F-Secure SAFE licence re-use across multiple OS Partitions?
I bought F-Secure SAFE yesterday and the licence terms make it very clear the licence is per device, not per OS install on that device. Norton permits licence keys to be re-used on the same PC across multiple OS partitions because its still the same hardware / mobo ID that the licence is registered against. I was expecting F-secure to work the same, especially considering the wording of the Licence terms:
You may:
A) install and use the Software only on as many units (typically handheld devices, personal computers, servers, or other hardware, jointly referred to as "Device") as stated in the Software, F‑Secure License Certificate, applicable invoice, product packaging, or agreement where these Terms have been referenced. If the Software is shared through a network or the Software is used to filter traffic at servers, firewalls, or gateways, you must have a license for either scanning capacity or for the total number of users whom the Software provides services to. In such cases, you may install the Software on as many units as needed (not applicable to F‑Secure SENSE);
However F-Secure seems to use a license for each separate OS install on the same PC, which seems to be in stark disagreement with the licensing terms?
On two of my PCs I have a main windows partition, and a backup / recovery partition. This means that havin bought 5 licences for 5 PCs, I cannot actually fully cover all partitions on those PCs.
I cant find any specific exclusions in the licence terms that forbid licence reuse on the same physical hardware - so can anyone clarify the situation, or suggest how I can re-use the same key on two different partitions on the same PC?
Thanks for any advice.
Comments
-
I bought a 5 device licence of F-Secure SAFE at the weekend and due to Customer support being closed posted a licence question on these forums. The post was instantly deleted as spam, and two subsequent requests to reinstate the post have been ignored.
As I work away from home and cannot easily get to a public internet computer during office hours (the office uses a private and very heavily monitored corporate network) then how am I meant to receive any level of customer support to sort things like this out - given that there isnt even apparently an email drop-box to handle out of hours queries?
My original question related to the fact that the '5 device' licence does not in fact cover 5 devices, only 5 installs (even if on the same device) which wasnt a limitation mentioned in the licence terms prior to sale. Other vendors permit the same licence to be installed on multiple OS partitions on the same PC - given that only one of those OS can ever be active at a given time.
Do F-secure permit licence reuse on different partitions on the same PC? If not then why is this not mentioned in the licence terms? If it is possible, then can somebody please advise how to re-use the same licence on the same device - rather than every single install consuming a separate licence even on the same device?
Im hoping that my initial post being deleted was a one-off, and F-secure will manage to answer my query via the forums - given that these forums seem to be the only avenue for seeking 'out of hours' support.
Thanks for any information or advice.
Regards,
Draksyl.
-
Hello,
Sorry for my reply. I am only an F-Secure user (their home solutions).
And sorry for my English.
I bought a 5 device licence of F-Secure SAFE at the weekend and due to Customer support being closed posted a licence question on these forums. The post was instantly deleted as spam, and two subsequent requests to reinstate the post have been ignored.
Maybe it was not a "spam"-reason, but quarantined as a potential leak of provided information about purchase or licence(?). Anyway, your current topic is visible.
And, probably, official F-Secure Community Managers with abilities to escalate it.
As I work away from home and cannot easily get to a public internet computer during office hours (the office uses a private and very heavily monitored corporate network) then how am I meant to receive any level of customer support to sort things like this out - given that there isnt even apparently an email drop-box to handle out of hours queries?
In addition to your local F-Secure website - another option is to check their "global" website. Where workhours for chat can be with unexpected hours for your location:
Additionally, there was words that chat is usually more often accessible than not.
My original question related to the fact that the '5 device' licence does not in fact cover 5 devices, only 5 installs (even if on the same device) which wasnt a limitation mentioned in the licence terms prior to sale. Other vendors permit the same licence to be installed on multiple OS partitions on the same PC - given that only one of those OS can ever be active at a given time.
I am not sure that there is any kind of such limitations. But with such a wording... yes, it is only five installs. Since suspected that device with only one OS installed.
Does your experience is about different / multiple systems on one device? And is it really that another solutions works with such setting as for one device and not as for two devices (two systems)? Probably, it is possible with solutions where "activation / license key is used" and specific way of how "key is validated".
And, for example, your setting is something like:
-> hardware PC or laptop;
-> one partition (drive / disk) is for Windows 10.
-> another partition is for Windows 7.
You do able to boot on one system or another.
You want to apply "one license" to this one device. Right? With meanings that it is one device.
But, in fact, it is works as "two devices" (two installs). One license for Windows 10 and another license for Windows 7. Despite that both systems are on one hardware (PC).
If so - I think that it is how it works with home solution. But I am not sure whether it is covered on terms or not.
By the way, what is other vendors with support for this setting (just interesting)? And what will be with their support if one system is Windows and another Linux-based.
Otherwise, F-Secure SAFE installation is system-wide.
And it is possible to re-use "installed/activated" licenses for further installations.
Thanks!
-
The licence terms state:
A) install and use the Software only on as many units (typically handheld devices, personal computers, servers, or other hardware, jointly referred to as "Device") as stated in the Software, F‑Secure License Certificate, applicable invoice, product packaging, or agreement where these Terms have been referenced. If the Software is shared through a network or the Software is used to filter traffic at servers, firewalls, or gateways, you must have a license for either scanning capacity or for the total number of users whom the Software provides services to. In such cases, you may install the Software on as many units as needed (not applicable to F‑Secure SENSE);
There is no mention anywhere else in the licence terms to any other limitations on licence use, or to any other definition of 'Device'. (Google for F-Secure Licence Terms for the full page).
And yet even if you have one physical hard disk partitioned into two logical drives (each with an OS install) then F-Secure is consuming one licence per partition. Which seems to be in direct opposition to the licence terms quoted above.
So in effect customers arent necessarily getting the product under the same terms as being openly advertised by F-Secure.
In my case, this has forced me to use other free AV products to provide protection on my Backup & Recovery partitions, whereas with my previous AV solution (also a 5 device licence) there were zero limits on reinstalls on the same device, only on the total number of devices that could be active at any given time.
Lesson learned - F-secure wont be getting any further money from me beyond my current subscription given the rather large discrepency between their advertised licence terms and their actual licensing practices......
-
Well I just tried replying again quoting the licence terms, but apparently the F-Secure forums auto detects and deletes (or marks as spam) any post that quotes the F-Secure licence terms.......
That is probably also why my initial posts got deleted.
Which isnt exactly a good look for any company who wants to build trust with consumers..........
Given the apparent auto-censorship of licence related questions, combined with the fact that the application of licences in practice differs significantly to the written terms, then F-secure are unlikely to be getting any more money from me when the current subscription expires................Clarification from one of their official representatives of the discprency between 'Devices' and 'Installs' would still be welcome, and might help to rebuild some level of trust in the company.
-
Just try to "quote" terms (full size is not possible. since reply is limited to 20000 characters):
...
You acknowledge and accept that the Software is subject to specific limitations such as purpose of use and certain technical requirements, including but not limited to operating system, storage space, geographical location, and network connectivity. Please be aware that the Software may not be available and/or allowed in your country of residence. Software license Subject to the payment of applicable fees and subject to these Terms, you are granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-assignable, revocable limited right to use the Software as specified in these Terms for the time period separately agreed upon between you and F‑Secure or its distributors. You may: A) install and use the Software only on as many units (typically handheld devices, personal computers, servers, or other hardware, jointly referred to as "Device") as stated in the Software, F‑Secure License Certificate, applicable invoice, product packaging, or agreement where these Terms have been referenced. If the Software is shared through a network or the Software is used to filter traffic at servers, firewalls, or gateways, you must have a license for either scanning capacity or for the total number of users whom the Software provides services to. In such cases, you may install the Software on as many units as needed (not applicable to F‑Secure SENSE);
create copies of the Software for installation and backup purposes only; and
C) extend the number of licenses by purchasing more licenses.
License limitations
You may not:
A) install and use the Software against these Terms, the F‑Secure License Certificate, or other related documentation;
distribute copies of the Software to a third party, electronically transfer the Software to a computer belonging to a third party, or permit a third party to copy the Software, except and to the extent where such activity is expressly stated in related documentation;
C) modify, adapt, translate, rent, lease, resell, distribute, or create derivative works based on the Software and/or related files (including but not limited to databases, news, descriptions, and other content) or any part thereof;
D) decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, or otherwise reduce the Software and/or related files (including but not limited to databases, news, descriptions, and communications between applications) to any human-perceivable form (except to the limited extent permitted under mandatory copyright legislation) as the Software contains or may contain trade secrets of F‑Secure and its licensors;
E) use the documentation for any other purpose than to support your use of the Software;
F) disclose any license authorization code provided for installing or using the application to any third party, excluding a license with multiple use rights requiring disclosure to such other users;
G) use the Software or any portion thereof to implement any product or service to operate on or in connection with the Software for any other purpose than for which the Software is provided;
H) change the radio parameters of any hardware against its certification in your locality;
I) where the Software includes an Automatic Update Agent component, use such component to publish, distribute, and/or obtain software or content (i) not specifically related to F‑Secure products and/or services and (ii) not security-related (or any updates to any such software or content); or
J) in any event use the Software for the following purposes: (i) Harvesting or distributing any private information, copyrighted content, or trade secrets that you do not have rights to harvest or distribute; (ii) Distributing content that is unlawful, libellous, pornographic, abusive, harassing, threatening, or that contains content or code with destructive features; (iii) Accessing or distributing child pornography or bestiality; (iv) Spamming; (v) Malware, botnets, phishing, denial-of-service attacks, illegal hacking, unauthorized port scanning, or unauthorized access; (vi) Impersonating another person; (vii) Violating other persons' legal rights; (viii) Violating applicable laws, including but not limited to the export and recycling laws of your jurisdiction for the specific products; (ix) Other invasive or fraudulent purposes, or uses that may interfere with the operation of the Software or other users' ability to use the Software; or (x) Managing any content that is against the permissible content guidelines maintained by third parties from whom you have acquired the Software.
Please contact F‑Secure directly if you are interested in any other rights to the Software than those granted in these Terms.
....Then, you do able to quote my reply and edit (with required parts of terms) for further replies (if so).
By the way, sounds that chat is available there (on current minute):
https://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_global/contact-support
It is an option to try start discussion via chat and to extent it to "mail-discussion".
Clarification from one of their official representatives of the discprency between 'Devices' and 'Installs' would still be welcome, and might help to rebuild some level of trust in the company.
but some clarifications are good for community reply too.
Thanks!
-
Hello @Draksyl
Thank you for bring this to our attention and sorry for the inconvenience. It seemed that your post in the F-secure safe board has ended in our Spam quarantine. I am not sure why it landed in there. It might be due to some words used in the post. I have now released it from the Spam Quarantine to the F-secure Safe board.
🚩 What Do You Think?
We’d love your thoughts on our fresh look! Quick survey, big impact!