FOUND: Cadsoft EAGLE License 4.1 and newer

[MarcX]

I‘ve started a new project, but my design is reaching my eagle license limits, i‘m using EAGLE 4.1 Standard, this version is limited to a maximum of 4 layers (later „Standard“ versions allow up to 6 layer) so i‘m looking for a EAGLE 4.1 Professional or EAGLE 5+ Standard or Professional license.

[langwadt]

"new project", so use it an excuse to try kicad, eagle 4 is 15 years old ...

[MarcX]

"new project", so use it an excuse to try kicad, eagle 4 is 15 years old ...

Doesn‘t matter how old it is. I‘m experienced with it and i don‘t want to waste my time with learning a new software and recreating all librarys i‘ve created the last 15 years.

I know that Kicad reached a level which can compete with „professional“ tools but if i would want to do Kicad, i hadn‘t created this thread.

[thm_w]

Do their original license terms allow reselling of your license?
I think you know what to do.

[DiTBho]

Ummm, years ago I had to buy a whole laptop to get EagleCad v6 with a license.
EagleCad is installed on the hard-disk and node-locked to it

Not a bad laptop in the end, just it's running Window-XP, maybe you can find something similar 

[langwadt]

Ummm, years ago I had to buy a whole laptop to get EagleCad v6 with a license.
EagleCad is installed on the hard-disk and node-locked to it

Not a bad laptop in the end, just it's running Window-XP, maybe you can find something similar 

usually nodelocked is to the MAC address or harddisk id, both are easily changed

[MarcX]

I do not want to pirate the software (otherwise i would using the 7.7 which is floating around the web)

Selling used software licenses is legal in my country and License agreements can‘t restrict you in such cases.

Selling licenses was also not a Problem for cadosft. EAGLE license files contain several informations like licensee and adress and if you wanted to sell your license, Cadsoft created a new license file matching the new licensee.

[Jeroen3]

Whetever you do, avoid moving to autodesk/fusion360 eagle, it's not stable, you will hate it.

[DiTBho]

Selling used software licenses is legal in my country and License agreements can‘t restrict you in such cases.

Umm, the problem is how to get a license that depends on your MAC/HD-id.
That's why you should buy the whole computer like I did.

[MarcX]

It isn‘t neccesary to buy a whole computer, you only require your .key-File (on V4 delivered on a separate floppy disk) and the installation code on the user license certificate.

But i don‘t know if V6 activation differs from V4.

[MarkL]

If you have the original "License Registration File" and "Activation Code" (their terminology), the license is not bound to anything in the machine's hardware such as MAC, HDD, hostid, etc.  At least for the Linux 7.x (and I believe previous) versions.

Once you type in the registration and activation code, it generates "eagle.key" in the Eagle bin/ directory, and that appears to have dependencies on the specific machine.  That is what prevents you from simply copying the Eagle directory from one machine to another.

The eagle.key generation can be done off-line, so there is no verification with the mother ship.

[MarcX]

@MarkL So Cadsoft hasn't changed something in their registration procedure, but their terminology seems to changed, on my user license certificate the activation code is called "Installation Code" but that isn't a big change, the procedure is the same. I've looked at my Cadsoft FTP Backup from February (can't connect at the moment, maybe autodesk shut it down) and there was also a floating license model for multi-user licensing based on flexera, but that's another topic.

[ebastler]

So yes, it is legal to re-sell and buy old licenses, and it is technically straightforward to transfer them to a new computer (if you have the .key file etc.).

But it will not be straightforward to find a license available for sale, I'm afraid. I have seen a few enquiries here and on other forums, none of which got a positive response. Seems that those users who have not simply forgotten about or lost their old Eagle license want to hold on to it -- as "insurance" for accessing old designs when needed, or even for new designs. I am certainly holding on to my 7.x license (hobbyist license only, i.e. not what you need), even though I have switched to KiCad for new projects.

[MarkL]

So yes, it is legal to re-sell and buy old licenses, and it is technically straightforward to transfer them to a new computer (if you have the .key file etc.).

But it will not be straightforward to find a license available for sale, I'm afraid. I have seen a few enquiries here and on other forums, none of which got a positive response. Seems that those users who have not simply forgotten about or lost their old Eagle license want to hold on to it -- as "insurance" for accessing old designs when needed, or even for new designs. I am certainly holding on to my 7.x license (hobbyist license only, i.e. not what you need), even though I have switched to KiCad for new projects.

Yes, that's quite right.  I need to hold onto my 7.x Eagle Pro license to work with old but well-proven designs.  And like you, new designs will be done in KiCad.

The Eagle import into KiCad is not so bad lately, but when a client asks for another 100 boards with a couple of tweaks, I'm not going to risk an import, edit, and then off to the fab.  Any board errors because of MY decision to switch will not be received well.

There could be 7.x or older licenses floating around as a result of users who fully bit into Autocad/Eagle 8.x and later.  If Autocad/Eagle was considered an upgrade to a 7.x or older version, then probably not, but if they had to buy into Autocad/Eagle fresh under the new rent-ware model with no regard and no value offered for a previous license, it would seem to me the user fully owns the old license and could resell it if desired.

A read of the relevant license agreements would be needed.

[MarcX]

Still looking for a EAGLE license, i would prefer V5, but V4 is also sufficient.

[MarcX]

Got a V5 Pro License, topic can be closed