Understood, thanks to clarifying. In the hands of someone who doesn't know what they're doing, such as a typical consumer on any given day, even with the software, this kind of remote is not much more than an expensive paperweight. The Harmony line is already too complicated for most people to manage - or at least intimidating enough that many people won't try.

So I can see how URC, without creating a system for a typical consumer to be able to handle such a remote would not want general sales of this line to that market segment. It can make the company and product line look bad because the products will not be living up to their potential.

That should however not preclude someone from buying the remote from an authorized dealer for the purposes of setting it up themselves if that's what they want to do. Likewise, obtaining the software to continue to support and update their remotes after their relationship with a former dealer ends for whatever reason - even perhaps one who custom installed the product for them originally. People move, people die, businesses close, etc.

If URC does not intend such people from obtaining their software they shouldn't expressly mention in the product's end-user documentation that the software is available for them. I don't think URC has this desire however since we can see from posts here in the forum that they've stepped up to provide the software to owners numerous times in the past.

So I see this as another case of URC simply wanting to control the pipeline to discourage unauthorized sales. In the end, I feel like the whole issue is simply a product of URC's own mismanagement of their product line. Had they done things a little differently they could have better catered to all groups involved without these problems.