Using software without a valid license is software piracy. It violates copyright laws and Autodesk’s Terms of Service. For businesses, this can lead to hefty fines and legal action from the Business Software Alliance (BSA). For freelancers, it can result in the permanent banning of your Autodesk ID and the loss of access to your portfolio or cloud storage.

For AutoCAD 2021 specifically, the Product Key is essential because it differentiates the standalone version from versions that might be part of a larger bundle.