[pwg]

I have owned a 'computer' or 'personal' license for OW since 2002.

Omnigroup says:"... one person with both a laptop and a desktop computer (or, say, a home machine and an office machine) can legally install and use a single license on both computers, though not at the same time."

Ok. But when I install the license on a copy on my laptop it KILLS the license on my desktop as soon as the two computers find each other on the wireless network.

This is REALLY maddening. What do I have to do? Firewall the two computers? I need to sync from one to another when I go out on the road and when I return. As soon as I do that, the 'second' machine loses its OW license. Even if I remember and shut one copy down, the license on the other machine is toast... for an indefinite period as far as I can tell.

I know that OW has had only one opportunity to make me pay for an upgrade in five years (OW4 to OW5) but this is, nevertheless, licensing larceny. It's an unreasonable restriction on fair use that does not infringe any Omnigroup rights.

How can Omnigroup fix this without running the risk that someone will use a personal license over a multi-host network? By allowing a personal license to persist for (say) a couple of hours before de-licensing one or other machine.

How are you installing the license, as Network, Computer, or Personal?

I use a laptop and desktop on the same network all the time with no problems having OmniWeb installed on both, so it can work fine. It is a while since I installed the license, but I expect I installed the licenses on both computers as Personal since it is my license and not used by other users on the computers.

[pwg]

I have both installations set to use my 'computer' license. I'm running 5.6 SP4 on both. I've tried setting them to 'personal' but that makes no difference (I think it merely constrains the license to the current user on each machine).

I can't select the 'network' license from the drop-down menu: which is what I expected given that I did not purchase a network license.

[Handycam]

It doesn't disable the license unless the browser is RUNNING on 2 different machines, correct?

[Ken Case]

Originally Posted by pwg

But when I install the license on a copy on my laptop it KILLS the license on my desktop as soon as the two computers find each other on the wireless network.

This only happens when you use the same license on two copies of OmniWeb that are running at the same time, and even then it's only temporary: if you quit OmniWeb on both machines and only restart it on the one you're using, your license should start working again.

[pwg]

Thanks, Ken. I was not aware of the 'quit both' requirement. I'd quit one but the other would remain unlicensed.

I still think this is an unnecessary annoyance. I'm paying (and am inclined to go on paying) for the only non-free browser I know. I want it to cut me some slack for possibly non-infringing use when OBVIOUSLY I have at least one license.

[hardcoreUFO]

I agree. It only annoys paying customers; I have 2 machines side-by-side; I am the only one using both of them, yet if both machines have OW open, I get this anti-piracy message. That sucks. All it does is make me use OW less.

[Forrest]

Originally Posted by Ken Case

This only happens when you use the same license on two copies of OmniWeb that are running at the same time, and even then it's only temporary: if you quit OmniWeb on both machines and only restart it on the one you're using, your license should start working again.

FWIW, I think there's such a fine line between "running" and "using" when it comes to Fair Use, that giving the customer a little wiggle room would be very much appreciated. I think OW can tell if it's being used or not (like in the unlicensed version it say "unlicensed" across the screen after not being used.) So maybe that could be used in the licensing method.

Or perhaps it could just be like Adobe's apps where it can be running, and even used on two machines at once, but the apps continue running just fine.

On a side note, personally I bought the family pack when it was on sale last November so I could put OW on my wife's machine and all my other machines and not have to worry about this. I never quit anything.

[aaike]

I am not completely sure, but I seem to remember that if I was using OW at my Powerbook at work (or any other network) and leave the program open, get home were OW is also running on a G4 and I open my Powerbook it doesn't complain. But indeed starting up OW on one computer while open on the other the licence warning comes into play...

[jjmccole]

Same problem here. I use OW at work, on a desktop and a laptop, and there are times when I've left it running on my desktop and am away from my office but need to launch it on the laptop…Drove me batty enough that I purchased a second license (during a time when they were on sale). Must put me in a rather small clan.

Before resorting to that, though, I wrote to Omni support about the problem. Whoever answered me (sorry I don't seem to have saved the message--wish I had) acknowledged that it was problematic and suggested that it might be fixed in an upcoming version. That was quite a while ago now, at least one or maybe two iterations.

Sure, the other workaround is to use a tarted-up version of Safari 3 or Firefox in that situation. But there's a reason I prefer to use OW in the first place!

Perhaps it would help if those of us with this problem add it to the new feature requests. If we all chime in, perhaps they'll hear us.