3-Year Studio Contract Downgraded: MEP Tool Blocked to Force Cloud Migration (EU Data Act Breach?)

[Jahon]

Hi everyone,

I am a sole practitioner and expert witness from Belgium. I am sharing my ongoing battle with Graphisoft and my local reseller regarding a unilateral software devaluation during an active 3-year subscription.

With recent updates, the MEP Designer has been stripped from the Studio subscription. Small practices are now forced to pay for a heavy cloud infrastructure (BIMcloud SaaS / Collaborate) that we do not need, do not use, and consciously avoid, just to get back a local desktop tool we already paid for [1].

My reseller claims they must blindly follow corporate guidelines from Graphisoft HQ [1]. Meanwhile, my workflow is completely blocked. I am spending my nights doing manual workarounds to compensate for a software block that was forced upon me mid-contract.

I have officially notified my reseller that I am prepared to escalate this. This is no longer just a commercial dispute; it violates fundamental European legal and ethical principles:

1. The EU Data Act (In force since Sept 12, 2025): This regulation explicitly bans vendor lock-in tactics. It forbids software providers from erecting artificial barriers—such as stripping desktop tools or forcing cloud subscriptions—that hinder users from managing and accessing their own data freely.
2. 10-Year Legal Liability: In Belgium, architects and experts face a strict 10-year legal liability for building defects. I am legally required to access my exact, unmodified source files and MEP routing at any time. Forcing this data into a cloud infrastructure disrupts my archival duties. I deliberately choose data sovereignty using my own local Synology server to protect my intellectual property.

I have given my reseller a final chance to provide a pragmatic, temporary activation of the MEP tool on my subscription for the remainder of my contract. If they refuse, I will file a formal complaint for unfair commercial practices and breaches of the EU Data Act with the European Commission and the Belgian Economic Inspection (FOD Economie).

As an experienced architect, I feel it is my duty to stand up against this corporate greed, if only to protect the younger generation of architects from being financial milk cows to software giants [1].

Are other European users exploring collective legal signaling or leveraging the EU Data Act against these forced cloud migrations? Let's bundle our forces.

[Lingwisyer]

Related thread: https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Licensing/GRAPHISOFT-screwed-us-again-This-licensing-nonsense-is...

[Jahon]

Update: KUBUS/Graphisoft formally rejects temporary MEP solutions – Escalating to European Commission & Professional Associations.

Dear fellow architects,

I have received a final rejection from KUBUS regarding the removal of MEP functionality. They refuse any cost-free solution for active contracts. This is a corporate strategy driven by Graphisoft CEO Daniel Csillag.

The Core Threat:

Our 10-Year Legal Liability In countries like Belgium, we are legally liable for 10 years.

If we cancel our subscription, Graphisoft locks the software completely, holding our own project archives hostage. This is an unacceptable breach of professional independence.

I have now:

1. Opened a dispute with my legal insurance (Protect).
2. Filed a complaint with the Belgian Enforcement Agency.
3. Filed a formal complaint with the European Commission under the EU Data Act.

I urge you all to escalate this to your national professional bodies. If we don’t fight this “lock-in” now, we lose control over our archives forever.

I am 63 and have been an architect for almost 40 years. I am using Archicad since version 7. At this stage of my career, I am not just fighting for myself; I am fighting for the future of the younger generation and their right to own their professional legacy.