dvd logo?

[Bruce Bernard]

Hi Leslie,

After considering it for a long time I am finally switching to Vegas. I am very excited about it. Although Premiere is a great piece of software, it’s kind of like comparing a dinosaur to the space shuttle. (Dinosaurs were very powerful in their day but they don’t move as fast as the shuttle.)

Anyway, as far as the DVD logo. I am not a professional but I am a fairly serious hobbyist. You are correct that the DVD logo is a trademark and is supposed to be licensed, although I suspect that it would likely be considered in the public domain if there was a fight about it. The first time I printed a DVD label I looked into that and concluded it was best not to use the official logo.

There are several generic DVD logos that you can locate (or just make something up that says DVD). The best ones I have found came with my Epson 960 printer that I use for printing my DVDs. The printer came with software known as Epson Print CD, and it has logos that are very similar to the official ones that you see on commercial discs.

One caveat: I have no idea what the Epson license says. It may restrict the use of the logos to personal and not business use. Since I don’t use them for business I didn’t pay much attention to it. I just assumed that if a company like Epson supplied the logos, that it was OK to use them.

Good Luck,

Bruce

mrbb, PA

[Peter Wright]

The logo is apparently copyright, but the letters DVD aren’t – I usually use a font like Broadway BT and italicise them.

[Chris Young]

Leslie ~

This is how I understand the use of the DVD logo. I found this info on a Mac related web site some time back but no longer have the URL.

Quote:
One final note: I have been looking into the legalities of putting the official DVD-R logo on these types of discs. It appears as though authors of DVD discs that are DVD-Rs are allowed to put a mark indicating they are indeed DVD-Rs on the disc. However, it is illegal to put a DVD-Video or plain DVD logo on a disc if you do not have a license, and there is a fine. Most replication houses either have licenses or use the license of their testing facility. You can find the DVD-R logo here (attached here, please note that it is just DVD-R). Once again, I am not a lawyer so be sure to double check the licensing on your project before using any logo.

I have been using the official DVD-R logo, which includes the TM symbol, on ‘burnt’ discs. It is the logo that has DVD with a symbol of the disc under it and the letter R under that. You can find all the official logos in one downloadable file called ‘DVE.eps’ at:

https://www.cdman.com/graphics/disc_designing/logos.html

Have a read read of the relevant info on that page about the allowable colors and sizes for the logos. I have yet to find anyone who can give me a concrete ruling on this logo issue and I have tried everywhere I can think of to date. Good luck!

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[Mike Kujbida]

I have yet to find anyone who can give me a concrete ruling on this logo issue…

Chris, the following is from a thread titled DVD LOGOS on the Sony forum. The OP asked “just wondering if anyone can point me to a good place to download clean sharp copies of the DVD LOGOs for DVD Video and DVD ROM”.
I think it clears it up pretty well.

Mike

—————————————————————-

Here’s the final answer from the Source. I received the following reply to an e-mail addressed to the DVD FLLC regarding the use of the DVD logo:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Mr. ******,

Thank you for your e-mail of February 18, 2004.
We appreciate your information.

Basically, the DVD Logo may be used by our Licensees on their DVD
products which have passed Verification and they must observe strict
guidelines as to how the Logo is used.

We do not allow any labeling softwares to use the DVD Logo. Using the
DVD Logo without our authorization would cause the infringement of
our trademark rights as well as copyright.

Best regards

Atsuko SHIMIZU (Ms)
Deputy Managar, Trademarks
E-mail: [removed]

DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation
Website: http://www.dvdfllc.co.jp
Fax: [removed]

[Leslie Wand]

many thanks as usual…..

looks like i’ll just have to create a ‘lookalike’ label. next thing you’ll know is that the letters DVD (in that, or reverse order) will have been copyrighted!!!!

again, thanks,

leslie

[Ted Snow]

When I attended “The Recording Workshop” school in Chillicothe, Ohio…one of the topics they touched on was copyrights. The way they explained it was that NAMES, TITLES and PHRASES were not copyrightable but the design of the logo was (as a trademark). Of course that was 20 years ago and things do change. (dang, am I REALLY THAT OLD???)

[Chris Young]

Thanks Mike ~

I guess I really didn’t want to know that! But now that I have been informed and put on the straight and narrow I have done some hunting. Doing a Google ‘images’ search on ‘DVD logo’ I came up with a logo that looks similar but is not on the offical DVD logo list. It actually has the word ‘video’ written inside the ellipse under the letters DVD. I guess using it won’t contravene the DVD forum’s copyright yet it will work well enough to inform anyone that this is indeed a video DVD that they have in their hot little hands. You can’t be too careful now can you!?

Chris Young
Sydney