Broadcom allegedly sends demand letters to perpetual VMware license holders

Broadcom has sent cease-and-desist letters to VMware perpetual license holders whose support contracts have expired, according to a report in Ars Technica.

The letters state that users suspected of unauthorized use of patches, bug fixes, and updates released after the expiration of the support agreement may be subject to review. The exception detailed in the letter is security patches for zero-day vulnerabilities, according to the report.

After Broadcom bought VMware in November 2023, the sale of perpetual licenses has stopped to focus on subscription models instead. This has been criticized for leading to increased costs and less flexibility among users.