Acad 2005 Locks to Hardware

In 1986, Autodesk attempted and then gave up trying to lock AutoCAD v2.5 in North America. Nearly 18 years later, the company is trying again.

With AutoCAD 2005, Autodesk re-introduces locked software to North America. This follows several releases of mandatory registration, and use of the software lock in international markets.

Autodesk feels it has sufficient experience with software locks on international editions of AutoCAD that it can now brave its home market. Autodesk feels the benefits will be: higher revenues from reduced "casual copying";and one codestream, instead of separate locked and unlocked versions.

Update:
Autodesk describes activation at its Product Activation Web site. Some facts gleaned from there:

* Product activation occurs invisibly when you register over the Internet. AutoCAD sends a 64-bit number based on the hardware in your computer.
* If you format the hard drive or significantly change the primary boot disk, you have to re-activate.
* You can install AutoCAD 2005 on two computers.
* There is a Portable License Utility that lets you run AutoCAD on other computers, transferring the licence from machine to machine.

Comments

[Shaan Hurley]

Actually you can simply re-authorize in seconds online and be back and running. The system does allow for a few authorizations to account for home use or system issues.

Cheers,
-Shaan
http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/

[Shawn]

Sounds like SELECT Server and MicroStation licensing to me...

[Shaan Hurley]

For more detailed information and feedback or questions see:
http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2004/02/product_activat.html
&
http://www.autodesk.com/activation