Adobe Customer Support
Questions about your non-genuine software?
Contact Adobe Support for help, answers and information about this issue.
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General piracy questions
Software piracy occurs when one or more of the following happen:
- Software has been modified or hacked.
- Keys or accounts that are known to have been stolen are copied, sold or used.
- Usage is not in line with the licensing Terms of Use.
- Software piracy exposes businesses and consumers to security threats including malware, spyware and viruses and leads to decreased efficiencies in organisations.
Usually, typical anti-virus and security software does not detect the forms of malware commonly found in counterfeit or non-genuine software.
No, it is illegal to use non-genuine software, regardless of how it happened.
Buying software direct from Adobe.com ensures that you get genuine Adobe software. In addition, checking Terms of Use before using software that a friend, associate or co-worker may have given you also protects users.
There are several options, depending on the situation:
- If you have received a notification from Adobe indicating your software is not genuine, click the link provided in the notification to learn more. Look for the option to purchase genuine Adobe software or phone Customer Support for more information. If someone else in your organisation is responsible for software purchase, you can check with them first.
- While install software, if you receive a notification that you have an invalid serial number, it's probably because Adobe has blocked the serial number due to misuse. Follow the notification to the landing page for options to resolve.
- If you believe that you have other or additional non-genuine or counterfeit software, you can purchase genuine software directly from Adobe at Adobe.com.
Users are required to activate their software within a certain number of days for it to function as intended. Registration of your software with Adobe is entirely optional. However, activation and registration do not guarantee that you are using genuine software.
Visit the www.adobe.com/genuine page and follow the appropriate link and instructions.
How Adobe helps to reduce piracy
Adobe develops programmes to ensure that customers are educated, informed and protected throughout all stages of the purchase and usage cycle. Programmes include:
- Education about the benefits of using genuine Adobe software
- Working with organisations to prevent software piracy
- Investigating and bringing legal action against resellers of non-genuine or counterfeit software, including online marketplaces
- Blocking serial numbers that have been obtained or generated illegally
- And informing customers that they have non-genuine or counterfeit software, either when install or during product use
Genuine Adobe software is legally licensed software purchased directly from Adobe. Genuine Adobe software works per the product documentation and the Terms of Use. It is free from the vulnerabilities that may be found in non-genuine or counterfeit software.
It is common for individuals and organisations to end up unknowingly purchasing and using non-genuine software with unscrupulous resellers and online marketplaces often going to great lengths to make non-genuine software appear genuine. Users may only realise they are using software that is incorrectly licensed when they receive a notification.
Using non-genuine software poses a risk for individuals and organisations. Non-genuine software has frequently been modified leading to issues such as:
- Increased risk of exposure to viruses or spyware that can destroy or compromise data
- Increased chance of the software not functioning correctly or failing completely
- Limited access to customer support, upgrades and technical documentation
About Adobe software notifications
Invalid and revoked serial numbers are serial numbers that have been blocked by Adobe because they have been obtained or generated illegally by unauthorised resellers. When Adobe discovers this fraudulent behaviour, these keys are deactivated to prevent further abuse. Customers may only realise that serial numbers have been blocked when they attempt to install or reinstall the software.
Software, even non-genuine software, can work normally until Adobe identifies, blocks or deactivates the fraudulent serial number, often as part of a legal action taken against the seller. Once the serial number is blocked, future attempts to install or reinstall fail.
Adobe runs validation tests and notifies individuals and organisations that are using non-genuine software. The service checks for software tampering and invalid licences. If you or someone else in your organisation receives a notification, it indicates that non-genuine software has been found.
Adobe uses a set of technologies, services and capabilities that can identify whether an installed Adobe product is genuine or non-genuine. When non-genuine installations are found (via a validation process), the service can inform users that their software is not genuine through a pop-up notification. It also provides options to resolve the problem. In addition to the pop-up notification, customers can also view the validation process running in their activity monitor or task manager.
Non-genuine software installations are illegal and Adobe uses various methods to help users understand the issues. If the user chooses to ignore notices and warnings, Adobe can and will take appropriate action.
Privacy & security
The service checks across different versions of Adobe software and verifies the integrity of the software and validity of the licences. More information is available on Adobe.com at http://www.adobe.com/privacy/policy.html.