"These were the products my company used on a regular basis. We had it installed on 26-30 machines and had each and every copy liscensed. Then the problem with the Activation Code (CL's Challenge code it sounds a lot like) started."

It sounds to me like you should have looked into the corporate, site licensed versions of those software programs. Microsoft makes versions of all their programs that do not require WPA to install. This is SPECIFICALLY so that larger customers don't have support problems.

"Rep. makes comment about Activation scheme and how many times you have installed."

Let me guess, you used the same number for each isntallation? Of course the system had a problem, ... a legitimate problem. You're software was installed on more than 25 machines.. and if you used the same AC for them all how was it supposed to know you weren't pirating it?

If you had a license for each system then you either had

1. a corporate AC that would allow a large number of installs
2. a separate AC for each system... that you should have used.

No offense, but it sure isn't Microsoft's fault.

"SO those who say this is not a big deal, you are wrong, it is a big deal because it is just not this one software, it is the acceptance of a flawed security system that instead of protecting the software makes users abandone software they have paid for."

You know, doom was predicted when XP shipped with WPA. The tales of woe were waiting to be told - the countless throng were up in arms about what a nightmare it would be.... and guess what? It isn't. Not even close. All told I have upgraded or installed probably 70 XP machines since it shipped and not one... NOT ONE has had an activation problem, either online of on the phone. I have upgraded RAM and motherboards, I have formatted and re-installed hard drives and all the rest of it, and have never had WPA get in the way of any of it.

In fact, there is only ONE tangible reality brought to the world with WPA (Windows product activation) - the casual copying of Microsoft XP is radically reduced.

Of the home users I know I would say that previous to XP's release maybe 10 our of 40 or so actually purchased Windows98. The reason was simple.... they could simply burn a copy from a friends CD-ROM and use the same activation serial key.

They can't do that anymore. WPA won't let it happen. So the purchased XP Home. Oh, they scammed big-time. I know one guy who bought three identical computers just so WPA wouldn't notice he had 3. I know most of them purchased OEM versions of XP Home for abut 65$ - grey market because it "came with" a $5 mouse they then paid $65 for and got a "free oem" Windows XP.

Overall, by and large some 35 out of 40 have purchased XP home. And some of them have purchased (gasp!) a copy for each computer they run it on! You know, like the license says you should?

Why don't they just pirate it from the web? Because most casual copiers (rightly) don't want cracked software on their machine. They want a "clean" copy from a original CD-ROM from someone they know or someone they trust on the web. Not some pirate version with god knows what in it.

And this will be true of Poser as well.

• Will it be cracked? Of course.
• Will "serious" pirates get a copy? Yup.

But that isn't the issue... the important points are...

• Handled correctly, product activation does not cause any problems for any significant percentage of end users
• Product activation absolutely does cut down on casual piracy.
• It absolutely does drive up sales numbers.
• It absolutely does help enforce licenses on concurrent use.

So you can hate it or not. Boycott it if you want to. But it is here, and it will stay here... in poser and/or other software. Because it works.