So you are expecting to pay for an upgrade and basically run 2 copies after that? Is that the gist of what you are saying you should be allowed to do and are upset that the license agreement says otherwise?
Well, I can partially see your point there because there is nothing stopping you to have one standalone computer loaded with the old version using a dongle as the licensing agent,
all the while you can have a second machine, on which the fully legal current version resides which is licensed through the web.
Now, a few caveats:
ADSK-s prior licensing agreement allowed a valid license holder to:
a: Have the current version, and up-to three prior releases installed on the same computer
b: In addition to the primary license, you were allowed to have a "home" seat activated under the same license.
Also.
Up-to the acquisition of Delcam, FC was either licensed through a hardware dongle, OR a license server.
So, for those who had a dongle based version, it was in fact their De-Facto license. Period, The End.
Now that ADSK switched FC to a web based licensing method, current and future versions no longer care about, nor can possibly check for a valid dongle.
So, as a result with the current licensing agreement, ADSK is:
a: Revoking your previous right to install, run, use, have-at-hand etc. any versions that are not current.
b: They are attempting to confiscate all otherwise "your" property by demanding the return or destruction of a dongle.
( dongle being a piece of hardware, and as previously stated, license )
Tell me how is this different than say going to lease a new Ford truck, pay the lease price as asked, and then be forced to return or run off the cliff the one you have within 90 days?
As a secondary caveat.
If you choose to be on maintenance for the purposes of having the latest, most complete, up-to-date version of the software to have at your disposal at all times, it means
that you need or want those features offered, AND that you also plan to support further developments.
In the process, you also accept the fact that none of your older versions be able to read, use, access or modify the data created by the upgraded, current versions.
Which means - that for all intents and purposes - having an older version side-by-side the current one is useless for anything other than finding out what they've
fucked up in the upgraded "new and improved" version, OR ( as it's often the case with ADSK ) what piece of software you no longer have access, or the right to use.
version