Maybe this was an oversight on the EE Public Beta FAQ, and I know the page is old now, but here’s what it says about downloading updates and upgrades:
What’s happening with Download Accounts?
Download Accounts will be going away when ExpressionEngine 2.1 is released in favor of a more traditional software upgrade path. This means that some ExpressionEngine 2.x updates will be free and some will be paid upgrades. This gives you full control on deciding if an update is worth paying for or not. Active ExpressionEngine 1.x Download Accounts are applied in full toward the cost of upgrading to ExpressionEngine 2.0 PB or 2.1. This means you get the appropriate value for your active Download Account.
Security updates for 2.x will always be free and will be back ported to all versions of ExpressionEngine 2.x.
You will be able to download the most recent version of ExpressionEngine 2.x purchased, including paid upgrades, for one year after the purchase date. This time resets every time you purchase a ExpressionEngine 2.x upgrade.
It’s that last paragraph that confuses me, as it seems to conflict with what that first part says about download accounts going away and minor updates being assumably free, with no expiration on the latest release within that minor version group.
So does that mean there is indeed still a 1-year expiration on accessing updates if no new license is purchased? I ask because, even though I see no expiration listed under “My Purchases” for the 2.x update line-item, I fear that there really is still an expiration if I don’t purchase another license before the year is up.
I purchased EE 2.x on December 12th, 2009, and I’m eagerly awaiting the release of EE v2.1.2 but want to know if I’ll still be able to get it, if it’s released after the 12th, or if that last paragraph is indeed true and I will be unable to access that update unless I purchase another license.
Any clarification on that?
Thanks!