Extensis Suitcase upgrade warning

I'm not 100% sure when this 'feature' was added, but after recently upgrading my copy of Extensis Suitcase to 11.0.4 (released 10/8/04), and restarting my PowerBook, I received a pop-up window noting that there were 'too many users of my serial number', identified the name of the 'offending' machine (my PowerMac), and then proceeded to quit.

Now, technically speaking, I was running two copies of Suitcase, which was a violation of the license agreement I agreed to when the software was purchased. I readily admit that. But in the 'real world,' where a lot of designers / developers use both a laptop and a desktop machine in their workflow, it's impossible to actively use both copies at the same time.

Nobody likes sneaky software sniffers, for they treat paying customers like criminals. But if a company feels obligated to include them, the least they could do is follow Macromedia and Adobe by allowing single users to use one license on two machines, as long as they are the sole user of the hardware.

Extensis is obviously trying to shut down medium to large scale abuse by groups of people all using the same copy of Suitcase, and for that it's hard to disagree with their desire (and potential financial need) to impose the sniffer. But by blocking any additional copy of Suitcase, instead of 3 or more like the others, regardless of how many warm bodies are actually using the product, Extensis is screwing legions of sole-proprietor designers.

In order to use Suitcase on my PowerBook -- which again I only use when I'm not using my PowerMac -- I will have to buy another serial number for 100 bucks. Or, I could drag Suitcase to the trash, buy FontAgent Pro for the same amount of money, and run it without limitation. Or -- and in a perfect example of how sniffers can actually lead to more piracy -- I could give up entirely and activate the software with a pirated (or borrowed) serial number.

I'm not advocating piracy, but merely calling attention to the reality of the situation. The way I see it, licensing software is a behavioral choice -- not a technical requirement -- for finding pirated serial numbers, software cracks, and black market CDs/DVDs is hardly difficult. Most people do pay for the software they use (if required to do so), and are willing to put up with some activation schemes as long as they don't get in their way and are fair. But if users are pushed too far, or forced into spending twice as much money on a product as they should, they could switch to a competitor, or employ more creative means that in the end would support no one. The choice is theirs.