Inconsistencies in Corel licenses

[GmMe]

I follow a previous post (which also mentioned about Corel licenses) to try to deepen the issue.
About: how many times can you download and install a SW product?
Each version of "license" affirms different things with conflicting inconsistencies, I have already repeatedly asked Customer Support for certain information but the answer given to me and reconfirmed is "Paint Shop pro is a software that allows installation on two devices with the same user (scenario: desktop PC at work and laptop at home) but can only be used on one device at a time, so if installed in two PCs in a studio, it can be used only on one, alternating them. "
In the face of my insistence supported by the different versions in my possession, they invited me to write to the legal department (legal@corel.com), I did it but they do not answer!
Unfortunately, from Italy the assistance is very poor (I would say very bad, you have better experiences?), it is only possible via e-mail to which they respond evasively in a very laconic way, it is not accessible either chat or IT call center telephone.
Can someone, from a better supported country, manages to have precise and unambiguous clarifications?
In order to frame the incongruities I report extracts from EULA PSP in my possession, they are in Italian, so I also highlight the "logical" translation.

from the Corel website (http://www.corel.com/it/eula/):
A ECCEZIONE DEI PRODOTTI COREL ELENCATI DI SEGUITO, È POSSIBILE SCARICARE E INSTALLARE IL SOFTWARE SU UN SOLO DISPOSITIVO DI ELABORAZIONE. ....
GLI UTENTI RESIDENTI IN CINA, ... PRIVATI E BUSINESS DI ... PAINTSHOP PRO, ... CHE POSSIEDONO PIÙ DISPOSITIVI (AD ESEMPIO, UN COMPUTER INDIPENDENTE, UN LAPTOP E UN MINI PC/PORTATILE), POSSONO SCARICARE E INSTALLARE QUESTI PRODOTTI SOFTWARE SU UN MASSIMO DI TRE (3) SISTEMI PER SINGOLO INDIRIZZO.
>>> my notes:
- "A ECCEZIONE ..." in IT means "excluding the products listed below, you can download and install the sw on only one device."
- "GLI UTENTI RESIDENTI IN ..." means "(ONLY) users residing in China etc. of ... PaintshopPro, ... can download and install these sw on a maximum of 3 systems for a single address"

from the PSPX8 INFO menu:
L'UTENTE PUÒ SCARICARE E UTILIZZARE IL SOFTWARE SU UN SOLO DISPOSITIVO DI ELABORAZIONE IN QUALSIASI MOMENTO. TUTTAVIA, IL SOFTWARE PUÒ ESSERE UTILIZZATO DALL'UTENTE SU UN (1) SISTEMA ALLA VOLTA. ....
>>> my notes:
- "L'UTENTE PUÒ SCARICARE E UTILIZZARE ..." means "The user can download and use the sw on one only device at any time"
- "TUTTAVIA ... SU UN (1) SISTEMA ALLA VOLTA", I do not know translated from what, but in IT "tuttavia" has meant "despite this", that is in opposition to the foregoing, and here it states "one only device" and immediately after "on one (1) system at a time", ergo I can have it on multiple devices but do not use it at the same time! but it is not said how many copies can be installed and there is no reference to exceptions for countries like China etc., having the possibility of 3 installations, as indicated in the EULA in the Corel site!

from the PSPX9 INFO menu:
A ECCEZIONE DEI PRODOTTI COREL E/O I PAESI ELENCATI DI SEGUITO, È POSSIBILE SCARICARE E INSTALLARE IL SOFTWARE SU UN SOLO DISPOSITIVO DI ELABORAZIONE. ....
TRANNE SE RESIDENTI IN CINA, ... GLI UTENTI PRIVATI E BUSINESS DI ... PAINTSHOP PRO, ... CHE POSSIEDONO PIÙ DISPOSITIVI (AD ESEMPIO, UN COMPUTER INDIPENDENTE, UN LAPTOP E UN MINI PC/PORTATILE), POSSONO SCARICARE E INSTALLARE QUESTI PRODOTTI SOFTWARE SU UN MASSIMO DI TRE (3) SISTEMI PER SINGOLO INDIRIZZO.
>>> my notes:
- first states "A ECCEZIONE ..." which means "excluding the products and/or the countries listed below ..." but then states the opposite "TRANNE SE RESIDENTI IN ..." which means ALL the users, except those residing in China etc., can install on 3 systems for a single address.

from the PSP2018 INFO menu:
TRANNE SE RESIDENTI IN CINA, .... GLI UTENTI PRIVATI E BUSINESS DI ... PAINTSHOP PRO, ...CHE POSSIEDONO PIÙ DISPOSITIVI ... POSSONO SCARICARE E INSTALLARE QUESTI PRODOTTI SOFTWARE SU UN MASSIMO DI TRE (3) SISTEMI PER SINGOLO INDIRIZZO.
>>> my notes:
- translated, it means: ALL users, except those residing in China etc., can install these products on a mximum of three (3) systems for a single address.

[JoeB]

I am going to suggest that most people take a practical approach to this issue and don't fret overly about the fine print

What Corel is trying to do is ensure that the license holder isn't sharing the software with others to use, even if only one person is using it at any one time. Hence the restriction on the number of computers it can be installed on. They are concerned - from a legal point of view - that if they were to license you to install it on as many computers as you like then you could effectively be allowing others to access and use the program, even if only one person at a time was using the program. That's not allowed because the license is only for the purchaser's use and nobody else.

For all practical purposes, then, if you are the license holder and you have access - AND ONLY YOU HAVE ACCESS, MAYBE BECAUSE ONLY YOUR PERSONAL PASSWORD CAN ACCESS IT - to your home desktop, your laptop, your tablet, a smartphone (if it can be installed there) and even a work computer to which only you have access, then if you install your software on all of those computers - despite what the license might say - then you haven't really gone against the intent of the license.

Remember, Corel isn't trying to limit how often - or from where - you, the purchaser, can use Paintshop Pro. That would be extremely poor customer relations, and no company goes out of their way deliberately to make it difficult for purchasers to use their product. As I said in a previous thread on this subject - and will repeat the gist here - the ONLY reason for the restrictions in the EULA is for Corel to be able to enforce, if necessary, their right to restrict use of one license to one person. They are not going to be concerned about a user who might install the software on more devices to which only the user has access and which then means that only the user will generally be able to access PSP.

I would bet the mortgage - if I had one - that there are many PSP users/purchasers who have it installed on more than two devices to which only they have access but which provide them the ability to use PSP from different locations.

Obsessing about this is not really all that useful, or healthy, IMHO.

[bruce1951]

Years ago I studied Business Law as a part of a commercial degree. Here's my bush lawyer take on this subject.

Corel has hired a law company to give it full protection. The law company has taken a very literal view and approach, as they should. As a result the law company has tried to cover all bases. Something that would be all but impossible to do. As a result you get a policy that has inconsistencies and loopholes.

Corel would be aware of some inconsistencies. But until such time when someone is obviously and blatantly trying to take advantage of their policy then they don't try to enforce the full letter of their policy.

If the 'average' user 'bends' the rules slightly I doubt Corel will stress too much. But if WE the users push the point then I'm sure Corel would step in. As they should.

Keep in mind the INTENT of Corels policy and all should be ok.

bruce

[hartpaul]

I have always understood it as follows-

For Paintshop Pro in all countries:

Rule1: One license = 1 computer + 1 use

If not in China, India, Indonesia or Vietnam:

Rule 2 : if you have three computers at your address, you may install on up to three computers.

Rule 3 : Any other questions Rule 1 applies.

I sometimes might compare PSP 2018 version 20.0.0.132 on a desktop with PSP 2018 version 20.2.0.1 operating at the same time - I need two licenses.

If I test PSP 2018 version 20.0.0.132 on a desktop then turn it off and test PSP 2018 version 20.2.0.1 with no other instance of PSP 2018 running at that time then I technically only need one licence.

I find it easier to purchase two licences and not worry.

[JoeB]

I find it easier to just not worry.

But as it is I only have two devices I use for image editing.

[GmMe]

What Corel is trying to do is ensure that the license holder isn't sharing the software with others to use, even if only one person is using it at any one time. Hence the restriction on the number of computers it can be installed on.

Well, it is logical, understandable, normal and customary the intent to protect themselves from "piracy", but this was not the meaning of the question, what I wanted to highlight are the different information and / or clauses included in the texts of the licenses.
Upon specific request by email, they answer 2 installations but in the various texts they say 1 or 3 (never 2):
- on PSPX8 it says only: "The user can download and use the sw on one only device at any time"
- on the Corel website it says: "excluding the products listed below (and PSP is listed), you can download and install the sw on only one device." but "users residing in China etc. can download and install these sw on a maximum of 3 systems for a single address"
- on PSPX9 it says: "excluding the products and/or the countries listed below, you can download and install the sw on only one device..." but then states "except those residing in China etc., can install on 3 systems for a single address" (the same statement is found on PSP2018 and it is exactly the opposite of what is said on the site).

Corel would be aware of some inconsistencies. But until such time when someone is obviously and blatantly trying to take advantage of their policy then they don't try to enforce the full letter of their policy.

The question is not to circumvent the rules, it is right to respect them, but they should be univocal and not contradictory, defined and identical wherever they are reported.

Summarizing: if I do NOT want to circumvent the rules,
- using PSPX8 i can install more copies provided you use one only at any time
- NOT residing in China etc. (alike me), I can install PSPX9 or PSP2018 on 3 systems for a single address, but the Corel site says the opposite.
Is this so in the English editions?

[JoeB]

I couldn't tell you. I don't read the EULA's. It just causes confusion, which seems to have been the effect on you. I just don't share my software with others and install it when and where I want to use it. A simple solution to the issue, and at my advanced age after multi years of software usage I've never had a moments unease about it nor have any software police come knocking at my door. Maybe I'm lacking a moral compass...?

[MikeFromMesa]

I have to also say that I had some confusion about the license terms, but did not worry about it too much as I currently have PSP installed only on the Windows VM on my Mac and one my wife's Windows computer. That much I am sure is OK and since I am generally a Mac user I have no other places to install PSP.

While the license does seem to me to be a bit confusing I just wanted to point out how much more lenient Corel is than, say, Adobe where you have to have an active login to your Adobe account to be allowed to run their software. So my (very old now) Photoshop app has to be logged into Adobe and that is how they enforce their license requirements. Fortunately Corel does not do the same thing.

[JoeB]

Agreed, Mike. In Adobe's defence - not something you hear a lot of from me - I suspect the reason for Adobe's tactic is that Photoshop, while of course used by many home users, is also the most predominant graphic editor used by professional shops. PSP, on the other hand, is likely not used much, if at all, in such shops but almost exclusively by home users. So Adobe's product license is more likely to be abused by at least some smaller pro shops (and perhaps some larger ones also) that might find multiple licenses too expensive for their budget given that they would likely have quite a few employees needing to use the program. Adobe probably doesn't have a greater percentage of home users than Corel has who would generally have the software installed on more than two (or at most 3) devices (therefore staying within the intent of the license), but they would definitely have a great percentage of professional users who need the software on multiple devices for multiple users, increasing the temptation to avoid the intent of the license. The Adobe home user just gets caught up in the situation. JMHO, of course.

[GmMe]

But the question is NOT the type of license or the tolerance with which Corel manages it.
What leaves us baffled is the discrepancy and contradictions between the different editions, and the reticence of customer support to clarify (they gave a still different version, answering 2 installations, number not foreseen in any printed edition).
I consider all this a useless and inexplicable complication: a single univocal text should be valid for all versions of the product. So everyone would know with certainty how to respect legality.

[hartpaul]

As you have mentioned, the Italian Eula from Corel has not been translated properly. Using translation software

Corel site says:

GLI UTENTI RESIDENTI IN CINA, INDIA, INDONESIA O VIETNAM
which does not mention those countries as exceptions when it should say:
ECCETTO SE SI TROVA IN CINA, INDIA, INDONESIA O VIETNAM

which does follow the english one of excepting those countries.

But looking at all the other english versions they are consistent in:

AT ANY TIME YOU MAY HAVE AS MANY COPIES OF THE SOFTWARE IN USE AS YOU HAVE LICENSES.
which is another way of saying:
the below agreement gives you permission to install and Use one (1) copy of this Software on one (1) computer or electronic device at any given time.

modified by :
... PRIVATE AND BUSINESS USERS ...THAT HAVE MULTIPLE COMPUTING DEVICES (E.G., STAND-ALONE COMPUTER, LAPTOP AND MINI/PORTABLE PC) MAY DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL ANY OF THESE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS ON UP TO THREE (3) SYSTEMS IN A SINGLE ADDRESS;

So one copy in action at any time with one licence, but if you have multiple devices at your address you can have it installed on three devices in total (again so long as only one device / program is used at a time.)

I do not see any problem with this and as for Corel customer service saying something different then unless it is in writing on their website that is as useless as a verbal agreement without any evidence.