Licensing
The licensing of the software can be accessed via the plug-in settings (menu → Plug-ins → signotec Acrobat plug-in configuration → "Manage license" or via the "signotec Adobe Acrobat plug-in licensing" application from the start menu or installation directory.
The license information and the option to activate a license will open in a new window.
License information
The license dialog shows the following information:
Product: Selection of the product to be licensed
Customer number: Customer number of the company to which the license was issued.
Company name: Name of the company to which the license was issued.
Seller: Name of the company through which the license was purchased.
Number of activations: Number of activations currently in use and available in total.
Maintenance contract: Indicates whether the license includes a software maintenance contract. Without a maintenance contract, no versions newer than the license can be used.
Expiration date: Date on which the license expires. After expiry, the software is no longer licensed.
Issued on: Date on which the license was issued.
Last updated on: Indicates when the license information was last updated.
Can be used offline until: Indicates how long the software can still be used offline. This date is reset to 60 days after each successful online check.
Features: Indicates the licensed optional software functions, e.g. support for tablet PCs.
The "Update license" button can be used to check and update the license information online.
Without software maintenance, the license is only valid for the current version at the time of purchase. Newer versions are generally subject to a charge, or are only made available free of charge to customers with an active software maintenance contract. Using an invalid license means that the software can no longer be executed. signotec also only makes the latest version available for download. The customer is responsible for the proper storage of the license and installation files.
Activating a license
In the "Activate license" area, a license can be activated using a license key or license file. The "Enter license key" option is preset by default.
Using a license key
Use the "Enter license key" option to enter the license key in the format "ABCD1234-EF56-GH78-IJ90-KLMNOP123456" in the adjacent input field. The "Check input" button checks the license key online and automatically downloads a license file to carry out the activation.
The activation can be used offline for up to 60 days. The license must then be checked online again. As a rule, activation is renewed daily in case of an active Internet connection and the 60-day period is reset. Alternatively, the activation can also be updated manually using the "Update" button.
The license key is normally sent together with the invoice in an email. If you do not have the license key, you can request it by sending an email to lizenz@signotec.de, stating the customer number and invoice number.
For security reasons, the license key itself is not stored on the computer. It should be kept in a safe place so that the software can be reactivated if necessary.
Maximum number of activations reached
If the license check reveals that the maximum number of activations has already been reached, a dialog with the following options appears:
Transferring a license: This option is used to transfer a license from another computer on which the software is no longer used, e.g. in the event of a hardware defect or replacement. This option can only be used once during an initial installation. During the transfer, all activations are temporarily reset and automatically reassigned. If the computer was already activated, automatic reassignment of the activations is not possible. In this case, please contact support.
Requesting a quote: This option supports the request for a quote for a license extension to use the software on additional computers.
The transfer of an activation should only be carried out if a computer has actually been replaced. Otherwise, individual users may no longer be able to use the software! It should therefore be ensured in advance that sufficient licenses are available for all users.
License distribution
As an alternative to entering the license key manually, licensing can also be carried out automatically.
To distribute a license key and license the software automatically, a license file with the name "ACRPI.licx" must be stored in the folder "%PROGRAMDATA%\signotec\Licences" or "%APPDATA%\signotec\Licenses."
<license>
<licenseData>
<activationId>ABCD1234-EF56-GH78-IJ90-KLMNOP123456</activationId>
</licenseData>
</license>The content of the license file must be structured as follows. The license key ABCD1234-EF56-GH78-IJ90-KLMNOP123456 serves as an example and must be replaced by the actual license key.
When the plug-in is used, this license file is automatically read in and activated online using the license key.
When license distribution is used, it is not possible to automatically transfer a license when the maximum number of activations has been reached. If the number of licenses is exhausted, no further activations can be carried out automatically. The user receives an error message instead.
If the license key is available in the "%PROGRAMDATA%\signotec\Licences" folder, any user of the system can perform activations (perhaps unintentionally). This can lead to problems, especially on terminal servers. It is therefore recommended that access to the software or the license be restricted so that only those users who are actually intended to use the software have access. For example, the license file could be made available only to certain users via a group policy (GPO). All other users use the software in demo mode without a license and cannot perform accidental activations.
Using the license file (offline activation)
If there is no Internet connection, offline activation can be carried out using a license file (*.licx).
To perform an offline activation, the "Use license file" option must be selected. A computer ID ("Client ID") can then be generated using the "Show client information" button, which is displayed in the following format:
U-0000X721X2XX19X9X72A94XX8111003901AD4C0XXXX5B07A86E14C6877A43E0C|M-47A0XX111X6C90600X3XXX47X5X16X21X1X410XXX510X13XX1XX1XX1000020XX
This information must be sent to lizenz@signotec.de together with the invoice number in order to request a license file.
The issued license file can then be selected on the computer via the "Use license file" option and stored in the software.
Releasing a license
If a license is activated, the "Release license" button is displayed in the "License information" area. This button returns the current activation so that it can be used on another computer.
The license is released immediately without further inquiry and cannot be revoked. To reactivate the software, the license key must be entered again.
Legacy licensing
Up to version 8.3.0, the software was licensed manually using software codes in accordance with the scheme described below.
This license procedure is no longer available from version 8.3.0. All installations must be converted to the new license procedure during the update. Old licenses technically lose their validity and must be reissued. The signotec sales team will be happy to advise you.
Single-user license
To license the signotec Adobe Acrobat plug-in, call “Signotec-Lizenz.exe,” which is located in the installation directory. (Default: %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\signotec\Adobe PlugIn\Licensing)
The application must be run explicitly as administrator (right-click > Run as administrator).
Then select the software “Adobe plug-in” under “Product” and enter the license key under “License key”. “Activate license” is used to activate the license.
If you do not yet have a license key, you will need to request one by sending an email to lizenz@signotec.de and quoting the display software code and the invoice number.
To use Windows tablet PCs, an extended license is needed. If a standard license is used with Windows tablets, a watermark will be displayed on the signature image even if the licensing is valid.
Company license
As an alternative to single-workstation licensing, a company license can be used. In this case, a license file is provided that needs to be created during installation in addition to the setup. This file must be called “license.txt”. This eliminates the need for licensing via the software code. Licensing with a company license is available only for 100 workstations or more.