OT: Vimeo - No commercial use allowed

Former user wrote on 1/10/2011, 6:33 AM

This might not come as "new information" to most users here, but I was unaware of this Vimeo use restriction until this weekend.

I recommended Vimeo (a pro account) to a client to use to provide streaming for his company website as a means for his clients to visualize his products, primarily because the international audience for his products have problems viewing YouTube content. It is quite often being blocked at an ISP level.

I did a little more research and found that Vimeo expressly forbids commercial use of their servers. Their guidelines state "You may not upload commercials, infomercials, or demos that actively sell or promote a product or service." This also applies to the "Pro" accounts.

Vimeo Guidelines

So, while your creative content can be uploaded, your demo reel can't. You can show a wedding video, but not if it is being used to promote your business. etc...

I will have to tell my clients that they will have to stick to YouTube or host their video content on their own server space.

Jim

Comments

TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/10/2011, 6:40 AM

Yeah, that's a main reason I know a lot of people avoid it. Vimeo has a lot of restrictions. Basicly, they only want "profesional" video entertainment. They don't want to be like youtube.

MUTTLEY wrote on 1/10/2011, 10:08 AM

I must concede that this is not one of my favorite aspects of Vimeo though I do understand their reasons and intent. I will say that in my experience though it's not quite as cut and dry as their guidelines suggest. If you created a commercial or played a pivotal role in its development (shooting, editing etc) they may let it stay. It seems that intent plays a role in what is or is not allowed. If you're simply showing an ad as an example of your work that may be okay, if you post something to advertise than that may not. If you had posted something commercial and it was removed contacting Vimeo and explaining your situation they might reverse their earlier decision. I also think that the body of work you have on their site could play a factor in this. Now having said all that, it's still their prerogative.

I wouldn't go so far as to say Vimeo only want's "professional" video but rather they favor "creative" works.

- Ray
Underground Planet

TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/10/2011, 10:18 AM

I've seen lots of "creative" stuff taken down by people I know because it didn't adhere to their standards. That's why I put "professional" in quotes. Because they don't care who made it, they care about how it looks & how it makes their site look.

MUTTLEY wrote on 1/10/2011, 10:50 AM

Hm, I'd like to see the vids in question to figure out what may have gotten them flagged. I've been hosting there for quite a long time now, been fairly active in their forums, have have had a number of communications with and even met several of their higher ups and I quite simply find it impossible to believe that a video was removed because of how it looked, that's just not what Vimeo is about.

- Ray
Underground Planet

Yoyodyne wrote on 1/10/2011, 10:50 AM

As I understand it they don't want companies uploading ads. If you are uploading an ad you shot as an example of some video work you did they seem cool with it.

mtntvguy wrote on 1/10/2011, 6:52 PM

"As I understand it they don't want companies uploading ads. If you are uploading an ad you shot as an example of some video work you did they seem cool with it."

Not so. I have a Plus Account and have asked them specifically if I could do what you said. I also asked if I could post a piece for client approval and not make it public. "Absolutely not" was the answer to both questions.

That said, there are a ton of people who just ignore them and do it anyway. I don't know how they get away with it.

Harold Brown wrote on 1/11/2011, 7:37 PM

I really don't understand the confusion about Vimeo. I think they have made it quite clear what you can do.
You can upload a commercial you created as an independent production company. As long as you created it and have permission to show it. You cannot host the video for your client on their website via embedding. That is very clear. The commercial couldn't have been just your idea. You had to have had significant involvement. Like your company produced it or you are the actor or you filmed it.

You can upload your demo reel, but you couldn't have a talent agency use the demo reel from the Vimeo servers.

You can film the cat playing if you are doing so to show example video from a camera. But just a bunch of video of you talking about your favorite bars in Rome in front of a webcam is not cool unless it is accompanied by some great visuals of bars in Rome.