In passing, I've just received an email from a company where I bought their product:

You may continue to use your version of product without the renewal. The License Renewal entitles you to one year of free upgrades and support. With the License Renewal you will get the latest version of software and NEW registration key. The License Renewal does not cancel the old license key, so you can still use it on another computer.
The renewal is just under 50% of the original price.

How refreshing,
Acorn