This will be the way most upper tier software will go soon. We already have no rights to any of our iPhones, Playstations and most other consumer electronics that are not already ladened with restrictions that essentially put the "owner" in the position of "renter" (in some instances almost as a "borrower") soon will be, nobody complained as we moved in that direction, nobody will complain now, Adobe will tell us it is all for our own good, so drink the punch an be happy... other companies will watch Adobe succeed and institute the same sort of policies... This is no bargain for the hobbyist, and when everyone switches to this model there will be no bargains anymore. In the corporate world the idea of a monthly subscription for everything is the greatest idea since sliced bread... no need to own it, just keep paying us, while we slowly jack up the price and dilute the service... It is amazing to me that people buy into this... swear by it even... little by little we give up all our consumer rights and privileges one by one, grinning all the while... its so cool.

Hopefully this will drive more people to Gimp. I personally hope this turns out to be a disaster of epic proportions for Adobe, not out malice but out of hope that this won't spread like a cancer to ever other software manufacturer out there, emboldened to take what Abode is doing , one step further... but most likely everyone will drink the punch and ask for more, praising it's bitter taste as if it were ambrosia.

Bottoms up, but I'll pass.