Please Remove the Challende/Response Activation (for users who pay upfront)

Hi,
 
all in all, I find the new system (choose to subscribe or pay up-front) fair enough. What I really do not like is challenge/response. From what I learnt reading the forum, a machine specific code is created and each install on an new machine must be activated separately. I do not like the idea that I am dependent on Cakewalk to exist to be able to activate my software. Therefore, I would rather accept a dongle. Cakewalk's liberal copy protection system was one of the main reasons why I chose Sonar (and not, for example, Cubase). Now, that seems to have changed. Please, remove the challenge/response for users who pay up-front (just as it used to be).
 
cheers, drjee

I would tend to agree with a dependency on a company to exist to have access to something I paid for.
I would hate to buy a wedding dress and just before the big day find the store went out of business and my dress is in the wind ;)  
I know that Waves is setup that way, Ik seems the same or moving in that direction. Now that I think about it there are a few others that use this security feature.
I would like to think/hope if a company is going under they would make previsions for this scenario...
 
Peace!

Greeny
I don't think you need to worry about cakewalk disappearing anytime soon, they gotta protect themselves somehow no? Beats a dongle imho

I wonder how many people thought that about Camel Audio. It appears the new EULA is more friendly. You can install it on every machine you own as long as you are not using them at the same time.

I try and avoid software that requires some sort of on line activation. I actually like my Steinberg USB elicencer. Once activated it has become the easiest software I own to move around and re install after a OS or OS drive upgrade. Sure it takes up a port, but it doesn't mind being on any port or hub. I can see it being a hassle on a laptop with 4 ports, but still a hub solves that issue. Just share with your wireless mouse etc.  
The old  two number system was my favorite style but it was not the best for them for piracy.
 
The new system allows them to track how many installs your using. It was said that they would not be worrying about this in general, but if one registration all of a sudden has more than a dozen activation's they would be able to investigate possible piracy or say a studio cheating on user count. 
 

rainmaker1011
well, as I undertsand it from CW videos, you need to do the challenge/response thing only once. Then you may generate a key (file) and use it to activate Sonar on any number of offline machines. So keep the Sonar installation, keep the key file and you do not need Cakewalk anymore... :))

There is a statement "only in case there is too many activations..." or something like that. That implies challenge/response is per computer.
 
I can understand why company want that. But only in case it is done well (so average hacker can not crack it within 10 minutes). But that means either second company or significant resources should be involved in such protection. And in most cases, the result is still hacked next day :/

Dave000

I know that Waves is setup that way, Ik seems the same or moving in that direction.

Actually, Waves is not that way. You can save your license to a USB drive and it will just work on any machine where you have your USB drive plugged in.

IK is that way. The challenge and response are the same for a single machine, but to install on a new machine, you need to activate.

I don't mind C/R for a company whose future appears secure for years, but given Cakewalk's history, I wouldn't trust it with C/R.

yevster
I don't mind C/R for a company whose future appears secure for years, but given Cakewalk's history, I wouldn't trust it with C/R.

Well, in addition to what Dan said, Cakewalk is now owned by a multi-billion dollar company and has been doing well since the acquisition, so I wouldn't be too worried.

I'll admit that I much prefer the pre-2015 installation process because I can keep copies of the installers, serial and registration codes locally and reinstal on any PC capable of running Sonar even if Cakewalk the company no longer exists. I also have severe doubts whether Calkewalk could, as a final act of the company, remove all copy protection and make the installers a free download as Cakewalk staff have indicated on this forum. It would depend on the circumstances.
 
I don't know about the US, but in the UK if Cakewalk/their owners went bankrupt the software code and the possibility of charging for support would be regarded as a highly valuable financial asset by the reciever in bankruptcy. The reciever would be running the residual company, seeking to maximise its value so that the maximum possible can be paid to creditors, either by realising assets or selling the company. The owner (or staff) simply giving away a potentially valuable asset would not be allowed, and if the asset were given away at the point the company was clearly bankrupt but had not yet sought the protection of bankruptcy the owner/staff might find themselves in a great deal of trouble.
 
Having said that, the only alternative to Sonar I can readily see myself using is Logic Pro, and exactly the same situation arises with Logic as well. So I've just bought Sonar Platinum anyway.
 
I guess the safest answer is to not only back up projects and audio data but to also export all MIDI stems so that the project can be recreated, as far as possible, in other software if required.

yevster
I don't mind C/R for a company whose future appears secure for years, but given Cakewalk's history, I wouldn't trust it with C/R.

I don't have a view on the wider point, but this jumped out at me as an odd statement. Cakewalk has been in business continuously for 28 years, and if you take Cakewalk / Cakewalk Pro Audio / Sonar / Sonar X as a single product line, has been making a living off it's flagship product continually from day one. One can never predict the future, but it wouldn't pain me too much to bet a fiver on it being around for a good while longer.

Anderton

yevster
I don't mind C/R for a company whose future appears secure for years, but given Cakewalk's history, I wouldn't trust it with C/R.

Well, in addition to what Dan said, Cakewalk is now owned by a multi-billion dollar company and has been doing well since the acquisition, so I wouldn't be too worried.

Isn't Roland a multi-billion dollar company. And did't they sell the software to Gibson which now introduced challemnge/Response? Who tells me that Gibson does not change its mind and resell Cakewalk? And who knows what the new owner is going to do? It might not be very likely that I won't be able to activate in future but it is in no way sure.

That's a link to his profile, do you have a link to the post?

Offline request gives you an activation file.
 
Simple.
 
Yes maybe in (highly) unlikely event that CW goes offline forever you may never be able to install on another computer. Something tells me that at that (unlikely) time CW will probably deliver an install-on-any-computer activation file for all of its customers.
 
I simply cannot worry about all the what if scenarios. 

I actually use Cubase now so I won't be upgrading. I must point out, however, that the new install method seems similar to the XLN audio method which, IMO, is the easiest and best solution in the industry for the company and consumer.

John T

yevster
I don't mind C/R for a company whose future appears secure for years, but given Cakewalk's history, I wouldn't trust it with C/R.

I don't have a view on the wider point, but this jumped out at me as an odd statement. Cakewalk has been in business continuously for 28 years...

It can be not disappearing Cakewalk forever, but something like locking your account unlucky weekend night (in US), when you have just lost your motherboard and was forced to reinstall/reactivate SONAR...
 
Not exactly that situation, but I know the feeling (was unable to see SN for a while...).
 
In case it is really secure, that is ok (theoretically it can save potential money for CW). But in case we see "SONAR Platinum" on torrent next week, that was just westing of resources and complicating user's life. The time will show

vintagevibe
... XLN audio method which, IMO, is the easiest and best solution in the industry for the company and consumer.

... when company trust own users no more than someone sitting in the next prison.