Photoshop v5.5 to CS2 with upgrade?

[imrtun]

Hi! Hope this is the right forum; please forgive me if it's not. I have a question concerning Photoshop CS2, is it possible to upgrade from a licensed version of Photoshop v5.5 to CS2 using the CS2 upgrade that can be bought for about £130?

Also, if it is possible, What forms do I need to fill out to complete a transfer of the licence from the previous owner to myself?

I've seen Photoshop 5.5 for sale in my local ads for £50 you see and being a student I don't have much money but would like CS2!

Finally, is there anything I should look out for to make sure I'm getting a genuine copy?

Thank you all very much in advance, Chris.

[Doug Nelson]

5.5 to CS2 is a valid upgrade path. But transferring a licence can be tricky, and usually involves calling up Adobe on the phone.

You might just want to take advantage of the academic discount program:
http://www.adobe.co.uk/education/pur.../students.html

[imrtun]

Thanks for the speedy reply Doug, The academic version although cheaper is still about £300 here in the UK. Also, I understand you're not meant to use the academic version for commercial purposes which I may consider doing later on, I just wouldn’t want to be limited if the opportunities arose.

Licence transfer seems to be my only viable option really; do you have any information on who I might contact at Adobe to start the process?
Cheers, Chris.

[Doug Nelson]

Start at english-custserv@adobe.com but be aware the odds are stacked against you. If the license has ever been upgraded you can't transfer. And the registered owner has to do the transfer, you can't do it. And piracy is rampant, so you could actually end up in trouble if it turns out the source is dicey.

[imrtun]

Update:

I called this guy, seems nice enough, He said it's never been registered with Adobe. But I want to be sure so I'm going to ask to register it in my name online at his house. Would that work?

Thanks again for the help Doug

[Doug Nelson]

If you trust him, there's nothing to be gained by having him register it for you. And if you don't trust him...

[imrtun]

Turns out this guy bought it 2nd hand, however I took along my own laptop, logged onto Adobe online registration, sure enough it had never been registered so I'm officially the first registered user of this copy of Photoshop 5.5!!

Can't wait to upgrade to CS2. In effect I will have a full version of CS2 for £180 , Thanks so much for your help once again. What an excellent forum you have here.