Hi,
I’m a Lotus Notes Developer and I downloaded ‘60 day trial version for Domino 8’. The trial period has passed and now I’m blocked to access Notes. I know that you can purchase a license but is a kind of steep. I don’t need a production version. Just Notes Client and Designer would be fine.
In previous releases (e.g. 6.5) I was able to use Notes after the trial period has passed.
Do you know any legal workaround? Any suggestions or solutions will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Calin
Subject: Notes Designer Cost
I was going to try and refute your assertion that Notes Client + Designer costs too much but I’ve had a look at our records.
This year, purchase of an additional Designer Client Licence (including 12 months maintenance) will cost $1201.20 (About 1141.52 AUD without Maintenance).
By comparison, the full version of MS Office 2007 Professional is $759, Sharepoint Designer is $469, Microsoft SQL Server Workgroup Edition 2005 with 5 Client is $1,219 and Microsoft Project Professional 2007 (the most expensive MS licence) is $1,529
So I guess you have a point.
Subject: So you are asking for the free legal version of the illegal thing you did for years?
Continuing to use a 60 day trial for whatever use beyond this point can’t be all right, can it?
Actually, if you have an active official User.id (ad your boss) I thinkt it was legal at all times to use it at home, too (whith exactly the same versions your boss is allowed to use them).
Anyhow, if you are asking for a temporary trial time usage of Notes + Designer for testing only, I would go to 8.5 Beta now (during the week there should be Beta 2).
Subject: Did use previous trial release but not illegally!
Thanks for your input but I had to disagree with your insinuation about illegal use.There is nothing explicit or implicit that says that if you download the trial version you are going to buy the product.
I think in previous releases Notes deliberately let you use on your workstation a trial version after trial ended. This might have been one reason why Notes became so popular and brought to it so many new developers.
I think the latest action by Notes to block the trial version might have the result of some developers (especially the beginners) move from Notes maybe to Sharepoint…
Subject: Now I think you are mixing potential wise marketing movements with legal use.
A free 60 day trial licence is illegal on day 61 - as least if you did not get a licence on some other way, period.
It’s kind of like parking at a place where one is not supposed to - it might cause harm but it may not, too. One might get punished for doing so, or this could be never found out or ignored by those having the right to enforce one not doing so. In some cases, it might actually do some good, too. - Still it is not illegal parking, and not getting a ticket is not enough to prove it was allright - or even legal.
At least this side of the pont it works that way.