Unfortunately for AVID though...their iLok USB copy protection dongle (which is managed by a completely different company called PACE) recently changed their software for authorization and cloud database, etc...and it has been locking people out of using their paid for programs...and erasing other authorizations on the iLok. Big time studios who use both Pro Tools and other plugins that use iLok protection have been locked out for weeks if they were unlucky enough to update their systems right away. Universal Pictures was having major problems.
If you use AVID stuff...you have to deal with iLok. And at this point...that is not looking good as PACE has proven itself to be a company with poor customer support and a cavalier attitude to helping the end user, because the end user is not their customer. AVID is.
Even folks who have bought and paid for the iLok "Zero Down Time" insurance have been down for a couple weeks. It is all a horrible joke at this point.
One can read about it more at the GearSlutz forums Music Computer section where most of the studio heads hang out.
http://www.gearspace.com/board/music-computers/844460-warning-do-not-install-new-ilok-software.html
This is good to know. We don't have to deal with iLok as much on the EDU front. The only iLok we ever needed was for our ProTools HD system. That was installed over 3 years ago.