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this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2024
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No, they are just impossible to offer. Imagine such a license given to company which can "live" for centuries. Impossible. Perpetual licenses are almost impossible to offer. If they are possible it's calculated that 99.999% of them will last than the expected timefrime np 3 years
A perpetual license doesn't mean the company supports it forever; you know that, right? I have a copy of Quickbooks 2015 that I got the license key for from a closing company for about $25. I will never have to pay another dime for it, it's a perpetual license and will run indefinitely. I just don't get any updates at all, and I can't run anything that requires updates or subscriptions like payroll or advanced features. But that's absolutely fine for my purposes and works the same for many, many people. This is how things should be - if I'm fine with using an outdated version, there is zero reason I need a subscription license.
Not sure I trust Reckon to work indefinitely. I think it still has to phone home every five years or so, but not sure.
Once again if you bought a product ( like boxed software version ) yes ( with no support ). If you bought a service it's impossible. People still believe that something may be free
A perpetual licence for a service isn't possible, yes, but software is a product, and something you can absolutely buy once. You typically only get support for a limited time though.
I can easily imagine it. I've still got boxes full of software on floppy disks and CD-ROMs that I "perpetually licensed" (a.k.a. bought), so don't try to bullshit me that it isn't possible!
Because it's a product ( CD ROM ) not service ( gog or steam ) so don't bulshit me
The same software purchased digitally doesn't magically become a "service". Coincidentally, you can absolutely download and backup all your GOG games and then "own" them the same way you own your old CD ROMs.
https://support.gog.com/hc/en-us/articles/212632089-GOG-User-Agreement?product=gog see point 2.1 You get personal right to use gog services. As I said you rent it
That's for their services. Any software you buy from them can be used forever after you download it. Even if GoG goes out of business.
Edit: wording
Show me then the eula
Show me where anything I download from them won't work if they go out of business.
It's not my fault you don't understand the difference between a service and a product.
Burden of proof lies on the person claiming so. Yes, indeed you don't understand that difference
I have games I've downloaded from them and they can be played fully disconnected from the Internet.
You're the one claiming a downloaded executable is a service. Prove it.
"In the very unlikely situation that we have to stop running GOG we'll do our best to give you advance notice, so that you can download and safely store all your DRM-free content." - GOG user agreement.
The same thing is in the terms and conditions for each of your old CD ROM games. The point is that they can't physically keep you from using the DRM free software that you backed up locally.
The perceived difference has nothing to do with the game being a "service" or that perpetual licenses are not economically possible for "services" but with the fact that by the power of the Internet companies now have a way to brick your stuff remotely. And you accepted it when they put it in instead of voting with your wallet. Because you wanted Half Life 2 just so so so badly.
They're doing it because they can, not because they have to.
So then show me example eula of your cd / dvd as proof
No.
Proof of what? A EULA doesn't prove anything and it's not even enforceable.
The games I bought (not licensed) on Steam are also products (not services). Anybody who claims otherwise is either a self-serving liar or a fucking moron.
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/3062995463267283250/ show me then terms of service or example product eula
EULAs don't have to say "you own this forever" because it's implicit. Just like when you buy bananas at the grocer you aren't forced to sign a EULA that says you can eat the banana or make a smoothie with it but can't use it to make nuclear weapons or commit war crimes.
Let's break this down: a product is an object that is delivered to a buyer. A service is an action or group of actions that is performed for the buyer. If I have to keep running my servers for your game client to connect to, push updates or offer tech support, I am providing a service because it requires me to keep doing something for the thing to work. If, on the other hand, all I do is give you some code you can run entirely on your machine - and it doesn't matter if I give it to you on a CD, a floppy, via digital download or if I print it out as a big book for you to type yourself into a hex editor - then our transaction is finished when I deliver it to you and you pay me. There isn't anything to license because now you own that copy of the code. My participation in what you do with it is finished, just like the grocer's is finished when you leave his store with the bananas.
Do you understand now?
Perpetual licences are usually given for a certain version of a program though, with updates for a limited amount of time. You don't get the new version of the software.
You can, however, continue to use that old piece of software in perpetuity.