# Final Cut install: Refer to your packaging to obtain your serial number. Arrgh.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-cut-install-refer-to-your-packaging-to-obtain-your-serial-number-arrgh/353143>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 18, 2006, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-cut-install-refer-to-your-packaging-to-obtain-your-serial-number-arrgh/353143 "2006-04-18T10:19:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-cut-install-refer-to-your-packaging-to-obtain-your-serial-number-arrgh/353143/1 "2006-04-18T10:19:20Z")

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Well, I have examined every bit of the packaging. If there is anyone out there that has instlalled Final Cut, where in the heck is the number?

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**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-cut-install-refer-to-your-packaging-to-obtain-your-serial-number-arrgh/353143/2 "2006-04-18T10:46:05Z")

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Never mind. It was in the shrink wrapped manuals. Whoda thunkit. Thanks for reading. Rinse and repeat.

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-cut-install-refer-to-your-packaging-to-obtain-your-serial-number-arrgh/353143/3 "2006-04-18T11:16:32Z")

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It is my personal belief that software manufacturers go out of their way to separate the essential digits from the software, and make the serial numbers as confusing as possible (zeros, "O"s and "Q"s used liberally, "1"s and "I"s similarly, long and complex number sequences) so that anyone making a copy of the disk will have a poor chance of installing the bootleg copy. Unfortunately, that makes it hard for the legitimate user as well.