What are the legalities involved in using logos such as the DVD logo or Dolby logo on DVD cases that you independantly publish?

You're not allowed to use the DVD logo at all without specific authorization as it's a registered trademark. I believe, though I'm not sure, that getting certification from the DVD forum for your authoring and replicating process entitles you to use the logo. Obviously every studio uses it, so there is a way. It's also possible your replicator will be entitled to use the logo, though I still think independent certification of your software is required as well, and it's extremely expensive.

As for Dolby Digital, if you go to dolby.com there is an extensive section on licensing the logo. They do some QA and require samples, but it's not that bad. You can almost certainly acquire the right to use their logo and trailers if you follow their rules and are willing to fill out the paperwork.

Dan:

Also, I'm pretty sure that how the DVD is encoded affects whether or not one may use the DVD logo. Things such as bit-rates and i- p- b- m- frames migth affect whether or not a disc would be "certified."

Regards,

Kyle "Doc" Mitchell

I'm looking into the DVD logo situation myself. With Dolby, it seems fairly straightforward, but I am confused about the rules for using the DVD logo.

Going straight to the source (http://www.dvdfllc.co.jp/logo/lg_who.html), I found this:There are strict rules to use DVD Logo. [...] Use of DVD Logo requires the License As many of you may know, DVD Logo signifies DVD Format Compliance. Therefore, the DVD logo may be applied on the products manufactured by manufacturer that have passed Verification at Class A Verification Laboratories of DVD Format. (Please refer to Nature of DVD Logo)

Following are the business categories that are eligible to apply for our License; basically other businesses are not allowed to use DVD Logo on their own.

What Business Categories may apply for the License?
1) Replicators of pre-recorded DVD discs / Manufacturers of writable DVD discs
[...]

This would suggest that a replication company applies for a license to use the logo, and it can then (hopefully?) be shown on products manufactured by that replicator.

To confirm, I asked Discmakers about it. Discmakers offers free downloadable fonts that contain a variety of logos, including the DVD logo:
http://www.discmakers.com/templates/logofonts.asp
It says here: Download the Mac or PC logo fonts that contain the official compact disc and DVD logos [...].The Asst. Product Specialist from Discmakers that answered my question sent me this e-mail: Those are royalty-free, non-trademarked, public domain logos. They are free and okay to use on your project.The logos from the Discmakers website and from DVD FLLC look the same. Discmakers tells me they are public domain. DVD FLLC says that there are strict rules to use DVD Logo.

Wishful thinking tells me that Discmakers is a licensee that has "passed verification at Class A verification laboratories of DVD format", as listed above, and can therefore authorize my use of the logo. Common sense tells me to not rely too much on wishful thinking.

Can anyone here explain what this all means?

Thanks,
Martin

Discmakers tells me they are public domain. DVD FLLC says that there are strict rules to use DVD LogoDiskmakers is wrong. The DVD logo is a registered trademark (U.S. Trademark Registration No. 2,924,607) in International Class 9 for, "compact disc carrying cases and recorded video disc carrying cases."

It most definitely is not in the public domain.

You can see the registration information here:

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=6pidqb.3.37

Martin:

I know this can be confusing! Here's how I understand everything:

Basically, if you wish to legally use the DVD Logo on your own movie, then you must have your disc pressed by a licensed DVD FLLC replicator/manufacturer. There's no way around it as you as a production house (or even an DVD authoring house) are not allowed to legally do it.

Basically, a certified licensee from DVD FLLC may use the DVD logo and acts as a proxy regulator to ensure that DVD's manufactured by them fit the DVD FLLC's requirements - and there's a lot of requirements: fees, verifiable methods, etc. In the end, their products (i.e. your product) meets the specs and therefore can use the DVD Logo.

So, why would Discmakers say what they say? I have a feeling that is because they are a licensee of the DVD Logo and have the font so that people that are contract Discmakers to make their discs have an easy way to adding the Logo to their promo materials.

When you go to press your discs, then make sure that they are a successful DVD FLLC compliant licensee and ask to see credentials!

Hope this helps,

Doc Mitchell

Hope this helpsYes, it does make sense. I just don't understand why Discmakers doesn't just say something along those lines. I have asked them again, more explicitly this time, if they have a license from DVD FLLC to put the DVD logo on discs they press, and I can't get a yes or no out of them. Which makes me wonder if maybe I am oversimplifying things. But I agree, the most likely scenario from what I can see is exactly what you wrote.

Thanks!

- Martin

As I've always understood, it can only be used by licensed replication houses, and there is a ten thousand dollar licensing fee, as well as numerous qualifications.

check this out. http://www.discusa.com/Website/Pages/Products%20and%20Technology/DVD%20Basics/dvdbasicsdvdforum.htm Scroll to the bottom of the page.

this place is also good for replication and duplication. they will beat discmakers prices. I had 3000 dvds replicated there. they also, shipped them to the client for me.

The fonts and logos as well as the dvd templates on the discmakers site are for thier customers to design artwork which is in turn sent to discmakers to make a "licensed" dvd. Licensed means that the DVD meets strict manufacturing specifications. Discmakers is now under new management and has newer persons working there thus maybe the confusion. My old account manager Todd Bailey was one of the best and was very clear with me about the use of the DVD logo.

I used to use it on my demos as I thought it would make me look more official. Then, I had a client who I did some transfers for who's discs wouldn't play in his outdated DVD player. Remember when our little silver friends first came out? DVD ROM was all that was available, not +/-R.

I talked to the big dub house in my area about this, and turns out they use -R's because they are more compatible with more players.

A DVD-R or a DVD+R is not actually the same format as the one with the DVD logo. I think that's DVD ROM. Anyway, it's like Doc said on this thread... since I figured out the difference, I decided not to use the DVD logo as doing so on a DVD-R is false anyway.