"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote

| When I heard about it - I think someone posted about it, probably in the
| XP 'group - I went and got it (about three CD images, IIRR), though
| never having bought the software, and I don't _think_ I remember being
| asked for such info - certainly nothing I wasn't able to give at the
| time, and I haven't been bombarded since. (I think there may have been
| _one_ "would you like to update" email, but I'm not even sure of that.)
| FWIW, I've never actually installed the SW. There _was_ at the time I
| downloaded some statement that it _was_ only for people who'd bought it.
|

It sounds like you downloaded later, after they required
that you "register". When I saw it I checked it all out and
there were no restrictions. The terms said it could only be
used if it were obtained from Adobe. In other words, no
redistribution allowed. That was it. There was no registration.
No email address required. Just download links and keys.
So the later change was like mechanic's example: They
gave away free cars and then later issued a disclaimer
saying that it's only free to people who've already paid
for it.

That's why I concluded that the whole thing was a marketing
ploy gone bad. I wouldn't expect Adobe to care about old
customers who'd lost their keys. They can call up in that
case to get a new key, if they'd registered. And I have no reason
to think there's any kind-heartedness going on within Adobe's
walls. As Bill Gates said about the Chinese: "If they're going
to steal software I want them to at least steal our software.
We'll get them to pay later."

I have a brother who got PS4 with a scanner and then went
to buy the PS5 update. They refused him because he had
entered the company he worked for when he'd registered.
They took that to mean the software belonged to the company
and not him. Even though the company, of course, hadn't
bought an update with that particular key. He ended up
having to get a letter from his former boss, saying the
software was his, before they'd let him buy the update.
Their whole attitude was petty, greedy and entirely unjustified.
He had registered the product in his name.

(There' a lesson the Never, ever, enter a company
name if you register software.)