Before I go in more details, I would like to thank all of those who have contacted me with additional information. This has been a tremendous help in confirming the source of the problem. Since the first comment was made in the forum almost two days ago, the team at Corel including myself have worked very hard to check every possible option and to figure out the root cause that resulted in some of the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 users to get the “Error 24” message when launching CorelDRAW.

As you know, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is licensed on a non-exclusive and perpetual basis when you purchase the product from Corel or one of our channel partners. At the same time, we have the ability to configure a date at which a serial number is no longer valid (e.g. an expiry date, just like for food). We use this in  some cases to provide access to our software in very specific circumstances (limited time testing for example, especially for beta versions), but these expiring serial numbers have NEVER been used for the product you can buy. This means that if you purchased a box, license or electronic download version from Corel or one of our authorized channel partners, the serial number that comes with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 (and the current X5 version for that matter) will never expire and you will NOT be affected by the “error 24” message that prevents the application from starting.

Based on all the tests we have done and all the information gathered, the "Product Installation Unsuccessful Please Reinstall Error 24" message will only be displayed when you are using a serial number that was not generated / sold by Corel Corporation or our partners, and that these have an expiry date of June 1, 2010 embedded.

Software piracy is a persistent issue that affects all of us. At the same time, we understand that some of you might have been the victim of software pirates and have inadvertently purchased an unauthorized copy of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4. We have therefore decided to provide you with an opportunity to purchase an authorized version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 if you are affected by the “Error 24” message. 

Starting tomorrow morning, and ending June 30, 2010, you will be able to contact the Corel Customer Support per phone at the numbers listed on this web page and take advantage of following amnesty program in North America, Brazil, Western Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand (we are reviewing options for other countries):

• If you are able to provide a  proof of purchase  for your copy of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 (the team will let you know exactly what is needed so that we can take legal action against those who sell unauthorized software), you will be eligible to purchase authorized electronic software download version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 at the Amnesty Price of US$ 99 / € 99 / £79 excl. taxes.

• If you don’t happen to have a proof of purchase for your copy of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4, you will still be eligible to purchase an authorized electronic software download version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 at an Amnesty Price of US$ 199 / € 199 / £ 169 excl. taxes.

Everyone at Corel who works on CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is very proud of having so many passionate customers and we all take your feedback very seriously. I can only guarantee that contrary to some comments I saw in the forums, this was never a ploy to get you to buy X5 now that it has been released (reason why we provide you an option to get access to the version you currently use). The version of X4 that you will be able to get through the Amnesty program will be eligible for the upgrade price of X5 in case you want to get the latest and greatest, but there is no requirement to do so.

I also want to point out that trying to circumvent the “Error 24” message with any mechanism does not make your version legal and that we cannot take any responsibility on what these "hacks" will have on our software and system. In addition, Corel will reserve the right to protect its software going forward and take any steps we see fit against piracy. 

On behalf of the entire CorelDRAW team, I am very sorry for the inconvenience some users have experienced as a result of  this error message and have been victims of software pirates. As posted in the forum earlier and as a general reminder, Corel and our authorized partners do not sell products at 50 to 90% discount, and amazing deals on auction or marketplace sites are rarely legitimate. If you find a price that seems too good to be true compared to the one listed on Corel.com or an authorized Corel reseller, please feel free to contact me directly so that we can take appropriate action.

Combating piracy is an ongoing process. We will continue to work with all of you and with our internal teams & systems to ensure we do everything possible to promote fairness and the legitimate use of Corel software. Thanks again to everyone in the community for your help in this matter.