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Design Software Giants Target the Unemployed

Posted by kdawson on from the got-designs-on-you dept.

avishere writes "People are losing their jobs, but for some execs the economic meltdown seems like the perfect time to get their software into the hands of those who can't afford their multi-thousand-dollar price tags. Software giants Autodesk and SolidWorks have each latched onto the worst-economic-disaster-since-the-Great-Depression meme and released free versions of their flagship computer-aided-design brands before their potential users are forced to sell their laptops on Craigslist. 'In these uncertain economic times,' Autodesk coos sympathetically, it will give away temporary licenses of AutoCAD and other software to those unemployed in the fields of architecture, engineering, and design. (They are also developing a Mac version, two decades after abandoning the platform.) SolidWorks was quick to respond with its subtly titled Engineering Stimulus Package. So if anyone out there has their weekdays free, jumpstart your hardware and design projects for cheap. Legally, too."

6 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. how about that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's actually cost effective to freely distribute your software to people who want to learn it.

    It's like someone figured out that someone will eventually pay for a license for software you are good at using.

    1. Re:how about that by th1nk · · Score: 5, Informative

      Autodesk have been thought to do this for years already on the warez scene.

      Autodesk are thought to have released their own cracks...

      I don't know the validity of your statement, but I do know that they are quick to send their lawyers out if they think you are profiting with a pirated copy of their software.

      I set up a website about 7 years ago when I was working for myself as a mechanical design engineer. The website showed some examples of my work created in AutoCAD, among other software packages. A few months after it went live I received a very threatening certified letter from a group of lawyers representing AutoCAD saying that they had no record of my company purchasing a license for AutoCAD. At that time I did not own a legitimate copy of AutoCAD. I wrote a letter back stating that the examples were created using a legitimate copy, that I was not currently using AutoCAD and that I would remove any references to it on my website if they wished. They then said that was cool and never pursued it again.

  2. Four words I am damn sick of hearing in sequence by Tetsujin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "These uncertain economic times"

    I'm tired of hearing it. It's like the PR tool's qualifier for everything.

    --
    Bow-ties are cool.
  3. Re:Four words I am damn sick of hearing in sequenc by Chabo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No kidding.

    Maybe if people stopped calling these "economic times" "uncertain", then they'd stabilize!

    --
    Convert FLACs to a portable format with FlacSquisher
  4. Re:Four words I am damn sick of hearing in sequenc by JanneM · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe if people stopped calling these "economic times" "uncertain", then they'd stabilize!

    And maybe if they stopped calling these times "economic" all money would disappear!

    Sorry.

    --
    Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
  5. Re:What this really means by igloonaut · · Score: 5, Funny

    [My english is better than most other people's german, so please point out mistakes politely. Thank you.]

    Good afternoon! I believe German should be capitalized if you please.

    --
    Kirkland Signature