I tried many different insurance companies in France, and no one wants to insurance "software" as it is non-physical. And the dongle doesn't count. So traveling is one thing. But getting robbed at home, or even a fire screws everything up.

Can't you make a key that somehow connects to the internet every now and then? Per example:

My key is stolen, and needs to be connected on the internet every two weeks. If not, its blocked.

OR

You can block the key by its ID. I got it stolen, i let you know, and you deactivate the key. And the elicencer software blocks the key. This would be the best solution to avoid pirating a key.

I've had to travel recently with my key, and not reassuring at all. These keys can end up with 15k+ € of software. I cannot believe you cannot find a valid solution to PROTECT your clients.

Hallo bin ganz neu im Forum

und wollte gern wissen ob ich die gleiche dongle

die ich mit Cubase benutze auch VSL benutzen Kann.

Oder muss ein separat dongel Kaufen?

MfG 

Mamo7

@michi said:

We'd prefer to live in a world without product piracy. But as long this isn't the case, we all have to deal with copy protection. We're providing our customers with a safe system, it hasn't been cracked up to now and works offline as well. So, if a key get's lost, everybody who finds this key has unrestricted acces to the licenses. Free replacement licenses would harm our company, we simply can't afford such a solution. We believe, taking care of the key is nothing but self-responsibility. You won't expect any kind of warning if you put 1.000 bucks into your wallet. It's common sense that you won't get the money back if you loose it. To meet uninsured customers half way in lost key matters, we're offering 50% discount for the replacement licenses and a free 48 hours all application license as first, quick help. Regards, Michael Hula VSL Support

Michael,

What happens if my eLicenser fails while it is sitting safely in my studio?

**Leigh

Hi Leigh, 

Please read the previous page of this thread, it is all there. 

Best, 
Paul

@mamo7 said:

Hallo bin ganz neu im Forum

und wollte gern wissen ob ich die gleiche dongle

die ich mit Cubase benutze auch VSL benutzen Kann.

Oder muss ein separat dongel Kaufen?

 

MfG 

Mamo7

Any news on this from VSL? It's been a few months since Paul wrote that they were working on a better solution.

Hi,

Nothing to share with you yet, still working on it!

Best, 
Paul

I agree that this situation about the Vienna Key being such a valuable piece of kit is a problem. If VSL were to offer some kind of insurance or replacement ploicy, then I would buy it. It's a constant worry, thinking that I might lose my key. 

As it happens, today I find that I may have lost my Vienna key. I have prdered 2 replacements, but I hope that I have left it at home somewhere.  I have added up the cost of all the software and instruments I have, and it's more than 3000 euros!! 

I sincerely hope that a solution can be found if I have indeed lost my key. I cannot afford to replace the instruments if not.

I have also lost my key, during a move.  Totalling up what my 50% replacement cost would be now.  Very disappointing.

@Paul said:

Hi,

Nothing to share with you yet, still working on it!

Best, 
Paul

Dear Paul,

could you please give us another update? Another six months passed without any news in this regard. Thank you in advance.

Hello Dominique, 

I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but it only makes sense to announce our solution when everything is ready. 

Thanks for your patience!

Paul

[updated post]

@agitato said:

One question.

Suppose the key is not lost but somehow gets damaged, say by fire, or simply stops working. (USBs do fail eventually, you know...)

I would imagine that atleast in this scenario, VSL can provide a duplicate license on a new key, provided we mail in the old key to show evidence that no one else can use it.

Please tell me this is true. If not, I will stop buying any more VSL products, since this would mean that my investment is tied to a piece of electronic component that is bound to fail sooner or later.

Anand

Sorry, I did find an answer to my question earlier in this thread, but it still is pretty disappointing. So, essentially we need to buy a key every 2 years to stay within the warranty...and all this is only to cover non accidental failure to the dongle.

Sounds pretty arcane to me, if not cruel. My sympathies to the poor folks who lost the key and spent 1000s more. I am puzzled how this is legal and VSL is getting away with it?  Looks like daylight robbery! If I buy a product I must own it without having to pay for it again and again, period. The analogy someone gave with a car is quite apt. 

I have lost keys from other libraries such as EastWest, and all I had to do was buy a new key and they issued a new license number based on the products that I had. That way the old license numbers would become invalid.

Pretty sure something like that can be worked out. Considering that VSL is such an outstanding company and product in EVERY other aspect including customer service,  I am amazed you havent solved this simple issue.

As I thought more about this, another paradox confounds me. I do not understand why the hardware warranty should be linked to the software license? So you say that if we buy a new dongle every 2 years, you can replace with a new one and install the licenses on that provided we send the old one etc.,. Now why should this have anything to do with whether we have a hardware warranty or not? To be more clear, suppose that I did not have the warranty and I my dongle fails, what is preventing you from doing a similar license transfer assuming I pay for a new dongle (given I dont have the warranty)? 

Mysterious logic!

Anand

P.S. Reading Paul's post I do realize you are working on a solution. I am sure you can and will solve this....

Hi Paul,

thank you for answering so quickly. Would it be possible to give at least a rough time frame? What are we looking at? Weeks, months, years? I was hoping a solution could be presented much sooner, but a year in and we are non the wiser. I start wondering if presenting a solution is at all that important to VSL.

Hi Dominique, 

I understand your position, but we have been burned with release dates that didn't work as we expected, so we are now very careful with announcement. Too much disappointment on both sides. 

Best, 
Paul

I want to add my voice to how much I disagree with and hope for alternate solutions here.

Let us sign up for on-line only mode where the software only works when we're signed in (one computer at a time) online!  If not that something must be possible.  This is such an old fashioned policy.  It seems crazy to me.

Worse, it feels like Vienna is willing to punish their faithful, honest, paying customers over some vague belief that it'll somehow harm them.  Dishonest people have already and will always crack the software.  How does a policy that punishes your good customers help with that in any way?

To be completely honest, this issue gives me a tummy ache every time I take my Vienna key with me.  Although I love the libraries, I'm so stressed about it all the time, I'm almost to the point of looking for other solutions.  I had planned on purchasing the entire libary, but I work on a Surface Pro 3.  I've lost hardware before.  Losing a computer is bad enough.  Losing thousands of dollars of instruments as well.  Ugh.  Everytime I think about buying more instruments, this is like a brick wall of impending doom for me.

I am not a big fan of the dongle protection in this form either, but I understand the need for protection, and I can live with it. As far as I know eLicenser dongle protection was not cracked to this day.
I use VSL mostly at home to avoid loosing the dongle; this can be very stressful because the lost-policy fee is really high.

I would like it if VSL could get access to Steinberg's recovery thing. I would still avoid loosing my key, but it would be less scary to work on the go or take your key to different workplaces. An online-only mode is not the a solution for me, but I could live with it if the dongle needs internet connection every 30 days or so, so lost or stolen keys can be disabled.

What I would like is an online protection system, with some days of use allowed when no connection can be found. This will allow VSL to always check who is using their software, and protect the user from temporary lack of connection.

Disconnected computer are now a very rare exception. Publishing or notation software can only work if the computer is connected. Text editors find their raison d'être in synchronizing between devices. On the other side, firewalls included in the operating system are so advanced, that intrusions are someone that can concern only users target for a serious reason.

No more USB keys to move between computer. No more fear of having it broken, lost or stolen. Just a kind hand weaving between our computer and the VSL's servers when starting a work session.

Paolo

@agitato said:

If I buy a product I must own it without having to pay for it again and again, period. The analogy someone gave with a car is quite apt. 

Actually it isn't apt at all.  Remember, we're dealing with intellectaul property here not tangible items like a car.  When you purchase a library license, you're not purchasing the library itself, your purchasing permission to use it.

The car analogy would be better, although not completey accurate, if it was, you're not buying a car you're buying permission to use it.  So you can use that car anytime you want and drive anywhere you want but there are some restrictions like you can't use it for ride sharing such as Uber or Lyft.

Don't get me wrong Anand, I'm not a cheerleader for this dongle system and judging from some of the recent posts by VSL representatives they are not fans of it either but the reason it has gone on for so long must be because the alternatives are just not satisfactory to VSL upper management. Or, there is something in the works it just hasn't been finalized yet.  But for the record, I am not in favor of an online verification system. Sorry but in my particular situation it would be just too much of a hassle.   If VSL can provide some options for people in my situation then fine but I hope that whatever they have in the works isn't dependant on the Internet.