Today’s Question: I have the original Nik Collection purchased years ago. Now that DxO owns it, can I still use it and can I get updates?
Tim’s Quick Answer: You can continue to use the older version of the Nik Collection for as long as it continues to function with your operating system and software configuration. However, you will not be able to receive updates unless you purchase the updated version from DxO Software.
More Detail: Before going any further, I feel it is important to warn against a potential problem if you choose to install the free trial of the Nik Collection by DxO Software. As noted above, the Nik Collection had previously been owned by Google, but is now owned by DxO Software. Google originally offered the software for sale, and then made it free. DxO Software now offers an updated version of the Nik Collection for sale. However, if you install the free trial version of the Nik Collection by DxO Software, it will cause any earlier versions you may have paid for or obtained for free to no longer function. That, in turn, would mean you would need to purchase a new license from DxO Software in order to continue using the software you already had access to.
In addition, the older versions of the Nik Collection will not be updated by Google. Therefore, the only option for receiving updates is to purchase a license from DxO Software for their updated version of the Nik Collection.
As long as you don’t install the trial version of the Nik Collection from DxO Software, you can certainly continue using an earlier version of the Nik Collection. Keep in mind that software updates to your operating system or host applications (such as Photoshop or Lightroom) may cause some or all of the plug-ins to stop working properly. I’ve still been able to make use of the older versions of the plug-ins with my current configuration, but I have received reports from photographers who are no longer able to use the older Nik Collection plug-ins with their software configuration.
So, you may be able to make use of older versions of the Nik Collection for the time being, but at some point you may need to purchase a new copy from DxO Software if you want to continue using these tools.