Late last month, Adobe released updates to their Creative Cloud applications and one interesting discovery was recently made pertaining to Lightroom. As The DAM Book reported, Lightroom continues to partly function even after subscription to the Creative Cloud ends. Adobe has now officially released a statement making it clear exactly what happens to a user's photographs post-membership.
What happens to my photographs after my membership ends? With Lightroom 5.5, at the end of a membership, the desktop application will continue to launch and provide access to the photographs managed within Lightroom as well as the Slideshow, Web, Book or Print creations that we know many photographers painstakingly create. The Develop and Map modules have been disabled in order to signal the end of the membership and the need to renew in order to receive Adobe’s continuous innovation in those areas. Access to Lightroom mobile workflows will also cease to function. We hope this meets the expectations of our customers and we look forward to an ongoing dialog.
Additionally, Tom Hogarty from the Lightroom team responded to a tweet questioning if exporting images would still be allowed post-membership to Creative Cloud:
@spyhi Thanks. Export whatever you like!
— Tom Hogarty (@LR_Tom) July 11, 2014
Does this move by Adobe relieve any of the dissatisfaction that some customers are having over the Creative Cloud licensing model? Should this retainment of basic functionality be brought to other Creative Cloud applications or is it all just trivial to the main concerns? Voice your opinion in the comments.
I don't really like this cloud model. I started with LR 2, then skipped 3 and bought LR 4. I'm still hoping they release a new LR 6 as a stand alone product. Since photography isn't my full time job it's hard to justify a monthly subscription. I mean you could look at it as a payment plan of sorts when you factor in PS, I just don't like that no matter how much you pay in you cant ever stop.
"Does this move by Adobe relieve any of the dissatisfaction that some customers are having over the Creative Cloud licensing model?"
No. If I'm not mistaken you can still buy a standalone version of LR5, I think that's a better way to go if you're going to deal with LR. Also for the time being you can still get Capture One Pro 7 as a standalone application.
While I can understand Adobe's approach to not having to deal with physical distribution, they should give people the option to buy a version of their programs or suites via the download for a price similar to what they used to charge for the apps. I think they foolishly believed they could also bypass piracy by using this model, but that was proven moot on day one. As such, users should have the option of permanently keeping a given version of an app or a suite.
The Adobe CC model is a slippery slope and this LR issue is just one of examples of why I not buy into this Mob style protection scheme. I can't believe so many artist are drinking the coolaid not realizing that if they stop paying they no long have the ability to edit their copyrighted work.
The hidden agenda that everyone is missing is that PS is the cash cow and Adobe's CC effort is to get users to pay for products they would not normally buy. Think about it, how many people do you know have purchased every product Adobe makes ? How about indesign or Muse ?
By getting users to pay for something they wouldn't normally it helps fund those less popular products AND it gets them in the hands of users hoping they will standard on their entire product line. For example what if you are a Final Cut or Avid user, you have paid for these products but now you are also paying for Premiere, After Effects, etc. At some point companies are going to ask the question, why are we paying for both ? Microsoft has used this strategy every effectively over the last few decades.
A number of Adobe cheerleaders have said this is just like your cellphone, internet or web hosting service. BUT, it not even close because I have many different options in hosting or cell service. If AT&T doesn't fit my needs I can go to another carrier. But if you have put 20+ years in learning PS what are your options ?
My fear is creatives will wake up way too late to realize they are up to their neck in quicksand and there is no way out.
I would have no issue with the cloud if there was a choice. Right now LR is not really part of the cloud. If it was just like photoshop, I wonder how many photographers would like the concept of paying a monthly fee to access their photo libraries.
The big issue with CC is when Adobe has enough customers on the product and decide to do major hike in rates. They may not be a monopoly in legal terms but in practical terms they are. They are industry standard, with no real competition. So question is not if they will raise prices but when.
I love the creative cloud! This makes 100% percent sense. They don't own the images just the program. And allowing you to see and export YOUR images are only right! It is 2014, do you still deliver files on a CD? Then you likely don't like CC. Subscriptions is the future of our digital age. CC is cheaper I have done the math over and over. And if you Don't need all the programs get the photographers bundle! Im pretty sure you can still buy LR5 Stand alone and of CS6.