Is Final Cut Pro going to a subscription model?

Everything mentioned here in this thread is certainly a possibility. Of course, this could also simply mean that the verbiage in the updated RTM is there to legally clarify that although you may have purchased FCP, you are granted a license to us it, and do not own it outright to the extent that you can sell, share, redistribute or reverse engineer the application.

That's already in the End User License Agreement and stated very clearly.  Not sure why that existing and very clear statement would have to change.

Perhaps it would make more sense to pack FCP with such spectacular resource-intensive features that one would have to upgrade your Mac every two years to take full advantage of it (as many do with their iOS devices). In short, use FCP features to sell more and better hardware.

I have a big problem with:

...that one would have to upgrade your Mac every two years to take full advantage of it...



Ben Balser wrote: That's already in the End User License Agreement and stated very clearly. Not sure why that existing and very clear statement would have to change.

. But I don't believe it's referred to as "Rental Software" in the EULA.

You wouldn't have to upgrade the software. You could stay with the version you have until you feel it's time for a new computer and then get upgraded software version with it. Mr. Seeman's idea would be excellent for free software. Apple obviously doesn't need the money it's getting from FCP sales, but if newer versions prompted more Mac sales, I'm sure that would be more lucrative. 

Yes Tom.
That would work.

One example might be FCP features that are best-taken advantage of using the Apple Silicon's Neural Engine. Such features might expedite some users to buy Apple Silicon Macs.

As a possible comparison look at FileMaker / Claris products.  store.claris.com/individuals

I did not know that Claris was branding another DB under their name.

For $540 you can get a single license, as long as you don’t need to share data with some one. ????