Exhibit 5


                                Hale and Dorr LLP
                               Counsellors at Law
                  60 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109
                         617-526-6000 * FAX 617-526-5000


                                  October 20, 2000

Avid Technology, Inc.
Avid Technology Park
One Park West
Tewksbury, MA 01876

      Re:   Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

      This  opinion  is  furnished  to you  in  connection  with a  Registration
Statement on Form S-8 (the  "Registration  Statement") filed with the Securities
and Exchange  Commission (the "Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act"), for the registration of 500,000 shares of Common
Stock,  $.01 par value per share (the  "Shares"),  of Avid  Technology,  Inc., a
Delaware  corporation (the  "Company"),  issuable under the Company's 1997 Stock
Incentive Plan (the "Plan").

      We have  examined  the  Certificate  of  Incorporation  and By-Laws of the
Company,  each as  amended  and  restated  to date,  and  originals,  or  copies
certified to our  satisfaction,  of all pertinent records of the meetings of the
directors and stockholders of the Company,  the Registration  Statement and such
other  documents  relating  to the Company as we have  deemed  material  for the
purposes of this opinion.

      In examination of the foregoing documents, we have assumed the genuineness
of  all  signatures,  the  authenticity  of  all  documents  submitted  to us as
originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us
as copies,  the  authenticity of the originals of such latter  documents and the
legal competence of all signatories to such documents.

      We express no opinion  herein as to the laws of any state or  jurisdiction
other than the state laws of the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  the Delaware
General  Corporation  Law statute and the federal  laws of the United  States of
America.



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      Based upon and subject to the  foregoing,  we are of the opinion  that the
Shares have been duly  authorized  for issuance and the Shares,  when issued and
paid for in accordance with the terms of the Plan, will be validly issued, fully
paid and nonassessable.

      It is understood  that this opinion is to be used only in connection  with
the offer and sale of the Shares while the Registration Statement is in effect.

      Please note that we are opining only as to the matters expressly set forth
herein, and no opinion should be inferred as to any other matters.

      We hereby  consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an
exhibit to the  Registration  Statement in accordance  with the  requirements of
Item  601(b)(5)  of  Regulation  S-K under the  Securities  Act.  In giving such
consent,  we do not hereby  admit that we are in the  category of persons  whose
consent  is  required  under  Section 7 of the  Securities  Act or the rules and
regulations of the Commission.

                                Very truly yours,

                                /s/ HALE AND DORR LLP

                                HALE AND DORR LLP



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