My printer requires me to have a continuing relationship with the manufacturer to get replacement cartridges, is it just licensed? IMO your WOW analogy is specious, the freely provided service is a separate entity to the software product I buy in the shop - I still have the software to use (as much as that is or isn't possible) regardless of whether the company continue to supply their free online services.

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Aside:

>for all intensive purposes

"intents and purposes"

I don't normally complain, but as you're into word definitions in your post it seemed apt.