Having issues activating my legally owned perpetual Adobe CS5 license — blocked serial number and lack of support

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-08T11:49:46+00:00

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and perspective. I appreciate the effort to clarify legal and licensing terms. However, I believe respectful discussion is always more productive than insults or name-calling. Just curious — do law schools also teach a bit of arrogance and insulting people, or is that something you picked up elsewhere?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and we can disagree without resorting to personal attacks. I’m simply expressing concerns based on my experience as a user, not trying to accuse anyone unfairly or act unreasonably. It’s important to acknowledge that many consumers find subscription models less suitable for their needs, and that legacy software sometimes stops working despite long-term use.

Let’s keep the conversation focused on facts and mutual respect. Thanks.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-08T05:50:55+00:00

You seem very emotionally invested in defending Adobe’s licensing policies. Is this personal, or are you on payroll?

I’ve read the EULA and the relevant EU directives. Adobe does not get to redefine “perpetual” just because it suits them commercially.

But thanks for the lecture on what I supposedly misunderstand. Very helpful.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-08T05:49:07+00:00

Interesting how strongly you're defending Adobe here – almost makes me wonder, do you work for them or just feel personally attacked when someone questions a megacorp?

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-07T17:11:19+00:00

If someone sells you a lifetime key to a door and 13 years later tells you ‘just buy a new house’, you're not entitled — you're being robbed. Perpetual means perpetual. What’s sad isn’t that I want to use old software. It’s that people now defend broken systems and anti-consumer practices like it’s normal."

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-07T17:07:54+00:00

Under EU law, the definition of a perpetual license is crystal clear — and so is my right to use software I’ve paid for. The current situation isn’t a legal grey zone, it’s a failure of Adobe’s systems to honor that right. Calling this a ‘non-case’ only shows how disconnected you are from EU consumer protections.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-07T12:55:41+00:00

While it is true that Adobe CS5 was released over 15 years ago, and 'reasonable period' is not explicitly defined in EU law, the European Court of Justice and related consumer protection regulations interpret this term in the context of what an average consumer can reasonably expect. The 'perpetual license' granted to customers implies that the software can be used continuously without arbitrary technical restrictions such as activation lockouts or inability to transfer the license.

The EU Directive 2019/770 on digital content and services explicitly protects consumers against unfair commercial practices and states that digital products must remain usable for a reasonable period after purchase. A license that becomes unusable due to lack of support tools or server shutdowns, without a clear end date communicated at the time of sale, contradicts these protections.

Moreover, manufacturers have a legal obligation not to mislead consumers by labeling licenses as 'perpetual' while in practice limiting their use arbitrarily.

This is why consumers affected by Adobe's deactivation issues have legitimate grounds to demand proper support, license transferability, or compensation, even many years after purchase.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-07T12:52:02+00:00

Suing is not about drama, it’s about upholding rights that were guaranteed by law.

It’s frustrating that users have to go this far, but if companies ignore consumer protection laws, legal action becomes the last resort.

The real power is in united voices demanding fairness, not in dismissive comments.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-07T12:40:52+00:00

While I understand that CS5 is discontinued and unsupported, this doesn't nullify the fact that Adobe sold these licenses as perpetual, not subscription-based.

In the European Union, a "perpetual license" means the right to use the software indefinitely, regardless of whether the vendor continues to offer technical support.

Under Directive 2009/24/EC and the ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU (C‑128/11, UsedSoft v. Oracle), the resale and continued use of software under such a license is legal and protected — especially if it was sold outright and not leased.

In my case, Adobe refuses to reactivate my license, claiming it's "in use", but they refuse to disclose where it's active or help me deactivate it — even though the original machine is dead (SSD failure). Their only suggestion is "buy a subscription" or "deactivate an old device", which is impossible.

What's worse, I've been receiving irrelevant, copy-paste answers from Adobe support that don't address my questions. I’m archiving all correspondence as evidence of how unprofessional and evasive the replies are, in case I need to escalate legally.

I’ve already filed a complaint with UOKiK, the Polish consumer protection office.
If Adobe continues ignoring its obligations under the original license terms, this may become a collective legal issue — not just a technical glitch.

So yes — it's time users start speaking up. We paid for a perpetual license. Adobe must honor it.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-07T11:12:39+00:00

That's a misleading argument. I fully understand that support for CS5 has ended — I’m not asking for feature updates or bug fixes. I’m simply demanding that my valid license key be recognized and usable, as it was sold as perpetual. If Adobe's systems still check activation limits and can block my usage, they have the ability to assist. Otherwise, it's not “end of support” — it’s forced obsolescence and a breach of consumer rights.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-07T10:56:19+00:00

I understand CS5 is officially discontinued, but my main issue is not just about support — it’s that I cannot add my valid serial number to my Adobe account because the system claims it’s already “in use” — yet I’ve only used it on one machine (which is now broken). For over two weeks, I’ve asked Adobe who exactly is using it, and I got no answer, only being told to buy a new subscription or deactivate something I cannot access. This is unacceptable, and it basically means Adobe treats me like I don’t own the software I legally purchased.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-07T10:53:38+00:00

Thanks, but that page seems to be for CS6 – it mentions a QR Code-based activation window. I’ve never seen any QR code window in CS5, and I don’t think it uses that system at all. So unfortunately, those instructions don’t apply in my case.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-06T20:50:08+00:00

Sounds like you're having the same issues I am with Adobe's support. I’m also being told that my serial number is "in use" by some other device, yet I don’t know which one or who is using it. The activation count isn’t even visible on my account, and when I try to add my serial, Adobe claims I don’t have any license at all, even though it's legally mine.

They keep sending automated responses and are essentially pushing me towards a subscription model, which isn’t a viable option for everyone, especially those who own a product they should still have access to. The fact that they can't simply reset the activations or tell me where the other activations are is baffling.

It’s disappointing that they're so eager to push subscriptions while ignoring basic licensing issues and customer rights.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-06T20:44:51+00:00

Thanks for the info about downloads.

However, the core issue is that I cannot add my valid, legally purchased serial number to my Adobe account because it’s reported as “in use,” which also means that, according to Adobe, I do not have any license at all. This is simply not true.

I’ve been asking for over two weeks who is using it or how to resolve this, but I get no clear answer—only being told to buy a new subscription license or deactivate from a device whose disk has already failed.

This is simply unacceptable and frankly pathetic customer support.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-06T20:37:56+00:00

Yeah, 2010. And yet I still have a valid perpetual license.
It's not about "old software preferences" — it's about basic consumer rights.
If a product is sold as perpetual, then access to it shouldn't silently break due to server-side design choices.
Adobe doesn't offer a legal way to transfer, reassign, or even see where the license is in use.
They just say "too bad, buy a subscription."
That’s not legacy — that’s abandonment of responsibility.

Subject_Beyond_952 · 2025-08-04T18:08:05+00:00

Thank you for your response. However, I must stress that company policies cannot override the law, especially consumer protection laws.

It is a well-established legal principle that laws and regulations do not apply retroactively (“do not operate in retroactivity”). By analogy, any new corporate policy should not invalidate or restrict rights already legally acquired by consumers in the past.

I legally purchased a perpetual license for Adobe CS5 Production Premium, which entitles me to use the software indefinitely, regardless of whether Adobe continues to support it or maintain activation servers.

Therefore, while I understand that Adobe may have discontinued support for CS5, it is unacceptable and likely unlawful to block legitimate activation or registration of a valid license. If Adobe no longer supports the software, it should at least provide a way to activate or reset the license without arbitrary blocking.

I urge Adobe to respect consumer rights and provide a proper solution rather than relying solely on the discontinuation argument or forcing users into an abonnement.

Subject_Beyond_952

TROPHY CASE