You are spot on.  Yes, it is ransomware, or extortion, or blackmail, or whatever you choose to call it.  Potato Potahto.    I've purchased every version of Quickbooks since it came out in DOS, and now, I have to give them money every year to see data I created 20 years ago.  It is patently unfair.  Someone, please come up with a Quickbooks alternative that actually works.  You'll make a fortune, because we will all switch within nanoseconds.