Consumer Rights and Software Development seem to be increasingly at odds these day. No one can fault Software Companies wanting to make money, but some practices are going too far.

Case in point; Akai has recently implemented a requirement that premium plugins (ones we have paid for) need to "check in" with their servers roughly every 90 days. 

This practice was not clearly mentioned in any advert or product page and has many adverse effects for home and live users. Imagine finally getting a chance to play live with your beloved MPC... you plug everything up and start your set only to realize some of the tracks are sounding different, while some are flat out not playing anything.

You soon realize that your integral plugins have been arbitrarily deactivated. Maybe you can grab a wifi signal...maybe not. Regardless, you paid Akai for a product which you now own. But, Akai get's to decide when it works.

Furthermore, what happens when their servers go down for a night and you planned on playing live or working on a track at home?

What happens 10 years down the road when Akai no longer supports the platform?

What happens if Akai simply stops being a company and closes it's doors?

There is no good reason for Akai to do this and as a consumer, we should be able to use our purchased equipment, hardware or software, without ridiculous limitations. 

Please consider signing this if you agree. If you do, please share this with anyone you think might agree.