- Title: Venezuela designers turn to piracy after Adobe announces it will cut service
- Date: 10th October 2019
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (OCTOBER 9, 2019) (REUTERS) MANAGER OF POSA STUDIO, GIAMPIERO POSA, IN HIS OFFICE WITH ADOBE LOGO IN THE BACKGROUND ADOBE LOGO VARIOUS OF POSA CHECKING DOCUMENTS VARIOUS OF POSA WORKING AT HIS COMPUTER ADOBE MESSAGE NOTIFYING IT WILL CUT ACCESS TO ITS PRODUCTS IN VENEZUELA ADOBE LOGO ON SCREEN PART OF ADOBE MESSAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MANAGER OF POSA STUDIO, GIAMPIERO POSA, SAYING: "Adobe goes along with it (U.S. sanctions). It's not an Adobe decision, it's a decision by the United States government that, with this decree, will affect all the companies that offer and develop technology. It was a surprise because we never assumed that something like this was going to happen."
- Embargoed: 24th October 2019 01:32
- Keywords: Adobe Venezuela sanctions U.S. software developer designers products
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0DN1HJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Venezuelans desperately explored piracy workarounds on Tuesday (October 8) to continue using Adobe programs after the software developer said it will cut access to its products for the country's users, citing U.S. sanctions.
Critics said the move demonstrated the unintended consequences of the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.
San Jose, California-based Adobe Inc., whose products like Photoshop and InDesign are widely used by designers, illustrators and digital marketers, said on Monday (October 7)it was "deactivating all accounts in Venezuela" to comply with the sanctions, which are part of Washington's effort to oust socialist President Nicolas Maduro.
A slew of Venezuelan creative professionals took to social media to argue that Adobe's move would have a devastating impact on freelance designers and marketers, who are already struggling with a hyperinflationary economic collapse.
Adobe said its software will stop working in Venezuela on Oct 28.
Critics of U.S. policy toward Venezuela pointed to Adobe's announcement as the latest example of how the Trump administration's steady escalation of sanctions has hurt ordinary people without succeeding in ousting Maduro, who is accused of corruption and human rights violations.
(Production: Efrain Otero, Liamar Ramos) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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