14 DAY TRIAL // Adobe's Creative Cloud suite has been out a day, and Photoshop CC, arguably the premiere app in the suite, has already been pirated. Photoshop CC is already available on the Pirate Bay and most likely in many other places by now.
One of the big apparent reasons why Adobe moved to the cloud version of its suite was to fight against piracy. But it doesn't look like it's done much good.
In fact, the pirates seem to be using the exact same method, a couple of patched DLLs, they used to crack previous Photoshop versions.
Users have to install Photoshop in trial mode, after which the crack resets the trial timer and prevents Photoshop from contacting Adobe's servers to verify the installation.
The new Photoshop CC is supposed to call home at least once every 30 days even if you have a valid license. It's unclear whether the crack handles this issue or not.
But the speed with which the app was cracked seems to suggest that Adobe didn't exactly worry too much about DRM.
Or rather, as has been said before, that DRM's scope isn't to stop pirates or unlicensed use, but to control the distribution channels.
For Adobe, moving to a subscription model means its revenue will come in a steady flow rather than in a big lump in the few months after a new Creative Suite version is unveiled. Now, the money comes in every month in a rather predictable way. From a business point of view, that alone justifies the switch to the new model.
Still, perhaps one of the reasons why Adobe wasn't worried about piracy, particularly since Photoshop has always been one of the most pirated apps in the world, is because the Creative Cloud does actually offer things that the pirated version can't.
Previously, a pirated Photoshop was the same as a legitimate copy, functionality-wise. That's still true now, but the Creative Cloud also comes with file syncing, an online portfolio profile, sharing with colleagues, and so on. It also guarantees that you have the latest version of the apps you're using.
Adobe's approach is perhaps the best one when dealing with piracy, and it's nice to see a large company finally realizing that the only way to fight piracy is to offer more than what a pirated copy can offer.