Adobe cancels all user accounts in Venezuela to comply with Trump order

Adobe interprets Trump order broadly, claims it can't provide refunds.

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[Nalyd]

Rent your software, they said. It will be convenient for updates, they said.

 

[Zorro]

Presumably they will still get Acrobat Reader.

 

[Z1ggy]

Sounds like they found a way to keep the money they were paid and not actually provide the service, and went with it.

 

[TimeToTilt]

I like that we have to cut ties so quickly and hard that we can't give refunds but you have twenty days to access their cloud and get things downloaded.

Such nonsense

 

[metavirus]

Can I now tell Adobe to shove it when they come asking for my remaining perpetual licenses to be switched to subscription?

 

[MichaelLC]

Rent your software, they said. It will be convenient for updates, they said.

Yup. But even the stand-alone versions require an Adobe ID. Anyone know if local copies are disabled too?

 

[pug fugly]

Rent your software, they said. It will be convenient for updates, they said.

This! One hundred thousand times THIS.
SW as a service is complete BS.

 

[etana]

glad i bought a perpetual (real, actual) license.

 

[infernal666]

Sounds like they found a way to keep the money they were paid and not actually provide the service, and went with it.

Isn't that the standard Adobe move for all their products?

 

[josephandrews222]

The unintended (as well as the intended) consequences of the actions of our (i.e. the USA's) current disruptor and Commander-in-Chief will range far and wide, and they will cut deep.

My God we're in trouble...and not only in the United States.

 

[notAfan]

Can I now tell Adobe to shove it when they come asking for my remaining perpetual licenses to be switched to subscription?

Not sure what you mean by 'Can I now'...? Was there something legally, morally or ethically stopping you from doing so before this? Not sure what this current issue has to do with yours...

 

[Funktronix]

I guessing Adobe also cannot pay Venezuelan lawyers to sue anybody pirating their software.

 

[Iron Clad Burrito]

Can I now tell Adobe to shove it when they come asking for my remaining perpetual licenses to be switched to subscription?

Couldn't you, before this?
[ed] Whoops, ninja'd by NotAFan

 

[Fabermetrics]

Any info on the numbers of people impacted?

 

[Defenestrar]

I like that we have to cut ties so quickly and hard that we can't give refunds but you have twenty days to access their cloud and get things downloaded.

Such nonsense

Adobe acknowledges that those individuals are entitled to recover their property, but not their money. Sounds like an automatic loss in an international class-action if the people of Venezuela were in a position to do anything about it. Classy move.

 

[Aurich]

I pay for Adobe Creative Cloud software. I sort of have no choice, for what I do the alternate options aren't quite there, and I've got so much tied into this software ecosystem in terms of experience and workflow that it would be a massive pain in the ass to switch anyways.

But damn, I can't lie, I feel deep regret for it all the time. I wouldn't even mind paying for it if I felt like there was a worthwhile service offered, but the truth is there just isn't.

Instead, even when they're not finding a way to screw you like this, you're basically paying for them to constantly fuck up your experience. They've clearly run out of ideas and are just changing shit for the hell of it. One day your undo shortcut is totally different, and decades of muscle memory go out the window. Or they change how you hold shift during resize, but only in Photoshop, not Illustrator, and you constantly fuck it up because it's confusing and pointless.

The problem is they know that I would happily pay full price for their software, and then go years without updating until I was dragged kicking and screaming by some must-have upgrade or compatibility feature. That's why the sub, it's the way to keep getting my money.

I just wish I was happier about what I was paying for.

 

[effgee]

**manicgiggle**

... and we thought Quark was a #$%& company.

 

[sojimp]

I guess business in Venezuela will be forced to switch to perpetually licensed software, since the rental model is pushing them out. On second thought, piracy is the more likely outcome.

Seriously, though, there are some decent alternatives. They just are difficult to work with if everyone else uses Adobe. And all their past work is probably stuck in formats that don't transfer well to other programs. But if everyone switched to a new standard, it could work.

 

[Deleted member 1]

I recently jumped over to Affinity Photo and Designer and I'm not looking back. It's worth checking out and putting in the time to learn the new software if it means ditching this train wreck that is Adobe

 

[Frosty Grin]

They've clearly run out of ideas and are just changing shit for the hell of it. One day your undo shortcut is totally different, and decades of muscle memory go out the window. Or they change how you hold shift during resize, but only in Photoshop, not Illustrator, and you constantly fuck it up because it's confusing and pointless.

Isn't it something people normally attributed to the need to change things up for new versions of software, back when people were paying for new versions? Are they doing the same thing even with subscriptions?

 

[Defenestrar]

glad i bought a perpetual (real, actual) license.

You don't think Adobe can't disable most modern versions of their software through the already built in license check? Also note, you can't "buy" a license, you license the software for a fee. The word "buy" implies ownership which is contrary to the fine print of every software license I've ever bothered to read.

 

[AxMi-24]

I pay for Adobe Creative Cloud software. I sort of have no choice, for what I do the alternate options aren't quite there, and I've got so much tied into this software ecosystem in terms of experience and workflow that it would be a massive pain in the ass to switch anyways.

But damn, I can't lie, I feel deep regret for it all the time. I wouldn't even mind paying for it if I felt like there was a worthwhile service offered, but the truth is there just isn't.

Instead, even when they're not finding a way to screw you like this, you're basically paying for them to constantly fuck up your experience. They've clearly run out of ideas and are just changing shit for the hell of it. One day your undo shortcut is totally different, and decades of muscle memory go out the window. Or they change how you hold shift during resize, but only in Photoshop, not Illustrator, and you constantly fuck it up because it's confusing and pointless.

The problem is they know that I would happily pay full price for their software, and then go years without updating until I was dragged kicking and screaming by some must-have upgrade or compatibility feature. That's why the sub, it's the way to keep getting my money.

I just wish I was happier about what I was paying for.

Might be worth it to start getting used to Gimp and Inkscape. They are not PS and Illustator but on the other hand your livelihood is not in the hands of Adobe who can obviously decide at any moment to fuck you over (TM), no refunds.

For people editing their vacation photos it's just stupid waste of money. For professionals it's an absurd risk to take.

 

[SirBedwyr]

I pay for Adobe Creative Cloud software. I sort of have no choice, for what I do the alternate options aren't quite there, and I've got so much tied into this software ecosystem in terms of experience and workflow that it would be a massive pain in the ass to switch anyways.

But damn, I can't lie, I feel deep regret for it all the time. I wouldn't even mind paying for it if I felt like there was a worthwhile service offered, but the truth is there just isn't.

Instead, even when they're not finding a way to screw you like this, you're basically paying for them to constantly fuck up your experience. They've clearly run out of ideas and are just changing shit for the hell of it. One day your undo shortcut is totally different, and decades of muscle memory go out the window. Or they change how you hold shift during resize, but only in Photoshop, not Illustrator, and you constantly fuck it up because it's confusing and pointless.

The problem is they know that I would happily pay full price for their software, and then go years without updating until I was dragged kicking and screaming by some must-have upgrade or compatibility feature. That's why the sub, it's the way to keep getting my money.

I just wish I was happier about what I was paying for.

To wit: I'm still happy, given my own needs, to stick with CS6 (as old as it is).

edit: that reminds me of the service I am subscribing to, however, and why I don't mind it. The value of Office 365 is in the storage size. The actual Office subscription is functionally the same as CC, but because it isn't the primary added value to my subscription, I just regard that as a nice bonus for renting server space.

 

[metavirus]

Can I now tell Adobe to shove it when they come asking for my remaining perpetual licenses to be switched to subscription?

Not sure what you mean by 'Can I now'...? Was there something legally, morally or ethically stopping you from doing so before this? Not sure what this current issue has to do with yours...

My management has been wooed by the siren song of "cheaper", updated subscription software, with no heed to the ramifications. I wonder if this will give me the juice I need to get approval to tell Adobe to shove it.

 

[thekaj]

I only occasionally do some video editing. So paying $20 to access Premier every so often has been a pretty decent deal. But yeah, first step, cancelling current subscription. Second step checking out if I can get a discount on FCP, and start saving my pennies.

 

[Defenestrar]

I pay for Adobe Creative Cloud software. I sort of have no choice, for what I do the alternate options aren't quite there, and I've got so much tied into this software ecosystem in terms of experience and workflow that it would be a massive pain in the ass to switch anyways.

But damn, I can't lie, I feel deep regret for it all the time. I wouldn't even mind paying for it if I felt like there was a worthwhile service offered, but the truth is there just isn't.

Instead, even when they're not finding a way to screw you like this, you're basically paying for them to constantly fuck up your experience. They've clearly run out of ideas and are just changing shit for the hell of it. One day your undo shortcut is totally different, and decades of muscle memory go out the window. Or they change how you hold shift during resize, but only in Photoshop, not Illustrator, and you constantly fuck it up because it's confusing and pointless.

The problem is they know that I would happily pay full price for their software, and then go years without updating until I was dragged kicking and screaming by some must-have upgrade or compatibility feature. That's why the sub, it's the way to keep getting my money.

I just wish I was happier about what I was paying for.

Might be worth it to start getting used to Gimp and Inkscape. They are not PS and Illustator but on the other hand your livelihood is not in the hands of Adobe who can obviously decide at any moment to fuck you over (TM), no refunds.

For people editing their vacation photos it's just stupid waste of money. For professionals it's an absurd risk to take.

As Aurich already said, they're not there yet. As much as people wish they were.

 

[ZippyPeanut]

Rent your software, they said. It will be convenient for updates, they said.

This! One hundred thousand times THIS.
SW as a service is complete BS.

Yep. And this one hundred thousand times more. This is yet ONE MORE example of why the trend toward cloud computing and subscription software is not good.

So, if a customer wants cloud-based SW, then fine: it's great to have that option and the benefits that comes along with it. But let's please not acquiesce to this trend to the point that we can no longer do our digital work locally on a private box.

Also, fuck Adobe, for being one of the first and certainly one of the strongest proponents of exclusively cloud-based subscription software.

 

[Z1ggy]

Sounds like they found a way to keep the money they were paid and not actually provide the service, and went with it.

That's the cynical answer, but this isn't making Adobe any money. Support costs are presumably well below subscription costs. This just loses Adobe money. This isn't a greedy cash grab. No cash is being grabbed; their operating expenses just went down a fraction in exchange for no more money coming from Venezuela.

If this wasnt a greedy cash grab, they would refund the money.

 

[effgee]

I recently jumped over to Affinity Photo and Designer and I'm not looking back. It's worth checking out and putting in the time to learn the new software if it means ditching this train wreck that is Adobe

And don't forget their InDesign competitor Publisher. Plus, with the current exception of Publisher, all of Affinity's software is available for Windows, macOS and iPadOS.

Fuck Adobe, really.

 

[johnsonwax]

Sounds like they found a way to keep the money they were paid and not actually provide the service, and went with it.

Actually, this is simply shitty rulemaking in the WH.

Passing laws is kind of the easy part at least in terms of labor. The hard part is writing the rules after the law has been passed. If you are sanctioning Venezuela (why Trump decided to do that is an entirely different post that involves me swearing at the sanity of the American populace) then presumably the goal is to stop the flow of money from the US to Venezuela. Usually the rules are very specific on that - what kind of money, for what kinds of products/services, or through what channels, or to what individuals. You can kind of do whatever you want here in terms of rules - think about the export restrictions on Playstations and shit like that a decade+ ago.

Anyway, if the rules are vague or are written by idiots (I can say that as a govt employee who likes to believe that he's good at his job and cares about all of the taxpayers) then the rules can exclude carveouts for things like refunds which are a transfer of money from the US to Venezuela. IOW, Adobe's lawyers may be telling them it's illegal to issue a refund, and given how the federal rulemaking I've seen around my work in the last 3 years, mainly around immigration, has gone, I have no problem believing that the rules are complete garbage and give no consideration to any sort of scenario that might trigger a civil claim - you just have to suck it up and choose which liability you'll be saddled with - the US govt coming after you or a class action claim out of Venezuela which no US court will hear but will make it VERY difficult to return to that market because a Venezuelan court would be happy to hear it as soon as you try to sell your product there again.

Oh, and fuck Adobe for entirely different reasons. But I think they're simply stuck on this one.

 

[ivantod]

Luckily, software like Pixelmator satisfies all my needs in that area, so I don't have to deal with Adobe's crap.

On the other hand since I do Java development, I do have to (kinda) deal with Oracle crap sometimes, so...

Also, what do you want to bet, that if it came to chasing down pirates in Venezuela, suddenly there would be no problem at all to figure out how to pay some local lawyers and such...

 

[mmiller7]

The unintended (as well as the intended) consequences of the actions of our (i.e. the USA's) current disruptor and Commander-in-Chief will range far and wide, and they will cut deep.

My God we're in trouble...and not only in the United States.

The even bigger thing this highlights...*any* country could one day decide to announce something like that. And the USA isn't the only place software is made or cloud is done (depending what application/service you require).

Any country could one day cut off any other country or group, anywhere in the world.

So, how bout that cloud as a service?

 

[AxMi-24]

I pay for Adobe Creative Cloud software. I sort of have no choice, for what I do the alternate options aren't quite there, and I've got so much tied into this software ecosystem in terms of experience and workflow that it would be a massive pain in the ass to switch anyways.

But damn, I can't lie, I feel deep regret for it all the time. I wouldn't even mind paying for it if I felt like there was a worthwhile service offered, but the truth is there just isn't.

Instead, even when they're not finding a way to screw you like this, you're basically paying for them to constantly fuck up your experience. They've clearly run out of ideas and are just changing shit for the hell of it. One day your undo shortcut is totally different, and decades of muscle memory go out the window. Or they change how you hold shift during resize, but only in Photoshop, not Illustrator, and you constantly fuck it up because it's confusing and pointless.

The problem is they know that I would happily pay full price for their software, and then go years without updating until I was dragged kicking and screaming by some must-have upgrade or compatibility feature. That's why the sub, it's the way to keep getting my money.

I just wish I was happier about what I was paying for.

Might be worth it to start getting used to Gimp and Inkscape. They are not PS and Illustator but on the other hand your livelihood is not in the hands of Adobe who can obviously decide at any moment to fuck you over (TM), no refunds.

For people editing their vacation photos it's just stupid waste of money. For professionals it's an absurd risk to take.

As Aurich already said, they're not there yet. As much as people wish they were.

I'm well aware of it. But question is if that extra functionality is worth the insane risk.

For corporations trying to get certain types of ISO accreditation this kind of thing is a big deal. How do you deal with risk that is so high that it effectively kills your company on the spot. It's not easy thing to deal with but it's worth at least thinking about if it is worth it.

 

[mmiller7]

I pay for Adobe Creative Cloud software. I sort of have no choice, for what I do the alternate options aren't quite there, and I've got so much tied into this software ecosystem in terms of experience and workflow that it would be a massive pain in the ass to switch anyways.

But damn, I can't lie, I feel deep regret for it all the time. I wouldn't even mind paying for it if I felt like there was a worthwhile service offered, but the truth is there just isn't.

Instead, even when they're not finding a way to screw you like this, you're basically paying for them to constantly fuck up your experience. They've clearly run out of ideas and are just changing shit for the hell of it. One day your undo shortcut is totally different, and decades of muscle memory go out the window. Or they change how you hold shift during resize, but only in Photoshop, not Illustrator, and you constantly fuck it up because it's confusing and pointless.

The problem is they know that I would happily pay full price for their software, and then go years without updating until I was dragged kicking and screaming by some must-have upgrade or compatibility feature. That's why the sub, it's the way to keep getting my money.

I just wish I was happier about what I was paying for.

And its not just Adobe, that seems to apply to all the companies.

I still have MS Office 2010 and Photoshop Elements 5 at home...they still meet 100% of my needs.