Wow. I read the first two pages, skipped to and read the eleventh page. I see some current issues. DATABASE; by definition we all use databases in many forms every time we use our electronic devices. The OS's create and use databases completely transparent to us. We/I use the Poser Runtime file architecture, which is of course, a form of database. One Runtime or dozens, no matter, Databases. Posers are a bit more rigidly structured and adhered to than DS's. Though DS and Carrara have been able to work with the Poser Runtime for many years, they have more complex databasing systems that Poser will never see at all. DS 4.9: no matter what great new features, improvements and fixes are introduced in this new version, it will remain UNINSTALLED on my system. It will not be used as right after all the file downloading finished and I got them all stored and ready for burning to disk, I noted in some of the forum threads at DAZ (who deleted several of my posts concerning the new issues) that 4.9 is really the vehicle to introduce both "Gun And Bullet"; ergo DRM via enforced internal use only encrypted content.
The ONLY thing DAZ needs to do at this point to absolutely lock this system into place is simply deny access to normal unencrypted zip files through the Product Library. Clearly MANY people have been in the know about this for the last two years at least. A number of DAZ "inside" people jumped ship, a good sized handful even started their own company.
About that Gun And Bullet thing. I have been a happy, paying and honest user at DAZ alone for almost a dozen years. I am no thief, nor a liar. And in dealing with "business" as an employee in several sectors of economy, I have learned that WHEN a business creates a "Gun And Bullet" situation, said business has shot that bullet 100% of the time. This is not a disgruntled paying user talking. This is an experienced troubleshooter. The first axiom to work by is "KNOW THE PROCESS". Well, that process is abhorrently simple, easy to dismantle and examine. DAZ WILL FORCE USE OF ENCRYPTED CONTENT. It doesn't matter that I alone paid their asking price for thousands of items, accepted happily free items and discounts of all sizes, and paid full price for some stuff too. It doesn't matter that thousands of other people have done the same or bought even more than I have. Many have bought more than I have! And we are ALL SEEN AS THIEVES! This is true because we are treated as a thief.
I am not going to argue ANY of this with the "PA's", the "Vendors" the content creators and sellers. YOU people are the ones who have created the US and THEM scenario, granted it was egged along for YEARS by a few individuals. Well, YOU and US exists. Not any good for anyone actually. "YOU" created a sort of mini egalitarian society within OUR (YOU and US equals OUR, yes dammit it really does!) OUR community. I accepted long ago that OUR community covers more than the half dozen 3D sites I use, and also includes several dozen web based forums. I have watched for a dozen years, and I learned 25 years ago there is and never will be ANYTHING PRIVATE in the online world. Security is an illusion. Honesty is not. Truth is not. Thieves are also a truth. I do MY part in this. I pay, I use according to honest rules, I do not engage in any form of casual piracy.
So I am hurrying up and trying to get ALL my DAZ content backed up with their zip files. In this process I found there were some items I never even downloaded. Argh! I can hope but do not expect DAZ to hold off locking out non-encrypted users for long. That is the gun and bullet and DAZ Sales Managers finger is very itchy on that trigger. We all THINK we know what is gonna happen. Nobody will until it actually does. We will see, soon enough.

My 66th Birthday PC Build (July 1, 2020) :  named BadMoonRYZEN!, W10Pro x64, Octal Core RYZEN7 X3700 4.05 GHz, 64GB DDR4 RAM, GeForce RTX 3060 - 12GB GDDR6, PP2014, PP 11, P12, PS-CS4 Extended & Vue 2024.

McG.