Ewido anti-malware plus lifetime

Discussion in 'ewido anti-spyware forum' started by gerardwil, Jul 2, 2007.

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  1. Perman

    Perman Registered Member

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    Hi, folks: If the email sent to us is suspicious, then from where do they get hold of our email address? More questions lead to even more questions? And I think we need to actually examine the agreement of purchase between Grisoft and Ewido. Before this is been done any comments are based upon hearsay, IMO. Perhaps Ewido did not insist Grisoft to continue its lifetime license agreement. In other words, Ewido is in default in this matter, just maybe. Or worse than that, Grisoft unilaterally alters the service agreement, ignoring the value of existing clients. Another goose killer did this to take its golden eggs. Pity.
     
  2. ChrisP

    ChrisP Suspended Member

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    Any terms between Grisoft and Ewido are irrelevant and cant change in any way the validity of the contract we had with Ewido. The contract continues with the purchasing company. No way out since they stated Ewido is now AVG - or whatever it is called.

    Lets face it, they are just trying to get individuals with a lifetime license to move over to an annual one to help their cashflow.
     
  3. TopperID

    TopperID Registered Member

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    OK, but the contract said the life licence exists so long as the company exists. It is the company that has demised - so the life licence goes west with it!
    Not true! Just read the 'Terms of Business' on your credit card application form and you will note that they reserve the right to change those terms; you agree to that when you sign the application.
    Yes, correct! In a takeover situation you take the rough with the smooth. Fortunately for Grisoft the life licences they have taken on are specifically stated to expire with the expiration of ewido.
    Morally maybe, but not legally - UNLESS the taleover terms thrashed out with ewido make allowance in guaranteeing the life licences; and I don't think that is the case.
     
  4. TopperID

    TopperID Registered Member

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    Actually they can! In a takeover situation Grisoft could have agreed to guarantee the life licences for the life of Grisoft or the product. But according to them the product has changed and the company they took over no longer exists.
    Upset? I think not!
     
  5. ChrisP

    ChrisP Suspended Member

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    Topper, you have given great advice in the past and I think you are a good member etc, but for whatever reasons, we have different views on this. Dont want to fall out or for this to become personal. We anit going to agree, so lets just agree to that and leave it at that.

    Cheers,

    Chris
     
  6. ChrisP

    ChrisP Suspended Member

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    Has anybody received a new license codeo_Oo_Oo_Oo_O
     
  7. Frank the Perv

    Frank the Perv Banned

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    Yes correct. And AVG changed the terms and stated them. We accepted those terms by use of the product.


    Oh boy. Grisoft honored the licenses, and restated the terms.... again, our agreement is now with Grisoft, not Ewido.


    Yes, and has been stated, Grisoft did agree....


    Topper, Seems to me that you are repeating yourself and not really responding to what has already been posted.

    Agree with ChirsP..


    This is just really pretty clear, a Wilder's member stated on 27 Jan 07:

    To which an Ewido representative stated this:


    Again, we have to believe the the Ewido representative was speaking in good faith. And we have to believe that if Grisoft did not agree with that statement, it would have been retracted.

    Thus there is every chance that our Ewido representatives are honorable, and that the Grisoft overlords are -- at the least, ignorant of company representations -- or possibly they are dishonorable (liars).
     
  8. TopperID

    TopperID Registered Member

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    Actually there is still hope! The email from Grisoft is highly confusing and it is not exactly clear what they mean.

    They talk of ewido anti-malware not being supported beyond 2007 and that we should get in touch to receive a special offer of an upgrade to "a product of your choice which provides you with the optimal level of security against different types of malicious software spreading across the Internet". The 'choice' comprises of the following:-

    AVG Anti-Spyware (anti-malware protection)
    AVG Anti-Virus (anti-virus protection)
    AVG Anti-Malware (anti-virus and anti-malware protection)
    AVG Internet Security (anti-virus, anti-malware, firewall and anti-spam
    protection)

    But, as I have already pointed out to them, I'm not running ewido anti-malware I'm running AVG-AS under a new licence number (which they issued me with at the time) and which is stated to be 'unlimited'.

    They then talk of a time limited offer without stating what the time limit might be.

    So it is still possible that this whole farago is one huge c**k-up!

    I'm declining to give Grisoft my licence number until they have explained themselves in language we can understand. But I do think this is more of a public relations matter than a legal one - so if the worst comes to the worst I'll accept the new licence for two years, with the possibility of 50% discount renewal thereafter, and still be reconciled by the fact I've had a better deal than if I didn't have the life licence.

    As to buying life licences for other software in the future - I doubt it; if I wanted to gamble I'd have more fun in a casino!
     
  9. dallen

    dallen Registered Member

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    I've recently had this thread called to my attention by a participant in the discussion. I am not a lawyer, but merely a law school student. As such I am not allowed to give legal advice. If you are in need of legal advice than I suggest that you talk to a lawyer licensed to practice law in your jurisdiction. Because I am a student I may not be aware of significant concepts that would dramatically alter or even change my understanding. The following are simply my thoughts.

    I've read many comments that claim that the answer is clear. Rarely in the law is anything clear. I assure you that no one is clearly in breach. They may be in breach, but I'm confident that convincing arguments can be made that there is no breach.

    That being said I've also read that indicate that oral modifications to writen contracts are enforceable. A red flag should go up when there are oral modifications to written agreements. That being said, an arugment can probably be made that the oral modification was ratified by the conduct of the party.

    The terms of the transfer are important, but somewhere I read that there was a purchase of the software or the company. Someone accurately pointed out the relevant concept of purchasing liabilities with assets. However, this may or may not be applicable depending on the structure of the deal.

    I think that it is important to point out that it is often stated that parties can't be bound to contract in which they are not a party to. It is equally important that a party cannot unilaterally terminate an agreement simply by entering into an agreement with a third party unless there is language in the contract that allows such termination.

    None of what I am saying provides any answers to the questions being asked here, I understand. Legal subjects are very complex and I don't have all of the relevant facts to even begin an analysis and neither do many of the people making defiinite claims. I also saw a quote claimed to be taken from LexisNexis and I don't doubt the source was as claimed. However, LexisNexis contains an amazing amount of information and only a fraction of that information is binding authority on any particular court. What was quoted was not statutory language, didn't appear to be taken from any case so it is not likely even case law, even if it were which jurisdiction is it from and is that the same jurisdiction as that at issue here, and finally even if it is how have the higher courts treated it.

    This isn't intended to attack any specific person, but simply to call attention to the fact that these issues are very complicated and deserve respect.

    Again, I am not a lawyer, but merely a law school student. As such I am not allowed to give legal advice. If you are in need of legal advice than I suggest that you talk to a lawyer licensed to practice law in your jurisdiction.
     
  10. ChrisP

    ChrisP Suspended Member

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    After the purchase of ewido, the new company stated the lifetime licence transferred to the new product. End of argument, finish, no more to be said etc etc. Today, I emailed Girsoft with the following:

    Hi, further to my last email, I Must point out that I currently have a lifetime license for your AVG Anti-Spyware as you have confirmed already in writing my original license for ewido transferred to this product. You confirmed in writing that my AVG Anti-Spyware license was a lifetime license. In light of this, you are legally obliged to support my use of AVG Anti-Spyware for the life of your business and it is unlawful for you to fail to do this.

    Please confirm by reply your intention to honour your legal obligation.

    I have had no reply and still no new license code!

    I think they may have been testing the water - hopefully, the more people email them telling them the above, the sooner they will realise they cant break get away with this illegal scam.
     
  11. Cpt. Sparrow

    Cpt. Sparrow Registered Member

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    How did Grisoft confirm it in writing? Did they e-mail you, did you get a letter or are you just refering to a posting of the former Ewido people here at Wilder's?

    My guess is that they're trying to confuse people to move them over into a subscription. It has already been pointed out that the e-mail contains lots of vague statements concerning the product - which is suddenly being refered to as Ewido - and the timeframe for upgrading / changing the license.

    IMHO, that's not a wise move, because the logic is pretty straightforward: When they bought Ewido, they also bought Ewido's customers and liabilities.

    But ever since then, the users have only heard about Grisoft's policies from the former Ewido team, but never by Grisoft!

    Right now, all the users get is vague e-mail communication plus a thundering silence from the AVG AS team.

    If we're not getting a statement from Grisoft or the AVG AS team soon, Grisoft is going to lose more than just a few lifetime license holders.
     
  12. ChrisP

    ChrisP Suspended Member

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    It has been confirmed on their website and via email - both of which are legal means of notification.

    Im assumong NOBODY has been given a license code as yet?

    They must know whats going on on this board. Girsoft, are you going to make a statement or issue an explanetion / apology?
     
  13. Perman

    Perman Registered Member

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    Hi, folks: Remember just over one year ago, Grisoft has decided to pull plug on AVG AV free, and later changed their heart and consequently kept their good soul? Due to what? Public pressure!. Let see what will transpire on this mess this time. Stay alert and smart, Grifsoft ! my loonie advice. :rolleyes:
     
  14. The Hammer

    The Hammer Registered Member

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    So I see another "Lifetime" licence is going down the tubes. :( Year to year that's the way to go.
     
  15. BlueZannetti

    BlueZannetti Registered Member

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    Since it is not a major deal to me how this shakes out either way, I have responded to the email, provided my license code, and basically requested continuation on the existing product path (AVG AS) since this can't be viewed as any type of cross/upgrade.

    I downloaded a fresh copy of AVG AS from Grisoft, reinstalled it and used the generated Ewido 4 license code to reactivate it (which was successful). This was a rebuilt OS install, so there were no traces of the previous Ewido/AVG AS installation (which I verified)

    A shot of the main application screen is below, which does explicitly still mention an unlimited license, so this is what one would currently see. For the record, that second sentence does not appear in an equivalent screenshot in the manual. Also, that sentence is embedded in the installed exe file (top screenshot), so it's not a leftover on my system.

    So..., I guess the ball is in Grisoft's court. I haven't heard a peep as yet. Response was mailed at 10:50PM July 2.

    Blue
     

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  16. peter.ewido

    peter.ewido former ewido team

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    It may sound ridiculous but we, the old ewido team, didn't even know about this issue until we read about it here on Wilders. That means, we were neither involved in planning it (we haven't even been informed) nor do we agree with it at all. You can believe me that we will try our best to get this resolved. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience!
     
  17. berng

    berng Registered Member

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    I have the same screen.

    The email message is wrong. It states that I own Ewido anti-malware, a product no longer supported after this year and to upgrade to a supported AVG product. AVG Anti-Spyware is listed in their email as a supported upgrade product.

    But we have unlimited licensing for AVG Anti-Spyware due to the Ewido license being updated to the AVG product, as shown by the above screen from Blue.

    The appropriate response should be that the email does not apply to us. Tell them there is no need to upgrade since have unlimited licensing for AVG Anti-Spyware which is specifically listed in their email as one of the supported upgrade products.

    ps. I believe you, Peter. Ths disadvantages of working for the BIG corporation.
     
  18. gerardwil

    gerardwil Registered Member

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    They asked for the Ewido license, not for the AVGAS license.
    I guess this only apply to people who still runs Ewido with lifetime license (if that is possible?)
    My AVGAS license says: unlimited
    Unlimited in what?

    Gerard
     
  19. Frank the Perv

    Frank the Perv Banned

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    OK, good enough.:thumb:

    This validates my thought that the Ewido guys from the forum did not want to renege on the deal that they made.

    To me, this is just bad Grisoft corporate decision making.

    The number of people who have responded in this thread may represent the relatively tiny number of us who actually have unlimited licenses. The amount of ill will generated from going back on an agreement vs. the potential revenue of getting a fraction of the “unlimited license” holders to buy additional discounted licenses is questionable at best.

    I’d wager that the revenue lost from ‘Grisoft ill-will word of mouth’ would exceed the revenue gained from a few “unlimited subscribers” buying into the future ‘discounts.’

    Now we know that the Ewido guys are going to try and get the Grisoft dunderheads to see the light and honor commitments made – we can at least know that the deal made with us was not made in a dishonest way.


    .
     
  20. TouchuvGrey

    TouchuvGrey Registered Member

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    Ever since Ewido was subsumed into grisoft
    i have not felt the same confidence in the
    product that i used to. I've considered
    AVG AS to be supplemental rather than basic
    protection. Taking recent developments into
    account ( i got that letter too ) i may just
    uninstall it entirely. If this shows us their
    business "ethics" what can we derive about
    their product "ethics" ?

    Mike :(
     
  21. Triple Helix

    Triple Helix Specialist

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    Good to here Peter! Please keep us updated!

    TIA,

    TH ;)
     
  22. Cpt. Sparrow

    Cpt. Sparrow Registered Member

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    Peter,

    thanks for your reply. This is exactly what I expected to hear from the former Ewido team.

    You must be having a tough time being bought by a company like Grisoft. :'(
     
  23. Firecat

    Firecat Registered Member

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    Does anyone notice how the targeted lifecycle expiry for the Ewido product is around the same time as the expected release of the AVG 8.0 product line? I wonder if this has got anything to do with this.....
     
  24. gerardwil

    gerardwil Registered Member

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    I just got a new license with expiration date: 1st of January 2010
    I sent in my old Ewido key.

    Gerard
     
  25. steveke

    steveke Registered Member

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    I got a response from Grisoft confirming that the letter was sent by Grisoft.

    I will take it as a lesson learned. Never again will I renew a product for more than a year. Software developers are not to be trusted. When this is up, I'll probably switch to an all free security setup.

    This is final confirmation to me that AVG-AS is headed downhill.

    That letter was so unprofessional, I would have bet it was fake.
     
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