Filmora Just CANCELLED our Lifetime Licenses?

Tufargon · Jan 2, 2023

I don't know if anyone has noticed this but the newest update to version 12 wanted us to pay extra even if we had a lifetime license.
I've been following Daniel Batal's information on this. He was/is? an embassador of the software so they paid him for his tutorials in which he made hundreds. Then they dinged him on Youtube for speaking out basically. Long story short is if you paid for the update to 12 you can get refunded if you contact them. It's a crazy coaster ride for Filmora on what they tried to do. I personally decided to get my refund for 12 as they recently stated that they would honor the lifetime memberships that they refused to do a week or two ago. I'll probably be downloading and trying to learn Davinci Resolve.
Daniel's Youtube channel is here and he explains it all in his last few videos.

https://www.youtube.com/@Daniel_Batal/videos

rcourtney671 · Jan 3, 2023

Likewise, I subscribe to Daniel's YouTube channel and have been following the Wondershare/Filmora saga. The last post I watched on Daniel's channel had promising news for those holding a lifetime license. He indicates Filmora has heard the cry of the masses and should be announcing a 30-day offer to lifetime licensee's that paid for the Filmora 12 "update" and/or "upgrade" (whichever they're calling it). It sounds like Wondershare/Filmora admits or concedes that this upgrade/update falls within the "lifetime license" perimeters and should be offered without charge. The dust has not settled yet so, I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens next. Meanwhile, I have already downloaded DaVinci Resolve 18 and started learning how to use it. So far, I'm liking DaVinci Resolve 18 but the learning curve is a bit steep.

Tufargon · Jan 3, 2023

In his second to last video I msg'ed him saying that I think we got through because I had went to their website and went on chat support. I simply asked them why I had to pay since I had a lifetime license and they immediately said that I was going to get a refund within 2 weeks. On their facebook page they tried to say that "we" were confused about the agreement. There was no confusion, they changed the agreement over time and didn't send notice to anyone. They were obviously planning this for a while and it back fired bad. It has definately cost them a lot of customers and the trust will be hard to get back with those who will stick with them after this fiasco.

Tufargon · Jan 3, 2023

Looks like they eased off him and reversed the copyright issue.

vindibona1 · Jan 3, 2023

There's always Davinci Resolve. Just sayin'.

Tufargon · Jan 3, 2023

vindibona1 said:
There's always Davinci Resolve. Just sayin'.

Yes, and that was mentioned in the first two posts. This is more about what Wondershare/Filmora did or tried to do to it's loyal members and their brand embassador.

SkyeHigh · Jan 3, 2023

Tufargon said:
Yes, and that was mentioned in the first two posts. This is more about what Wondershare/Filmora did or tried to do to it's loyal members and their brand embassador.

Interesting that their website is showing a perpetual license for the latest version when they are not honouring previous users. Wouldn’t trust them one bit.

SkyeHigh · Jan 4, 2023

Tufargon said:
Yes, and that was mentioned in the first two posts. This is more about what Wondershare/Filmora did or tried to do to it's loyal members and their brand embassador.

Just read through their EULA (who does that these days!) and it basically says the license exists until terminated. If it is terminated, they will notify registered users in writing. So if there was no contact then they have breached their own licence agreement and you should have a right… except, unless the original agreement stated lifetime includes all future releases then it’s buyer beware.

With subscription options becoming the norm I would expect a change in the licence term of ‘lifetime’ or the developer to kill an existing product and release a ‘new’ version that gets around having to comply with a previous EULA. Even if the only change is a new interface, which by coincidence is what Wondershare are stating with the latest release.

Kilrah · Jan 4, 2023

Louis Rossmann has a video on how the company's also shady/deceptive about their some of their other software.

vindibona1 · Jan 4, 2023

SkyeHigh said:
Just read through their EULA (who does that these days!) and it basically says the license exists until terminated. If it is terminated, they will notify registered users in writing. So if there was no contact then they have breached their own licence agreement and you should have a right… except, unless the original agreement stated lifetime includes all future releases then it’s buyer beware.

With subscription options becoming the norm I would expect a change in the licence term of ‘lifetime’ or the developer to kill an existing product and release a ‘new’ version that gets around having to comply with a previous EULA. Even if the only change is a new interface, which by coincidence is what Wondershare are stating with the latest release.

EULAs are so verbose and complicated and we all know that few people read them. I wish laws were passed with more user friendly guidelines that limit what can be included and limiting legal jargon. Even if we read it can we really understand the nuances of them or some of the terms and restrictions buried in the length?

Tufargon · Jan 4, 2023

SkyeHigh said:
Interesting that their website is showing a perpetual license for the latest version when they are not honouring previous users. Wouldn’t trust them one bit.

They kinda stepped back from that since Daniel made all those videos. Now, they're honouring the lifetime users and saying they will refund anyone who paid for the update but I think you have to contact them to get it. But still yeah, it was super shady what they did and changing the user license over time thinking nobody would notice is super duper shady.

vindibona1 · Jan 4, 2023

@Tufargon It does not build good customer relations.
You know who did a similary thing? ADOBE!
When Photoshop got to version CS3 I paid a lot of money for it. While I know since then there have been lots of new features, etc. But you know what? On CS3 if I could think it I could do it. I didn't need any upgrades. So I had a disc and a serialized license that needed to be "activated". They had an online activation site as well as manual activation. And if those failed they could activate via customer support. ADOBE TOOK ALL OF THOSE ACTIVATION PORTALS DOWN so if one upgraded a computer the software was dead in the water as it could/can no longer be activated. The license never had an expiration stated. Adobe just counted on people paying to upgrade for the newer versions... until they figured out they could put together a scheme for "forced upgrades/updates", whether you needed them or not.

As you know, Adobe no longer SELLS a "version" of their software, but "RENTS" it out with subscriptions which pick our pockets every month. I was semi-retired, and covid made me fully retired, yet Adobe dings my credit card $10/mo for Photoshop and Lightroom (I never use Lightroom. I use On1 Raw instead) even if I don't use Photoshp at all. And if one thinks $10/mo ($120/yr) for Photoshop is something, Premier is something else, especially when you compare its features to Davinci Resolve... and you know how much it costs to get fully started with DR!

Tufargon · Jan 4, 2023

vindibona1 said:
@Tufargon It does not build good customer relations.
You know who did a similary thing? ADOBE!
When Photoshop got to version CS3 I paid a lot of money for it. While I know since then there have been lots of new features, etc. But you know what? On CS3 if I could think it I could do it. I didn't need any upgrades. So I had a disc and a serialized license that needed to be "activated". They had an online activation site as well as manual activation. And if those failed they could activate via customer support. ADOBE TOOK ALL OF THOSE ACTIVATION PORTALS DOWN so if one upgraded a computer the software was dead in the water as it could/can no longer be activated. The license never had an expiration stated. Adobe just counted on people paying to upgrade for the newer versions... until they figured out they could put together a scheme for "forced upgrades/updates", whether you needed them or not.

As you know, Adobe no longer SELLS a "version" of their software, but "RENTS" it out with subscriptions which pick our pockets every month. I was semi-retired, and covid made me fully retired, yet Adobe dings my credit card $10/mo for Photoshop and Lightroom (I never use Lightroom. I use On1 Raw instead) even if I don't use Photoshp at all. And if one thinks $10/mo ($120/yr) for Photoshop is something, Premier is something else, especially when you compare its features to Davinci Resolve... and you know how much it costs to get fully started with DR!

It's all about greed plain and simple. There is no other reason. Just a shame companies do this and for the most part get away with it.

mucek · Jan 4, 2023

Not sure about Filmora (don't know it at all

) but with lots of (expensive!) professional software I am using (Altium Designer, SolidWorks ...) you "buy" the product, but you must still pay subscription, if you want to receive updates and upgrades.

I.e. You buy Altium 22 for 10k and you can use it forever. But if you want upgrades you shall additionaly to main licence pay annual subscription (2k).

Regards, G

Tufargon · Jan 4, 2023

mucek said:
Not sure about Filmora (don't know it at all ) but with lots of (expensive!) professional software I am using (Altium Designer, SolidWorks ...) you "buy" the product, but you must still pay subscription, if you want to receive updates and upgrades.

I.e. You buy Altium 22 for 10k and you can use it forever. But if you want upgrades you shall additionaly to main licence pay annual subscription (2k).

Regards, G

I'm sure with those it was all in the original agreement on purchase. But holy moly that's expensive!!

gnbrotz · Jan 4, 2023

Assuming everyone who is due gets their refund, has there been any talk about getting anyone still using 11.x stepped up, per the "lifetime" agreement?

I do see that the current pricing page says that "perpetual" includes updates for 12 only.

I also used the internet "Wayback machine" to find a page that was captured 2 days before my purchase (just this past July). Interestingly, it also notes "Filmora 11 updates only", so that seems to indicate that perhaps buyers didn't pay very close attention, and relied on the word "perpetual", which would be technically accurate so long as they continue to have access to the version they purchased.

Tufargon · Jan 4, 2023

gnbrotz said:
Assuming everyone who is due gets their refund, has there been any talk about getting anyone still using 11.x stepped up, per the "lifetime" agreement?

I do see that the current pricing page says that "perpetual" includes updates for 12 only.

I also used the internet "Wayback machine" to find a page that was captured 2 days before my purchase (just this past July). Interestingly, it also notes "Filmora 11 updates only", so that seems to indicate that perhaps buyers didn't pay very close attention, and relied on the word "perpetual", which would be technically accurate so long as they continue to have access to the version they purchased.

Daniel goes into detail about that in his video.

ZenMatt · Jan 7, 2023

vindibona1 said:
yet Adobe dings my credit card $10/mo for Photoshop and Lightroom (I never use Lightroom. I use On1 Raw instead) even if I don't use Photoshp at all.

So cancel? Look into Affinity Photo.

fredlaw · Jan 7, 2023

They made an error in judgement but have rectified it Filmora is a great product I have used it for years and will continue to do so. To err is human to forgive is divine.

Tufargon · Jan 7, 2023

fredlaw said:
They made an error in judgement but have rectified it Filmora is a great product I have used it for years and will continue to do so. To err is human to forgive is divine.

I agree with "to err is human to forgive is divine" but this was intentional. I'll still use the product because I like it but it will take a while to get my full trust back.