Dassault Systemes & SOLIDWORKS MAC-Address / Telemetry Compliance Demand Letter Defense & Settlement Playbook

01What a SOLIDWORKS compliance letter typically contains

Dassault Systemes, which publishes SOLIDWORKS, and its resellers run license compliance programs to identify use of the software without a valid license. Engineer Aid is independent of Dassault Systemes and of every reseller. This page is a practical guide for a buyer who has received such a letter and wants to respond responsibly and accurately.

Buyers report that these letters commonly describe usage data associated with your organization, such as machine identifiers, network addresses, computer names, dates of use and the product or version detected. The letter usually states that this use does not match a licensed seat, invites you to resolve the matter, and often proposes a purchase of licenses as the resolution, with a deadline for reply.

Take the letter seriously and treat it as legitimate. Software publishers are entitled to protect their licenses, and unlicensed copies of CAD software inside engineering firms do happen, often without management knowing: a cracked copy installed by an intern, a home-use install on a work laptop, a virtual machine cloned from a licensed image. A prompt, honest and well-documented response almost always produces a better outcome than silence or denial.

Your goal is not to make the matter disappear. It is to establish exactly what happened, resolve the real gaps at a fair price, remove any unlicensed use under counsel's guidance, and put controls in place so it does not recur.

02What to do, and what not to do, in the first week

The first week sets the tone. These rules protect both your position and your relationship with the publisher.

Stopping unlicensed use quickly is right; the question is how. Counsel can advise on removing software while capturing a record of what was there, when and on which machine, which you will need for the reconciliation.

03Match every cited machine to your own records

Ask for the cited data in a usable form: each machine identifier, computer name, network address and date range. Then match each line to your records.

• Asset register: is the machine yours, who was it assigned to, and when?
• License records: serial numbers, activation and transfer history from your reseller and the SOLIDWORKS customer portal.
• Network and endpoint logs: which software was installed and when, and whether the network address belonged to your offices or a VPN.
• HR records: start and leave dates of the person using the machine.
• Evaluation records: any trial or evaluation license issued by a reseller, with dates.

Each cited machine ends up in one of three groups: licensed (for example a licensed seat reactivated after a hardware change, with a transfer record), explained but needing counsel's view (for example a personal device, or a trial whose dates do not quite match), or genuine unlicensed use. Be honest about the third group. Credibility is your strongest asset in the negotiation, and it is lost the moment a claim you made is contradicted by the data.

04Questions to put in writing, through counsel

These questions help both sides work from the same facts. Ask them politely, in writing, through your point of contact. They are not a way to delay; a reply that asks clear questions within the deadline shows you are engaging with the matter.

• What data does the claim rely on, and for what dates? Ask for each cited machine identifier, computer name, network address, product, version and date range. Without these you cannot check anything.
• How was each machine linked to our organization? A network address may belong to a shared office building, a VPN provider or a former subsidiary. Knowing the link lets you check it against your own network records.
• Which products and versions were detected? This is what lets you price each gap at the tier actually used rather than a default tier.
• Is the proposed resolution fixed, or open to discussion once records are reconciled? Most proposals are a starting point. Asking signals that you intend to engage on the facts.
• Which licensing models are acceptable for resolution? Perpetual with maintenance, term subscription, or a mix produce different totals.
• What will the written release cover? Ask for the machines, products and period it will include, so the matter is closed cleanly.

Keep a dated copy of every question and answer with the reconciliation file.

05Worked example: 5 cited machines, 3 real gaps

A letter cites 5 machines and proposes resolution by purchasing 5 SOLIDWORKS Premium perpetual licenses with first-year maintenance. At benchmark that is 5 x ($7,995 + $1,995) = 5 x $9,990 = $49,950.

The firm's reconciliation, reviewed by counsel:

Pricing the 3 real gaps at the tier actually used, on perpetual terms: 2 x ($5,490 + $1,595) + 1 x ($4,195 + $1,295) = 2 x $7,085 + $5,490 = $14,170 + $5,490 = $19,660. That is $30,290 less than the proposal, and it fully pays for the use that occurred.

If term licenses suit the firm better, the same 3 seats cost 2 x $3,800 + $3,150 = $10,750 in year one. Whether a term purchase is acceptable as resolution is a point to raise in the negotiation, not to assume.

06Negotiating a fair resolution

• Share the reconciliation, not just a conclusion. A table like the one above, with evidence for each line, is far more persuasive than a general denial.
• Ask that each gap be priced at the tier used. A seat used for drawings does not need to be resolved as Premium.
• Ask about the licensing model. Perpetual with maintenance and term subscription produce different totals. Ask which are acceptable.
• Ask whether purchases count toward your estate. Licenses bought to resolve the matter should be real, usable seats you can assign to the people who need them.
• Ask whether the resolution can include a review of your existing seats. If you are under-using some licensed seats, a reassignment may cover part of the need.
• Get a written release. The final agreement should list the machines, products and period covered, and state that the matter is resolved on those terms.

Keep all communication through your one point of contact and counsel. The Autodesk compliance guide covers a similar process for Autodesk products.

07Checklist to prevent a repeat

1. Remove local admin rights from engineering workstations so installs go through IT.
2. Keep an asset register that links each machine to its user and its licensed software.
3. Run monthly endpoint scans for SOLIDWORKS installs and compare them with your serial list.
4. Record every activation transfer when hardware is replaced.
5. Publish a short written policy: no personal or unofficial copies of CAD software on company devices, and no company work on unlicensed copies at home.
6. Include CAD license checks in onboarding and offboarding.
7. Before the next renewal, reconcile your seats with the license audit calculator and the SOLIDWORKS renewal audit.

08Run the numbers: cAD, PLM and simulation software license audit calculator

The same benchmarks as this sheet, with your inputs. Share link and printable brief open the full calculator page.