I think they consider the blog post to be enough, and the grapevine will do the rest.

The most important thing they need to do is to remove the need to authorize new installs of whatever versions we already own.  Computers need replacing, and they need software reinstalled from time to time.  Even given a year, there's no way I can move my 2000+ Finale projects to Dorico, or even export them as XML "just in case."  If my PC goes to hell, suddenly all those documents are only retrievable with the help and grace of someone who's been luckier than I.

JEREMY LANDIG

Instead of giving your the ability to perpetually use your perpetual license, they are acting almost as if they have a perpetual license to us.  Complete with a Borland No-Nonsense License Agreement...

So...

They're going to loan us off to Steinberg for now.  Just a quick ride, across the Atlantic.

You see, in 2024... We don't own software.  Developers own us; and they get to trade and shuffle us around like collateral at will.

Give thanks.

(This is the most disrespectful way to do this, but they don't care because they aren't trying to retain any users.)

Nathaniel,

I'm too busy still fighting with the Lyrics Tool, and with getting ASIO to start up every time, to get into any of that area of outrage.  I'm sure there's merit to what you've said, but I'm not of a mind to spend any time dwelling on it.  

In a way, it's sort of a relief that they've finally decided to take great grandma off life support.

Neither am I.

Speaking it and dwelling on it are two different things.

My point is that when Adobe changed the licensing over to CC, they did the right thing and made sure CS2 users could perpetually install and activate their software.  They removed the activation requirement altogether.

When Cakewalk shut down, they kept the servers running.  Users can still download and activate their perpetual licenses.

This just comes across as treating users like property while masquerading it as a "great deal."

Anyone on macOS basically HAS to move over to Dorico (or Sibelius/MuseScore) otherwise the OS will kill the software off within the next 1-2 years - as it tends to do.  That, or they must buy a PC to gain access to a platform with functional forward compatibility within the next year and activate the license. Maybe even two, if they do any kind of travel.

This software has been on the market so long that there is considerable catalog of works locked in the Finale file format.  Just exporting all of that to MusicXML is going to require countless man-hours of manual labor.  To know this and procede with this exit strategy is beyond crazy.

The inability to register/use Finale on new computers in one year time is very troublesome. It will likely have to be challenged.

Your licenses will no longer be transferable come next August. As long as your computers work, Finale will. MusicXML 4 exports from Finale 27 open fairly well in Dorico 5 — can't say the reverse is true but that will become less of an issue over time.

I keep Encore going on a 2012 MacBook Pro running Mojave—became deadware in 2019 but development ceased years before. I know others using MOTU's long abandoned Professional Composer or Mosaic on G3 Macs.

Sorry but this just isn't the end of the world, IMO.

 It will likely have to be challenged.

Really? By whom to whom for what reason? 

anybody want to start a class action lawsuit?

MIKE HALLORAN

Challenged by us. We bought the product. It belongs to US! WE OWN IT! What finale is doing is basically revoking our ownership of the product by making it unusable. Its not like the product is broken and no one is left to fix it. Finale leadership broke it themselves. Abandonware exists and still works on old PCs. Preservation of software is something these people like you do not believe in. But we do! This software works and as long as it works and we own it, why take it our right to use it?

https://makemusic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/25910510828951/comments/25918826450583

That was a quick and successful challenge, I'd say. 

Yes, I was quite disgusted by the "bad luck folks, we're outta here" attitude of the previous announcement. Was great "thanks" after our loyalty to Finale for many, many years.

Alan Finck

Childish rant aside, you do not own the software. Period. You never did. You are granted a license under the terms of this ELUA that you agreed to before you used the software.It's five pages; perhaps you should read it. 

FINALE® END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

https://wpmedia.makemusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Finale-End_User_License_Agreement_v27.pdf 

Now that we have that out of the way, MakeMusic has backtracked a bit and granted two concessions to the user base.

Updates

8/27/2024 @ 5:30 PM ET:

Clarifications on the initial announcement

1.  Finale authorization will remain available indefinitely: Please note that future OS changes can still impact your ability to use Finale on new devices. 
2. Finale v27 to be included with Dorico Pro Crossgrades: We are currently working on a solution for all customers who have purchased or intend to purchase a Dorico Pro crossgrade to be able to download Finale v27. This will ensure that you can export your Finale files using MusicXML 4.0, the most robust version of MusicXML available. Thank you for your patience, we will provide more information soon.

 

If you still feel you need to file a suit, the courthouse is in Colorado. Again, this is in the ELUA. Good luck!

EULA's should be illegal. Luckily, Finale saw the error of their unethical ways.

Talking about the EULA - the relevant stipulation is that the product may be authorized on two computers concurrently. Setting the arbitrary deadline was not in accordance with the EULA. That is why there surely would have been a challenge, and also why they backtracked so quickly.

EULA's should be illegal.

When you get your law degree, please tell us all about that. Otherwise, Peaksware/MakeMusic could have just pulled the plug and walked away like so many others have over the years. They didn't. Instead, there were notices, a path forward and a statement that the license servers will be left on over a year. They did not have to any of this.

Talking about the EULA -

The Colorado courts went thataway. Good luck!