Your licence: What is 'Reconfirmation'?

Since version 13, MYOB software has been only accessable subject to reconfirmation of the datafiles.  This process was introduced to prevent piracy.  However MYOB and Mamut then decided to 'sunset' the software.  They have withheld reconfirmation to force users to upgrade. Without reconfirmation datafiles would switch to read-only and become unuseable.

Who was responsible? MYOB or Mamut?

Mamut have used elists and private correspondence to blame MYOB Australia for their decision to turn off the server which reconfirms your MYOB datafiles. Mamut like to portray themselves as white knights riding to the rescue of the poor MYOB users whose software was about to be made unuseable by the irresponsible parent company in Australia.

Defending MYOB Users

The licence is utterly clear.  Past customers of MYOB have an unrestricted right to use their software.  MYOB Australia has breached the terms of its licence by threatening to make the datafiles read-only.  Moreover there is no problem with the existing software that requires the typical small business user to need to move.

Those who like using their MYOB software have been badly let down by this nonsense.  The firms that own or distribute the software have demonstrated nothing but foolishness and cynicism. MYOB and its associates have acted in an unprincipled way.  Without principles customers cannot have confidence in the people behind the product.  Without confidence in the people many users have lost confidence in their software and converted to other products at significant cost.

You cannot even complain.  MYOB in Australia, Mamut UK, Mamut in Norway (the parent company) and the various associates in this web simply pass complaints between each other.  Nobody considers that they have the responsibility to give. users a straight answer.

The MYOB User Group is here to defend existing MYOB users. We are particularly focussed on UK and Ireland (although we have members from Africa, the Caribbean, continental Europe and further afield).  We are here to help licenceholders of the MYOB UK software defend their use of the licence that they have paid for.

Replacement MYOB Confirmation Codes

We believe that anyone with a valid MYOB licence (from version 13 to version 18) should be able to carry on using their software.  One of the main benefits of joining the User Group is access to confirmation codes. We believe that anyone with a valid UK/Ireland MYOB licence (from version 13 to version 18) should be able to reconfirm their software and their datafiles. This right is restricted to those who bought the MYOB or equivalent Mamut licence.  That is why in order to become a member we ask you for evidence of your licence.

MYOB allows reconfirmation in the absence of connecting to the server, via a manually entered confirmation code.  Within the Association, we hold a program which will calculate these confirmation codes for MYOB products (and those MYOB products distributed by Mamut). The Association has sole access to the program; it is not available publicly. Confirmation codes will not be made available to non-members. By holding the program securely within the Association, we can carefully manage who gets the codes. We cannot risk the program falling into the hands of anyone who would use it contrary to their licence agreement. We will also avoid accusations of software piracy.
We will usually issue confirmation numbers through this secure member website.  For users who are less technical the service can be provided by phone but for security and efficiency we would prefer to work electronically.

The process we use is described at Confirmation Codes.

MYOB Licence Terms

You should be clear about what you are allowed to do with your program.  You can check this from your initial MYOB user guide and paperwork.
If you have lost this you could look at the relevant MYOB web page:

http://help.myob.co.uk/plus16/win/manuals/User_Guide.pdf
http://help.myob.co.uk/plus17/win/manuals/User_Guide.pdf
http://help.myob.co.uk/plus18/win/manuals/User_Guide.pdf

After downloading the pdf do a search on the word 'licence'  You will also find that the licence terms are shown within the text of your printed user guide.  A sample text appears on this website MYOB Licence Text

We think the key clause is as follows.

MYOB Technology Pty Ltd (the publisher), through its local publishers and distribution agents, hereby grants to you, the original purchaser, a paid up, personal, non-exclusive and non-transferable Licence to use the software and the User Documentation only in the region, territory or country specified on the packaging, or in the United Kingdom and Eire, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement

There are no conditions or time limits.  However all licence holders need to be clear that they could damage their rights under the licence if they breach clause g which requires you not to engage in 'unauthorised copying or distribution of the prorgram...'.

Nowhere else in the licence is there any agreement or escape for the publisher to withdraw the licence, or render the software unuseable to the buyer. The misuse of Digital Rights Management facilities in the software has allowed MYOB to potentially breach its side of this agreement.  Clearly the licence is issued by the Australian legal entity, through its selling agents (ie. Mamut).  Mamut claim that with the withdrawal of MYOB from the UK market there is no alternative but for the existing users to move to another program.  

However there is another answer - join the Association and accept our confirmation codes to allow you to continue.

Mamut Licence

Mamut has portrayed its own software as a continuation product for MYOB.  However licence terms are a potential issue for any MYOB user considering moving to Mamut products. This includes those considering Mamut Mac products which will upgrade a British MYOB datafile.  Since March 2010 the Mamut licences have been sold in place of the MYOB ones... the new licences are considerably more restrictive.

The full licence is visible here.  In this mammoth agreement the current distributor of MYOB products grants itself the right to extinguish licences.     The key clauses are:

You are granted a personal, extinguishable, non-exclusive and limited license in respect of the software, provided that you have paid the agreed license fee and comply with the provisions below. The license granted is subject to the following terms and conditions:

...One license for the software does only give you the right to install and use the software on one single computer, workstation, terminal, handheld PC or other digital electronic storage and/or communications device, in respect of which you have a right of disposition...

...Mamut has a right, but no obligation, to perform automatic updating of your Mamut software via the Internet, irrespective of whether you have a valid Mamut Service Agreement. Such updating may take place without further notification...

...Your right to use the software with appurtenant documentation may be conditional up you having a valid Mamut Service Agreement with Mamut, and limited to the period when the Service Agreement remains in operation. What software licenses are subject to a mandatory requirement for a Mamut Service Agreement is specified in the product description posted on the Mamut homepage...

...The license fee is specified, together with the annual fee for the Mamut Service Agreement, on the Mamut homepage. The validity period of the Mamut Service Agreement for the relevant customer is specified in the Mamut software of such customer...

These are key reasons why MYOB users can consider their existing licence superior.  The MYOB licence is in no sense a rental, as is implied by the Mamut agreement that is being offered as an alternative.

Mamut Accountedge (AE) sold without a service charge


There has been concern from Apple about the nature of the Mamut licence.  In reaction Mamut made it possible to buy and register Mamut software for the Mac without making a commitment to paying a service charge. This was marketted by Mamut as a continuation product for MYOB.

The software is currently sold on this basis in the UK only by Boscown:  http://accounting.enstore.com/browse/1

There are two problems.  The licence terms are objectively more restrictive.  But there is also the nature of the licencing software within the upgraded Mac software.  This was written to periodically reconfirm the datafile against Mamut's list of active payers.   The licence terms do not require Mamut to upgrade your AE software.  The usergroup fears that if you make this upgrade you may be vulnerable if the confirmation software is turned off by Mamut.  If this happens the software will not work.  Your records cannot be viewed, even in a read-only state.
Please bear in mind that the Mamut software is not available on the Applestore: http://store.apple.com/uk/search?find=accountedge