Blackmagic Forum

I have a Davinci license that came new with my Pocket 4k. I’m thinking of selling my 4k and buying a second hand 6k but I’ve seen some Reddit posts suggesting that if I sell my camera I lose my Davinci license. Is that true?

I had assumed my license was mine for life, it was part of the package when I bought my brand new 4k ten years ago.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

Yes. License & license support are connected to hardware ownership.

From the FAQs on licenses,

Every copy of DaVinci Resolve Studio has a unique serial number that will be on the package of the software, and on the activation license card inside. Keep this safe as this is your proof of ownership for that copy of the software, along with the receipt from your authorized Blackmagic reseller.
You will need this serial number for phone or email support from BMD.

The serial number in this case is the serial number of the hardware. Peter Chamberlain has clarified this point in the past - here, here, here here.

Regards
Shrinivas

This is good to know.

Shrinivas Ramani wrote:Yes. License & license support are connected to hardware ownership.

From the FAQs on licenses,

Every copy of DaVinci Resolve Studio has a unique serial number that will be on the package of the software, and on the activation license card inside. Keep this safe as this is your proof of ownership for that copy of the software, along with the receipt from your authorized Blackmagic reseller.
You will need this serial number for phone or email support from BMD.

The serial number in this case is the serial number of the hardware. Peter Chamberlain has clarified this point in the past - here, here, here here.

Regards
Shrinivas

Thanks for the fast reply Shrinvas. My license key is on a card, it’s different from my camera serial number. So if I sell my 4k but keep my license card I can keep my Davinci license?

Like the FAQ says, the serial number is part of the proof of ownership and needs to be retained safely by the user of the license. Please read through Peter's clarifications in the linked posts - they address the specific question of license ownership when selling a camera.

Yes I read those four posts. Honestly I don’t know if they made it clearer. My reading of those posts is that there is no commitment on my part to provide my activation key to the new owner of my camera.

The Terms and Conditions state:

“Every copy of DaVinci Resolve Studio has a unique serial number that will be on the package of the software, and on the activation license card inside. Keep this safe as this is your proof of ownership for that copy of the software, along with the receipt from your authorized Blackmagic reseller. You will need this serial number for phone or email support from BMD.”

So that tells me that my license activation card is my ownership. It doesn’t mention a camera being part of that activation or license in the terms and conditions?

The simple answer is, if the activation key came with the camera it’s the camera, or other hardware like a keyboard or speed editor, serial number of that hardware defines the ability to receive support.

Thanks for clarifying Peter. So it’s only the support that is linked to the camera, not the activation and use of Davinci.

It’s not possible to activate Davinci without the card, therefore if sold my 4k and kept the card I would still have the use of Davinci (unsupported) and the new owner would not be able to activate Davinci. Correct?

wow.

I bought a card from B&H for $300 to activate studio davinci 15 a while back. Then I bought a 4k and mini control panel but never used those cards cause I already was activated via card bought with cash.
If I want to sell the camera, control panel or my dog, I don't have to go through a U.S. FBI registry and permit process designed to restrict AR15 semi automatics from criminals, and keep atomic weapons out of the hands of terrorists. Do you think Davinci has a better system to track what you sell and who is allowed to use the stuff you bought ???

Sell and buy what you want and just keep using your software and keep your " card " and don't tell anyone what you are doing so you are safe from the davinci worldwide police force !

support of what ??? you mention support ... of what ? What kind of support do you get ??? When you want camera support give them your serial number if asked for it. Otherwise what else is there ??? You think they know who owns the stuff ???? That's impossible.

I have to agree with robodog1 on this front. Ridiculous. There's no escaping the irony of BMD threatening to withhold 'support'. You mean you will stop asking us to upload log files that nobody looks at never to be mentioned again?

I would sell my camera and keep my card without a tinge of guilt or worry John L.

Please update your registration process and stop embarrassing all of us who recommend your software BMD. You have a great product. Don't spoil your customer experience with this kind of pettiness.

This is not complicated. BM make money from hardware and occasional give away the software with the hardware. That software is part of the hardware sale. If you buy the software then you have given them money for it so it then becomes the sale. Maybe they should stop giving away software with the hardware or have this software paired with the hardware like a dongle ? Would be easy with Speed Editor.