Yes, I was told this by a replicator.

Fortunately when I got home I was able to remember how the DVD logo was spelt, and made my own version with a different font!

There's a point where protecting intellectual property ends and being anally retentive begins ....

I mean we've bought a DVD authoring/burning program, we've bought a DVD burner, we buy DVD media .... and they still want to charge us for using the logo!

- brings up an interesting question - if I want to put in the credits of a video, "edited with Sony Vegas" - do I have to pay to use the logo?

I just tried to read the conditions, so it would seem that if you use +R/+RW media you cannout use the logo AND alll your disks have to be certified by a A Class laboratory.

Hmmm, makes me wonder then why copies of the logo seem to be included in most DVD label creation program.

This "font" may be of some help. Works for me!

http://www.surething.com/ST/Category.asp?CatCode=FONTS

Just ta play the devils advocate, its not about "protecting intellectual property", its that in theory the DVD logo means that that DVD has a certain level of quality, or moreover compatibility, with different players. Its meant as an assurance to the consumer that yes indeed, this DVD will work on your DVD player. Anyone can say on their packaging that its a DVD, just not with their logo. Makes sense ta me. Its the same as using an FDA logo when ya havent been approved.

- Ray

www.undergroundplanet.com

SureThing CD/DVD lable printing app has the all logos... that's the reason I bought it. They paid for the license, owners of the app get to use the logos.

J--

P.S. http://www.surething.com/ST/

Well according to the DVD forum that doesn't make a shred of sense. You're not allowed to use the logo UNLESS each DVD master has been certified as compliant by a testing lab so I'd say Surething are in breach of copyright.

Maybe it's as simple as there is something you and I are not aware of and the folks at SureThing are.

You could contact them at info@surething.com and ask them if using the logos puts you in copyright infringement.

J--

Thanks, Ray and Bob - I can accept that having the "official" DVD logo should represent guaranteed compatibility and quality.

It seems that not everyone is aware of this, however. Maybe each authoring software should mention this, for a start ...

I have a (free) license from Dolby Labs to use the "Dolby Digitial" logo for the audio, I had to send them a an application and sample of the audio to get it. I would assuume it would be a similar thing with the DVD logo, everyone who makes commercial DVD's seems to use it.

That is a good point, and it's well taken. (I did go back and re-read Ray's post).

Since I overcame my first issue with providing compatible DVDs (I simply had the bit rate set too high), I've not received any complaints from clients. So is my confidence in our product compatibility unjustified?

J--

Unfortunately, it is not as simple as sending a sample to be able to use the DVD logo. They charge quite a substantial fee. My local copyhouse was given a cease and desist order to remove the logo from their website, and they were told that the use of the logo would cost them upwards of $10,000 for each instance of use. However, they do not OWN the letters D-V-D, only the logo, so if you want to make a somewhat similar logo that touts the use of DVD technology, there is nothing stopping you.

As for putting ANY logos on your work, it is always a good idea to check with the company. Putting a SONY logo at the end of your film because you used thier camera and editing software may seem like a good way to say thanks, but if the film has subject matter that the company finds distasteful, or that could cause a group of people to boycott... One might find himself in some legal trouble.

Hey, if you ask, they might even SPONSOR you. Unlikely, but possible.

I was surprised to find the DVD logo copyrighted a few months back. (Fortunately, before I used it.) So, I made my own. Ok, it's not a logo; it's just text but when included on the spine of the DVD case, it looks pretty good.

DVD Logo

Matt Iserman

There is an IPR charge for MPEG compression which has had partial payment (by SPD/MainConcept) but there is a media charge you are supposed to pay MPEG LA. I think it is about US$0.99 per disc. If the makers, however organisationally based, don't cover their costs then there won't be an MPEG-7, MPEG-10 etc.

Similarly, Dolby, MLP, MP3, Macrovision, CSS and even WMV coded wares have a requirement to settle an IPR charge for media distribution (especially where there is any profit to the operator). Just as when Philips wasn't collecting for CDR manufacturing, some of these are only caught up with when the owners aren't doing so well and the big players get to pay first.

I suspect that compression schemes for shiny discs will gradually diminish as at some point the discs/slithers will have uncompressed data on them when they can hold 140GB of data. Certainly lossless compression won't be far away from being feasible. Yet compression is going to be the way and more so than before for the near future (BluRay/FMD). It is likely that DRM techniques will become the way and various types of authorisations will be made to see this high quality pre-recorded work.

Two things in life are certain, death and taxes. Make that three - licensing requirements.

So to sum all this up, you are NOT allowed to use the DVD logo on DVD -/+R's or you may face quite a big lawsuit. Even if your CD/DVD labeling program came with the DVD logos that does not give you the right to put them on whatever you want to. We have been doing DVD duplication for a long time and we have talked with our lawyers about this and there are no ways around it.

Go here if you need more info or to get licenced.
http://www.dvdfllc.co.jp/

Well, the moderator of the message board over at SureThing had this to say on a recent post:

"Use of the DVD logo is similar to the Compact Disc logo -- if you've licensed the technology, you're authorized to use the logo. Basically, if you can burn it, you can use it. If you have a DVD burner and can burn DVD ROM, Video, etc., discs, you're authorized to use the DVD logo on media you burn..."

I am hoping that's true, but in this crazy world, it's probably not.

Sounds like a pipe dream to me.

- Ray

www.undergroundplanet.com

thanks mister pat, that font is perfect !

JC

you can donwload all the logos (plus others) here, whether you can use them or not is another thing, upto you

http://www.greensolutions.com/templates.html

regards
si

Yesterday, I e-mailed both SureThing and the DVD FLLC and asked them the same question regarding this issue. Now whether or not I get any answera is anyone's guess!

J--

Following Richard's lead, I went to the SureThing forum and found the post he referred to, there were several.

Based on the following it makes sense. For example, if Sony puts Dolby 5.1 capability into DVD-A then they had to pay a license fee (which they did). That expense was figured into the price of the software, which it was. When we buy the software, we are also buying the license to use Dolby 5.1 and can thus advertise or "show" that we are using that product via the Dolby 5.1 logo.

Here is the full post:

"Use of the DVD logo is similar to the Compact Disc logo -- if you've licensed the technology, you're authorized to use the logo. Basically, if you can burn it, you can use it. If you have a DVD burner and can burn DVD ROM, Video, etc., discs, you're authorized to use the DVD logo on media you burn.

"Certain technologies cost a lot of money for a publisher to license. For instance, if I produced a movie and I wanted to encode it for Dolby Surround, I'd have to pay Dolby to license their technology. Use of the logo, then, is immaterial. The producer (e.g., MGM, Fox, et al.) pays to license the technology, not the consumer, and so can use the logos of the technology they licensed.

"I designed these fonts for production artists and duplication firms. Their clients (Universal Studios, Sony Pictures, et al.) have paid technology licensing fees for the various technologies indicated by the logos. The duplication firms then use my fonts when they design and duplicate the discs.

"For an end-user, you're basically copying a disc for your own use. You're not burning them for resale (if you are, then logo trademarks are the least of your worries). So if you bought a DVD with DTS or Dolby encoding, and you burn a copy for yourself, you can use any of the logos as you see fit.

"Does that make sense?

"If you are a production artist or designer, your clients (movie producers, music publishers, etc.) will have paid for the technology license and you are just using the logo. If they haven't paid, of course, they can't use the logos."

Thus far I've received no answer to my e-mails to DVD FLLC or SureThing. But what has been said makes sense.

J--

Got a reply from SureThing, it was a big help -- NOT! See below:

"Hello,

"Our Copyright/Trademark information can be found on the inside of the sleeve your software CD came in. [No, it can't, not on mine!]

"For more information please try contacting technical support at support[at]surething.com they should have more information available.

"Have a great day!"