You do not need Adobe at all. Modern open-source tools have closed the gap significantly:

Missing performance enhancements and new tools.

The "Universal Adobe Patcher V2.0" is a well-known third-party software utility designed to bypass the licensing and activation mechanisms of various Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Historically created by independent developers or cracking groups (such as Painter), this tool modifies specific core files within Adobe software to enable full functionality without a paid subscription.

Using software patchers violates copyright laws and intellectual property rights. Such tools circumvent the technological protection measures put in place by software developers, often constituting a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and similar laws worldwide.

: As the name suggests, version 2.0 was designed to be "universal," meaning it could apply this patch to a wide range of Adobe products—including Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, and Premiere Pro—from a single interface. Legal and Ethical Implications