A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that TeamViewer has misleadingly sold “perpetual” licenses for its remote computer access software, given that it has withdrawn internet-based connectivity for legacy versions, leaving users with a “materially diminished” product unless they buy it again or upgrade their subscription.

The 17-page lawsuit contends that TeamViewer, which offers remote-from-anywhere access to computers outside of a user’s network without complex network configuration, sold “perpetual” licenses for TeamViewer Versions 11 and 12 that were later cut off from the software’s servers and network, stripping the product of its core remote-access functionality.

According to the class action lawsuit, TeamViewer’s “perpetual” licenses were sold on the basis that, after one “substantial” upfront payment, customers would have continued access to remote-access functionality through TeamViewer-controlled servers. Per the case, TeamViewer enables device identity, authentication, session negotiation, and NAT/firewall traversal for remote sessions over an internet connection, allowing users to connect to devices outside of their Local Area Network (LAN). Each of these services required an ongoing connection to TeamViewer’s servers and infrastructure, the suit stresses.

The filing contends that after shifting toward a subscription-based model, TeamViewer unfairly implemented an “end-of-support” action that unilaterally denied TeamViewer Versions 11 and 12 access to its servers and network, rendering the software “unable to perform its essential intended use.” As a result, consumers with “perpetual” licenses have been left with LAN-only connectivity and the “resulting pressure” of being unable to work remotely until they purchase another subscription or upgrade.

The lawsuit says that TeamViewer’s decision to remove legacy versions of its software from its network ecosystem is more egregious than simply ending updates or customer support, given that consumers are left with LAN-only connectivity despite paying for remote-access functionality, the “defining” feature of the product.

“TeamViewer’s attempt to characterise the resulting ‘LAN-only’ connectivity as a continued benefit is misleading and commercially unreasonable,” the suit argues.

Consumers widely understood “perpetual” to mean more than simply the retention of the right to “run a local executable,” and that continued remote-access use was the “essential” purpose of the license, per the case.

As the complaint tells it, TeamViewer has failed to provide consumers with meaningful compensation—such as partial refunds or credits—to reimburse them for the license’s premium price.

The plaintiff purchased TeamViewer based on the representation that the perpetual license was a “paid-up” alternative to a subscription service, and paid a total of $2,799 for the software license. The complaint relays that when the plaintiff made his purchase, he did not expect that TeamViewer would later “extinguish” the software’s intended use by removing access to its servers.

The TeamViewer class action lawsuit seeks to cover all individuals and entities in the United States who purchased a perpetual license to TeamViewer Version 11 or Version 12.