Activation and Adobe LM Service

RM
Posted By
Rick_Murphy
Apr 1, 2004
Views
764
Replies
5
Status
Closed
Adobe PhotoShop CS is another quality program from Adobe. I can understand the reasons behind activation: protect intellectual rights, help prevent piracy, prevents corporations from using a single disk for multiple machines, and so on. What I have a problem with is Adobe LM.

I have a laptop that I use as my primary machine, so I like to go through the Windows Services and disable any non-vital services – like Index service, system restore, and so on. The savings are increased memory allocation. While looking at the services, I discoverd Adobe LM. After some research, I learned that Adobe LM starts as PhotoShop starts, then turns off once loaded. I also discovered that this service cannot be disabled! When PhotoShop is opened again, this service simply resets to ‘manual.’

I am assuming that this service is a "phone home" type program that verifies that the copy of PhotoShop is legal. I also assume that if Adobe discovers that this system is on 3 machines (if a customer calls to say that a machine has been upgraed for example, but in reality there is a third machine), the program might refuse to start.

I have some major issues with this:

1. A good business relation is also based on trust. If Adobe does not trust their customers by implementing this Adobe LM, then have Adobe make a statement that says there is no trust.

2. In my book, any service that starts without knowledge, or cannot be disabled is SpyWare. I do not like having a policeman in my computer.

I want to make it clear that I fully support activation. I use Windows XP and Office 2003, and the activation schemes do not bother me one bit. I also know that there are no services of Microsoft that verify legallity (at least in the services listed).

If I am incorrect in the methodology of Adobe LM Service, please let me know. I am hoping this service is not what I think it is. But I think it is important to be made aware of its existence. There is freedom of information in the US, and something that affects the customer should be made public, or at least available.

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L
LenHewitt
Apr 1, 2004
Rick,

Photoshop CS doesn’t ‘phone home’. It does not require or use an internet connection unless you tell it to do so to register or activate.

As I understand it, the License Manager checks that the activation code on the HDD and compares to the entry in the registry.
RM
Rick_Murphy
Apr 1, 2004
Thanks for the prompt reply.

"As I understand it, the License Manager checks that the activation code on the HDD and compares to the entry in the registry."

That makes sense. I’ll go on to say that’s a pretty good idea.

Some of the forums I visited treated this as some major violation of privacy and control. One entry in this "other" forum expanded the conspiracy to say that "nothing will stop Adobe from altering the EULA and force users to rent the software in the furture." Another qouted "it is possible that using this service will force users to upgrade is Adobe wishes."

I am not those people. The main reason for the post is I want to know what the true nature of this is, and what you just said actually makes sense. In a way, that prevents a user from "ghosting" a drive as a way to avoid activation on another machine.

So is it safe to say that this service does not access the internet once activation is complete?
RL
Robert_Levine
Apr 1, 2004
So is it safe to say that this service does not access the internet once activation is complete?

Yes.

Bob
L
LenHewitt
Apr 1, 2004
Rick,

So is it safe to say that this service does not access the internet once
activation is complete?<<

Totally.
DM
dave_milbut
Apr 2, 2004
prevents corporations from using a single disk for multiple machines,

corporate doesn’t have to deal with activation. it stinks being just a "user" and not a "corporation". 🙂

As I understand it, the License Manager checks that the activation code on the HDD and compares to the entry in the registry.

I agree in principal with this, but still can’t fathom why it needs to continue running once I start photoshop. It’s just more processes eating resources. If they need it that bad it should be built right into the code, not run as three (!!!) seperate processes in addition to the main application.

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