I need to buy Creative Suite and the $1,200 for the retail version is a big chunk of change. I have seen OEM versions for $300 that don’t come with manuals or technical support.
I know nothing about OEM software and this seems too good to be true. I checked Adobe’s site and they have little info. Is this software legit? I have read on the Web that Adobe doesn’t have OEM versions of some of their software. Is this true? I don’t need manuals or technical support and saving 75% of the cost would be better for my budget.
If software is real and legal, can anyone make a vendor recommendation?
suspect but dont know that these are pirate versions. see them on eBay all the time. why not contact Adobe and ask? if you do and get an answer, please post. you and i are probly not alone wondering if those are legit.
I called Adobe. They said OEM versions of Creative Suite are legit. They weren’t enthusiastic about telling me about OEM software and wouldn’t tell me directly who was an authorized OEM reseller (have to search their site with a list of thousands of resellers).
This is from a Google ad when you search Adobe OEM software.
Q: What exactly is OEM software?
A: OEM generally means “original equipment manufacturer.” Sometimes it is referred to as “open-ended market” or “bulk-pack,” “white box,” “brown box,” and “bundled.” Almost all software vendors make two versions of the same product. One is the retail boxed products sold mainly through retailers. The second one is the OEM products which are sold mainly to system builders, such as Compaq and Dell (the OEMs). These bulk-pack products do not have fancy packaging and are produced in much higher volume.
Q: Is it legal to sell OEM / CD Only software?
A: Many of the software companies would like you to believe the answer is NO and often attempt to scare customers by placing text on the CD that says, for example; “For distribution with a new PC only” or something to that effect, but rest assured it is in fact legal to purchase OEM software. The truth is that the First Sale Doctrine protects our right, as well as yours to sell OEM / CD Only software.
I don’t need tech support or manuals (there are .pdf files of manuals on the discs) and $200-$300 is much better than $1,100-$1,200. Any thoughts, warnings or advice?
interesting. and thanks. but as i think more about it, i’m not surprised at OEM versions. but unsure how to tell difference between legit and pirated. seems like ALOT of OEM on eBay. but Adobe response is telling.
only thing i can suggest is buy from big fish. if eBay seller, look for feedback and sales numbers. and must come unregistered/sealed. if net software reseller, might check if they’re in same country as you (buyer). or have good rep. might post names of companies. i’ve done some business online. mostly good names like Newegg and ZipZoomFly. few others. i always check out their location. and who registered the website for location. at least if in U.S. i have some options.
I have got the story. I hit the web to find adobe oem resellers. I came across [edit - company name removed - ykh] from an ad at Google. There are a lot of other oem resellers but this one advertised Creative Suite (version 1.1) for $200, other vendors were $300-$600. I was shocked at the price and before you read any further, I do not endorse or object anything regarding this company, I am only telling a story.
So what tipped me over the edge was the fact that they have been in business for over 3 years in the US and haven’t been shut down. Companies will go after software piracy. I also figured I am paying with a credit card with all sorts of buyer protection, I can always refuse the charge.
So I bought Creative Suite and it came today. I have loaded it and went through the activation process and everything seems to work like it is supposed to. I have heard of Creative Suite bogging down after time and I will post any future problems. OTHerwise I am crossing my fingers and working on nearly the latest and greatest software Adobe has to offer (if I want, I can upgrade to Acrobat 7.0 but it isn’t worth it to me). They changed the icons, cool.
appears if you dont already own the software, your copies are illegal. from the vendor’s Terms of Service -
You understand that in order for to make you a copy (OEM) of any software, you acknowledge that you are the legal owner of this same software, and are looking to just make a new copy (OEM) for archival (backup) purposes only.
you bought a “backup” copy (aka OEM) and risked credit card fraud/identity theft for something you already owned? i’m confused.
for anyone reading this thread and iab’s linked thread, be aware most likely these companies are not selling “OEM” disks. they’re selling what they CALL “OEM” disks when its really a service of duplicating a disk for you… of something you claim (by ordering from them) that you already own. read the terms of service carefully. Adobe CAN’T legally stop this (apparently).
be aware that if you register the product, it’s possible you’ve identified yourself to Adobe as using illegal software. the net connection will give them alot of information on you. be careful.
I purchased an OEM copy of Autocad 2004. It works fine, no regret’s. If you know the software the book is just gonna sit in the box and take up space anyway. With OEM copies i believe you are not able to get technical support either.
“I purchased an OEM copy of Autocad 2004. It works fine, no regret’s. If you know the software the book is just gonna sit in the box and take up space anyway. With OEM copies i believe you are not able to get technical support either.”
except in this case, this IS NOT “OEM” software as most people understand it. it’s just a copy of something you (the buyer) claims to already have purchased a license for. it’s a word game. suggest you read the Terms again to ensure your AutoCAD is legit.
Sorry for the brevity of my last post, I was needed elsewhere. I bought a computer from a reseller on ebay. Creative Suite was bundled as a “bonus”. It did not come with any back-up discs for the software, only for the OS. I never registered with Adobe the software on the computer (my mistake). The adware then really froze up my system and my geek friend reformatted the drive and all was lost. I do have Illustrator 9 and Photoshop 6 on a disc but I like Acrobat and GoLive. I wanted this software for my home computer and this oem stuff seemed to be legit. The work I do on the home computer is usually doing things like the corporate ID and ads for the woman who cuts my hair (now I get free haircuts), or develop concepts for my furniture making hobby. I am no lawyer but I don’t think I have done anything illegal and from an ethical stance, I certainly can sleep at night.
“bundled” on an eBay machine? not sure what that means. tbh sounds like someone selling a PC but “enhancing” it by loading copies of their(?) software. did you get registration numbers for CS w the PC? my first PC was sent to me w OS pre-installed and i got discs, etc. is that not done normally? honestly don’t know. i build my own and install everything from scratch.
I don’t recall if I got registration numbers, I bought it over a year ago and threw-away the packaging (I am not a pack-rat, I pitch (recycle) eveything). I bought the computer for the computer, not the software and I usually do what you do, install from scratch. That’s why I never register anything, I have the discs and I don’t need any more spam. The reseller had a very good feedback rating (important to me with a big ticket item like a computer). It seems on ebay there are many computer resellers who buy in bulk from Dell, HP, etc. and add in different software packages and sell at a discount because they are buying in bulk. I bought it in good faith and have no reason to suspect otherwise.
you may have no reason to doubt seller integrity but i’m hearing you bought PC on eBay. came pre-installed w expensive software. but apparently no registration numbers or disks. then bought expensive backups (aka OEM) from scammer and used THOSE numbers to register. numbers which probly didnt come from Adobe since all he’s supposed to sell is “backups”. i get that right?
Just read about a guy in Florida who got six years prison time for selling illegal copies. Company name rang a bell. Location rang a bell. Pretty sure this is the same company (last paragraph of Wired news).
I would like to know if we can post links to software found on the Internet here, or is that against the forum’s rules?
Reason being, I have found Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional for $64.95. It is a direct download from the site.
Does anyone know anything about this? Once this is downloaded and installed could you then buy the upgrade for Adobe Acrobat 8.0 Professional from Adobe and over write 7.0?