Yes, they sold the right to use the software and the user paid for that right. So by not allowing the user to activate their paid for licenses, they are refusing the user that which they had paid for. So this is just a mechanism to make the pay them again by selling a subscription (the gift that keeps on taking). Great business model. Shoddy way of doing business.

We had to replace a workstation, so the main computer in the office still has a licensed and working copy of QB 2016 and the data. But now we cannot process sales down in the cellar. We never knew that we would not be able to reactivate the license. Again, a shoddy way to do business.

Will be looking out for replacement software by the looks of it then. But never ever anything by Intuit again.