Empirical Labs Digital Corp Software Policies

Last updated January 2021

All Empirical Labs Digital Software use PACE Anti-Piracy Copy Protection

All Empirical Labs audio software plugins use PACE Anti-Piracy Copy Protection and require a 2nd or 3rd generation iLok USB dongle or an open iLok Cloud Session with a stable internet connection to operate. Our software will only operate within a digital audio workstation (DAW) or other software if iLok License Manager is installed on the system and a valid license for our products is activated to either an iLok USB dongle that plugged in to the system or an open iLok Cloud Session. The iLok account that is registered to the user’s iLok USB dongle or iLok Cloud Session must be signed in to iLok License Manager to properly activate the software.

An active iLok account, iLok License Manager and a valid activation location (iLok USB dongle or iLok Cloud Session) is also required to use the demo for our software. When the software is downloaded and opened for the first time, PACE will provide a Trial/Demo license for the user to activate to a valid activation location. The Trial/Demo license deposited will last for 15 days after activation. Once the Trial/Demo license expires, another Trial/Demo license can not be activated to the same account again. Empirical Labs will not provide any iLok USB dongles to any customer who does not have one. For more information on activating licenses to an iLok USB dongle or iLok Cloud Session, visit the downloads page on our website.

 

Software Licenses

Empirical Labs provides 1 non-expiring license with 2 concurrent activations with your purchase of an (1) activation code. When you purchase our software either from our online store (empiricallabs.com) or from a certified Empirical Labs dealer, you will be emailed a 30-digit activation code to be redeemed within iLok License Manager. Once redeemed, 1 perpetual license will be deposited to the iLok account that is currently signed into iLok License Manager. All codes purchased after April 2020 can be transferred to another user with iLok License Manager.

Before April 2020, Empirical Labs provided 2 non-expiring licenses with 1 concurrent activation  per license with each (1) software activation code. When an activation code was purchased from our online store (store.empiricallabs.com at the time) or from a certified Empirical Labs dealer, users were emailed a 30-digit activation code that deposited 2 perpetual licenses with 1 activation each. The second license was for the user’s personal use only whether it is for a second iLok dongle registered to your account or for backup purposes in case an iLok is lost or stolen. These licenses were not transferable. Users can request new transferable licenses at any time.

Customers who purchased Empirical Labs software from the Avid Marketplace before May 2020, were only provided with 1 non-transferable license with 1 concurrent activation. Some of which were provided with a second license to fulfil our Dual Activation Promise. Any customers who did not get a second license after purchasing Empirical Labs software from the Avid Marketplace before May 2020 can request one from Empirical Labs at any time.

 

Dual Activation Promise

Empirical Labs Digital Corp. guarantees any user who purchased any full, non-expiring version of any Empirical Labs software at a retail or promotional price (by use of coupons or limited-time promotional discounts) are entitled to two activations of their software. The second activation is courtesy of Empirical Labs Digital Corp and is considered a free additional activation that has no added value. In other words, the first activation is worth the price at which the product was purchased and the second license is granted to the customer free of charge for purchasing the software at retail price.

Users who have purchased the Arousor from the Avid Marketplace between April 2018 and May 2020 only received 1 non-transferable license with 1 activation for their purchase. These users can request to trade in their license(s) for new transferable licenses that allow for 2 concurrent activations. Some of these users may have already received a second non-transferable license with 1 activation before the new transferable licenses were available. These two licenses can also be traded in for a new transferable license. See “Trading Non-Transferable Licenses for a Transferable License” below.

The Dual Activation Promise does not apply to customers with subscription licenses via Gobbler, Not for Resale licenses, or licenses purchased with special accommodation pricing (i.e. educational, artist, industry, or veteran accommodations).

 

Transferring Licenses

Both (2) activations, whether it is from one or two separate licenses, are meant for one user only. All licenses that allow 2 concurrent activations can be transferred via iLok License Manager without manufacturer’s (Empirical Labs Digital Corp.) approval for a $25 USD transfer fee. This fee is paid by the license transferer (the user who initiated the transfer) to PACE Anti-Piracy (the entity who owns and maintains iLok) for transferring the license from the transferer’s account to the transferee’s account. Empirical Labs Digital Corp. and Empirical Labs Inc. do not receive any portion of or information regarding this transaction between the license transferer and PACE.

Any licenses that allow for only 1 concurrent activation must be manually transferred by the manufacturer and will only be approved for transfer if there are 2 similar licenses in the transferer’s account. Only licenses that can be grouped into 2 activations can be transferred to another user. For example, if the transferer’s account has 2 licenses with 1 concurrent activation for each of those licenses available in their account, they must transfer both of those activations to the transferee’s account rather than just one of the two available licenses.

As of June 2020, PACE enacted a policy that requires accounts and licenses to be active for over 90 days before licenses can be transferred via iLok License Manager’s transfer protocol. See “Fraud Prevention” and “Manual Transfers” for more information on this subject.

 

Trading Non-Transferable licenses for a Transferable License

Any user that has 2 activations or should have 2 activations (excluding subscription users and users who received special pricing) is eligible to have their non-transferable licenses replaced with a new transferable license that provides for 2 concurrent activations. The trade-in process goes as follows:

Before: 2 non-transferable, non-expiring Arousor licenses with 1 possible concurrent activation

After: 1 transferable, non-expiring Arousor license with 2 possible concurrent activations

As of June 2020, transfers are not enabled until 90 days after a license is deposited. If a user is looking to immediately transfer a license, they must go through the Manual Transfer process. See “Fraud Prevention” for more information.

 

Empirical Labs Software Support

When you provide your iLok account information to Empirical Labs Software Support, all of your iLok account information can be reviewed for further action. Software Support has the ability to view all of your Empirical Labs licenses and their current state (activated, expired,  revoked, etc.), as well as revoke and deposit new licenses into your iLok account. Software Support will help with any license activation issues, installation issues, software bugs, and anything pertaining to using our software. When provided with your Gobbler account information, Software Support can see your subscriptions, transactions, iLok account, and other information pertaining to your subscription to Empirical Labs plug-ins. Software Support also has the ability to terminate and refund your subscription. If an iLok or Gobbler issue occurs, Software Support may reach out to PACE or Gobbler support to help resolve the issue.  Software Support can be reached at softwaresupport@empiricallabs.com.

 

Activating a License to a Different Account

If a user redeems an activation code for any Empirical Labs software to a different iLok account than they originally intended, Software Support can revoke the redeemed license(s) from the account it was accidentally redeemed to and deposit a new one to the desired account. The user must provide proof of purchase before their license can be manually transferred to their desired account. For activating a subscription license(s) to another account, see “Redepositing Subscription Licenses.”

 

Supported Formats

All of our software is compatible with the following operating systems and formats:

  • Operating Systems
    • Windows 7 or higher
    • Mac OS 10.7 or higher
  • Plugin Formats
    • AAX 64-bit (OSX and Windows)
    • VST2 64-bit (OSX and Windows) (AROUSOR only)
    • VST3 64-bit (OSX and Windows)
    • AU 64-bit (OSX)

AAX 32-bit support was discontinued in  Arousor Rev 2.3

 

Software Subscriptions

Empirical Labs monthly and yearly software subscriptions are provided by Gobbler. When a user starts a subscription through Gobbler, a (1) subscription license will be deposited to the iLok account linked to their Gobbler account. Subscription users are not eligible for the Dual Activation Promise, nor are they eligible to “trade-in” their subscription for a full license at any time. Empirical Labs Software Support has the ability to redeposit licenses, issue refunds, and terminate subscriptions.

 

Redepositing Subscription Licenses

If the iLok account linked to the user’s Gobbler account is not the one they intended to deposit their subscription license(s) to, the user must link the desired iLok account to their Gobbler account and request Software Support to redeposit their license. If a user lost or broke their iLok and need their license(s) to be redeposited, see “Lost or Broken iLok.”

 

Refunds and Returns

Empirical Labs can issue refunds to users who purchased Empirical Labs software either on the Empirical Labs website (empiricallabs.com) or users who purchased a subscription from Gobbler. Licenses are immediately revoked from the user’s iLok account once a refund is issued. If the user purchased an activation code and did not redeem it, the activation code immediately becomes void and will no longer be redeemable. Activation codes purchased from the Empirical Labs plugin store can be refunded up to 30 days after they are purchased. Subscriptions purchased through Gobbler can be refunded up to 30 days after they are purchased or renewed.

 

Lost or Broken iLok

Empirical Labs will provide replacement licenses to users who have lost or broken their iLok USB dongles as long as the user submits an RMA to PACE. When this RMA is submitted, PACE may provide temporary or permanent replacement license(s) if the user purchased Zero Downtime coverage for their iLok USBs. Empirical Labs will replace any license(s) regardless of whether the user has coverage or not, however, the user must provide Empirical Labs with the RMA number issued to them by PACE to get their license(s) replaced. When getting license(s) replaced Empirical Labs may ask the user to verify their iLok account information and update outdated licenses.

 

Not for Resale Licenses

Not for Resale Licenses (NFRs) are promotional licenses that are non-transferable and only allow for a single activation. NFRs can not be exchanged for full licenses or transferred to another user.

 

24-Hour Purchase Price Protection

If a customer purchased a software product 24 hours before or after an advertised price drop or discount, they can request to either be refunded the difference of the price they purchased it at and the discount, or get the product for the discounted price. Empirical Labs will typically initiate price drops/discounts 24 hours before they are advertised online and continue the price drop/discount 24 hours after the advertised end date to prevent the need for any action to be taken on this policy. Price drops/discounts start dates are the day they are advertised on our website and/or social media pages, not the day that the price is changed. Discount end dates are dictated by the date that is advertised on our website and/or social media pages (typically advertised as “Ends 00/00”), not the day that the price is changed.

 

Trial/Demo Extensions

All Empirical Labs software automatically deposits a 15-day Trial/Demo license to the user’s iLok account the first time it is opened within a DAW. Once that license expires another Trial/Demo period can be requested by contacting Empirical Labs Software Support. Users are allowed up to 4 Trial/Demo extensions per Empirical Labs software product. All Trial/Demo licenses deposited after the initial 15-day Trial/Demo license will be 15-day Trial Extension Licenses. Promotional Trial/Demo Extensions do not count towards the 4 Trial/Demo extensions given per product.

 

Fraud Prevention

A user can be suspected of fraud if their license is linked with an activation code that was purchased with fraudulent credit card information or if they show signs of reselling licenses. In the event in which a user or customer is suspected of fraud, Empirical Labs will revoke their licenses without notice and the user will have to contact Empirical Labs to rebut the fraudulent claim.

As of June 2020, PACE re-enacted a policy that requires accounts and licenses to be at least 90 days old before licenses can be transferred via iLok License Manager’s transfer protocol. In other words, a license can not be transferred until 90 days after it is deposited or activated to a user’s account. This policy conflicts with Empirical Labs’s policies in the circumstances in which licenses that have been activated to the wrong account must be transferred to the correct account, and users are trading their old non-transferable licenses for the new transferable license. However, Empirical Labs can perform a Manual Transfer of licenses between accounts to remedy these conflicts. See “Manual Transfers” for more information.

 

Manual Transfers

Because of PACE’s new 90-day transfer policy, Empirical Labs will manually transfer licenses from one user’s account to another under the circumstances in which the user either has non-transferrable full licenses they wish to transfer to another user, or they are transferring licenses between 2 accounts that they own or are associated with (i.e. accounts within the same company, facility, or are owned by the same person). Once the licenses are manually transferred from the transferer to the transferee, the transferee must wait 90 days before transferring their newly transferred licenses to another account via the transfer protocol within iLok License Manager. When a license is manually transferred from one account to another, the license is revoked from the transferer’s account and a new identical license is deposited to the transferee’s account.

 

Registering a Verified Purchase

As of January 2021, users who purchased a perpetual license for Empirical Labs software from an authorized third party retailer can now register their purchase on the Empirical Labs website as long as the user can provide proof of purchase. When a user provides proof of purchase to Empirical Labs software support, a “Verified Purchase” order will be added to that user’s account. This “Verified Purchase” will grant permission to a software download and enable the user to take advantage of crossgrade discounts and upgrades in the future. The registration of a “Verified Purchase” to a user’s is not necessary to gain access to installer downloads. User’s only need to register an account on the Empirical Labs website to gain access to installer downloads. Transfers, subscriptions, and purchases from independent sellers are not qualified for registering “Verified Purchases.”

If you have any questions or concerns about our Software Policies, please contact us at softwaresupport@empiricallabs.com.