can't see anything different to what they did before.
They appear to have adopted the Hi-Tech HPA annual maintenance subscription marketing double speak rubbish with tedious and annoying online MAC address bound activation or network license servers for all their compilers which is very different.
C18, C30, C32 you bought the compiler and got free updates for ever. Later versions required an installation key but that didn't stop you installing on another computer or re-installing after a computer change or OS re-install.
The Hi-Tech system is a complete pain in the arse and their HPA a rip-off. I didn't need HPA because their "we will fix bugs without needing HPA" policy and their compilers being riddled with bugs meant I was always entitled to the current compiler version as a bug fix. After it refusing to activate following an OS re-install I gave up and used a cracked version - much less hassle.
The XC range has already been cracked (although not generally available yet), they are not going to make money from this onerous activation and licensing scheme, all they have done is annoy paying customers. Tools specific to their processors should be loss leaders like MPLAB and MPLAB X and all their cheap dev boards anyway.