It seems more and more the phrase "The customer is always right" is being replaced by "Consumer be damned." Companies are no longer trying to think of things they can do to improve the customer's experience. Instead they are trying to think of things they can get away with. And we sit idly by, taking our rights for granted.

Case in point, this new iLok technology is supposed to magically make software theft disappear. What it really threatens to make disappear is ALL of your software authorizations in one fell swoop, should any harm come to it.

For argument's sake, let's imagine your dog merrily chewing on a new plastic treat connected to the USB port of your computer. Oops, you just lost the authorization for every program you own. So what? Just plugin your backup iLok and boot right back up, business as usua...

oh, you say there's no such thing (yet) as a backup iLok? Ok then, just call up the companies who issued all the authorizations, and get replacement codes for 837 programs, plugins, enhancements, etc.

No problem, right? Sure, it'll take a few days (if you're lucky), but everyone will be happy to offer you a brand new auth. After all, in the highly pirated software industry, good honest paying customers are hard to come by. There isn't a company on the market who wouldn't... What? You say there are some companies who will brush you off like last night's coke whore?

Interesting... some companies actually believe that the license to use their software can be equated with the physical authorization in the iLok dongle. Hmm...

To paraphrase somebody (you know who you are), this is like saying if you lose the keys to your car you no longer have the right to drive it.

I wonder what all you boneheads think about that... Talk amongst yourselves...

(Dead Link Removed)