- Broadcom declared sending letters to cease-upstairs to perpetual licensees
- They can use products, but they should not use updates
- A legal action is used as a threat
Broadcom would have sent letters of cease-disaster to the holders of VMware perpetual licenses whose support contracts have expired.
The news occurs about 18 months after the company acquired VMware, when one of the first major changes it has brought was to end the perpetual licenses in order to move to more lucrative models based on the subscription.
At the time, users said they had seen considerable price increases, many of which chose to leave the new VMware led by Broadcom.
Users can continue to use existing software under their perpetual licenses, but they cannot access updates or assistance unless you have a pre -existing contract, Ars Technica explain.
Now, customers receive letters demanding that they stop using all updates, fixes or versions published after the expiration of their assistance packages, with the exception of zero-day security fixes.
Customers are even invited to uninstall updates if they have already applied them. The continuous use of these updates is being violated contract and violation of intellectual property, so Broadcom has expressed its desire to explore legal options.
“Such use of the support above the expiration date is an important violation of the agreement with VMware and a violation of VMware intellectual property rights, potentially resulting in complaints for improved damages and lawyer fees,” said an extract from the letter.
According to the report, the letters also mention the possibility of non-compliance audits, while some have been received by customers who do not experience Broadcom policies, including those who have completely moved from VMware.
The decision to continue with the end of perpetual licenses for good is not a big surprise, but Broadcom has reversed some of its controversial changes to pacify customers after some of its leaders have put themselves online to respond to dissatisfied customers.
Techradar Pro asked Broadcom to confirm the details of the letter and offer an additional context, but the company did not respond to our email.
