have a fresh install once a month. i guess ableton should ignore me or punish me because i didn't buy ghost soon enough and didn't realize this would help right away. all of you would be fine with me not getting to unlock this software again. i just can't believe that. it's funny to all that i have been inconvenienced several times by this and i am upset. perhaps the person that did a search on my last post should also do a search on norton ghost. there's alot of conflicting info on whether this would work or not. so i didn't shell out the 70 dollars sooner. also, even in this thread there are a few people that are confused by the unlock in regards to os reinstall. so, it's really not all that clear and i just could not have known before buying the software how inconvenient it would be for me. like i said...if you're happy with it as a communitiy, then fine. i just thought it is something that should be examined and more thought out.
i made the wrong choice by buying ableton live, i know that. it really sucks the way people have responded. not because you all apparently disagree with my thought, but because you choose to judge and slander me. sorry i spoke out...just kill the thread. i'm at abletons mercy at this point. hopefully they will understand. i did want to support them. you should all keep that in mind. if i re-install my os once a month, i could have used the cracked version that supposably dies a few months in. i never would have had a problem...but i'm an honest person and i choose to support software development. you guys treat me worse than the pirates that steal from ableton.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 3:57 am

so once again I say... can't you just copy the unlock.cfg file for safe keeping? isn't that how it works?

darthstephen · Post by **darthstephen** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 3:58 am

Johnisfaster wrote:so once again I say... can't you just copy the unlock.cfg file for safe keeping? isn't that how it works?

no...unfortunately
which is pretty much what i'm bitching about.
apparently, it's not enough protection to have a key file specific to the computer hardware. ableton uses a code that is generated by the hardware and specific install id of your os, which changes on reinstall...or something like that, i don't know.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:03 am

so heres the deal... I know it's frustrating you and all but...

ableton has rules on how many computers you can use their software at any given moment. most software has this rule. yet ableton actually takes action to prevent people from using it on too many computers. this hinders your ability to authorize it over and over and over and over and over. I know it sucks. but thats life. what do you want from us or them? sympathy?

just stop reformating your computer or go to another program that takes a simple serial authorization.
stop complaining about it really cause you're doing it to yourself.

smutek · Post by **smutek** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:21 am

10 unlocks in 6 months? Wow.

I've owned Live since March of 2003, have ran it on 3 different computers and currently have it installed on 2. I erase the harddisk and restore the operating system on each machine about twice a year, just for the hell of it.

Not once have I had a problem with my serials. Never had to contact ableton or anything like that. I never really think about it to be honest.

For those reasons I think its great copy protection.

My .02

I remember one time I was standing outside of a coffee shop, right by the door shooting the shit with some people. Everytime someone came out I would get hit with the door. Not like it hurt or anything, it was just annoying. I'd forget about it and go on talking and a few minutes later someone else would come out and the door would bang into me and I would get a little more annoyed.This happened about three or four times.

You know what I did?

I moved out of the way of the door.

You need to get out of the way of the door stephen.

forgie · Post by **forgie** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:26 am

Dude, why would you need to re-install windows every month or two? Do you use the internet on that PC? Do you know why people in audio magazines all say to use a seperate PC for audio work? That's why.... Regularly re-installing your OS is something that 0.001% (obviously made up) of computer users do. In other words, you can't expect Ableton (or any company) to bow to your demands given how small a demographic you represent.

Go use an imaging program, and it'll save you time as well. Problem solved.

Seriously, I've never seen a better implementation of copy-protection/demo-usage as Ableton does. What alternative would you prefer? Seriously? Considering the amount of audio software that gets pirated? I for one hate dongles.

darthstephen · Post by **darthstephen** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:38 am

smutek wrote:.

You need to get out of the way of the door stephen.

don't know what door you're talking about. if it's the people on this forum. i'm afraid there's nothing more i can do but state my opinion and try to back it up with facts...like mentioning other software companies that use effective protection that doesn't put out a user who only has one computer and has stuck to the agreement. ie. have a unlock key that works on the same computer regardless of os install.

as far as the program is concerned. hopefully they'll allow me to unlock again and i will take it from there with ghost or whatever.

maybe buy a second computer for my girlfriend and the games/internet stuff. or maybe just sell ableton and keep on buying software that doesn't fustrate me with overzealous protection.

in fact...if anyone wants to buy my copy of ableton, i'd be happy to sell it.

Anubis · Post by **Anubis** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:38 am

darthstephen wrote:i simply can't believe how nasty you guys are. i guess i need pills because i prefer to have a fresh install once a month.

it's funny to all that i have been inconvenienced several times by this and i am upset.

it really sucks the way people have responded, because you choose to judge and slander me.

i'm at abletons mercy at this point.

if i re-install my os once a month, i never would have had a problem...

ah 'come on darth. we didn't mean anything personal, it was just a goof man. but surely you must understand how some of us might be intrigued by the (seemingly) eccentric behavior of reinstalling your os every month!? I mean that's such a horrific experience for most people that they'd sooner go to the dentist. Again, I mean no disrespect, but there has to be an easier way to optimize your system.

ColdPack · Post by **ColdPack** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:46 am

Darth, I have no idea what the problem is. I've been using Live for quite some time now. I've only had to unlock once.
This includes buying a new powerbook (last year) after having used Live on my G5. Upon initializing my fresh, new Powerbook, I had the option of copying the contents of my G5 onto the new system. I did. Live fired up. No worries.
I've upgraded since then to Live 5. Again, no issues with using the unlock code I was given with the purchase.

I'm really trying to understand what the hell you're having problems with.

I'd rather have it this way than using yet another dongle (ahem... CUBASE!...).

PS. I'm glad that, with Peak Pro 5.2, they've moved away from the dongle and have gone to a similar challenge/response-type system.

cp

You reinstall every month?!
I'm kind of a computer geek and I reinstall linux on my PC every other week... but that's because I like to test drive things often. But windows?! The only reason I ever reinstall windows is because I was too lazy to do decent security and protection on my PC and it was compromised. When I take care of things even minimally, however, I don't need any reinstall whatsoever. Sure, you wanna reinstall every month? Go ahead. But stop crying about copy protection methods of software that finds your pointless OS reinstalls not only... well... pointless... but a possible security concern for the protection of their product.
You're right. You don't like that. Then do, indeed, sell you Ableton software. But, while cycling 74 and what-have-you may seem more lenient, they're also not as vulnerable as the "big boys" like Ableton, Propellerheads, Cubase, Tracktion, Logic, Avid, Motu, etc. They need to protect their goods as decisively as possible.
That creates an inconvenience for you? Oh well. Stop reinstalling, then, or sell Live.
If it were me, I'd stop reinstalling, especially since I know it has little impact/effect on my PC in the long run. Unless it was hacked into every month. Which yours may be. But I think I doubt that.

cp

darthstephen · Post by **darthstephen** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:48 am

Anubis wrote:
ah 'come on darth. we didn't mean anything personal, it was just a goof man. but surely you must understand how some of us might be intrigued by the (seemingly) eccentric behavior of reinstalling your os every month!? I mean that's such a horrific experience for most people that they'd sooner go to the dentist. Again, I mean no disrespect, but there has to be an easier way to optimize your system.

i know i'm compulsive and weird about the re-install thing. that's why this is kind of embarrassing and fustrating. i've been working like this for years and i don't find it that big a deal. it takes about an hour and a half for me to do the whole job. i guess one gets quick with anything after a few hundred times:)

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:51 am

People and their doors.

Find your inner doors, move your chair.

thelike5 · Post by **thelike5** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:54 am

darthstephen wrote:
in fact...if anyone wants to buy my copy of ableton, i'd be happy to sell it.

Yeah, like any of us want to try and convince Ableton for the 11th unlock code...

darthstephen · Post by **darthstephen** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 5:00 am

thelike5 wrote:
darthstephen wrote:
in fact...if anyone wants to buy my copy of ableton, i'd be happy to sell it.
Yeah, like any of us want to try and convince Ableton for the 11th unlock code...

i don't really think that would be an issue if we transfered the license through ableton. they'd probably be happy to be rid of me.

...it's nice to feel like that after trying to support a company by buying their product.

forge · Post by **forge** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 5:26 am

darthstephen wrote:55 views in less than a half hour. i'd say people are interested in this topic. maybe they are the ha ha ha i don't care that ableton treats me like a criminal-types.

actually, most of them are probably like me wondering how the hell anyone has such a problem.

you go prefs>enter the serial>unlock online

couldnt be simpler - I have no idea what you're doing

forge · Post by **forge** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 5:29 am

smutek wrote: You know what I did?

I moved out of the way of the door.

You need to get out of the way of the door stephen.

nice.