How can I copy to the clipboard on a stock phone? This is something that has been frustrating me ever since I first did a fresh ROM installation on a smartphone.

I have an excessively complex password for my Google account. It would be impossible to type it into my phone by hand. Usually I would get it into my phone through QR code. But on a fresh installation, I have no QR code reader. I also can't install one, cause I can't access the market without my Google account.

So I put my password into a .txt file and put it in my phone. But when I try to open it, the application that is used can't copy text (like HTMLViewer on CM7) and no alternatives are available.
The key is not putting the password into the file, but make it the filename. Then you can rename the file in the file manager and copy the password through the rename dialog.