wmv license fees for content on business page?

[Selur]

A friend of mine asked me to transcode an imagefilm about his one man company into wmv so that it can be put onto the homepage of his company.

So far so good, encoding wasn't a problem (used Windows Media Encoder 9), but then a question poped into my mind:

"Does my friend have to pay any license fees or something like that to microsoft ?"

It would be a single 7min (15mb) file and their wouldn't be a streaming server or something like that, it would be simply embedded into a html file so that if one enters the page it starts automaticly.

Since I can't/didn't find any useful information on microsofts homepage I thought that maybe one of the doom9 users might have an answer,.. :D

Cu Selur

Ps.: sorry, if this doesn't belong here but in the offtopic section, wasn't sure. So if it's wrok here, plz move, thx.

[Dmitry Vergheles]

Hi Selur,
I think you was finding "Licensing and Logos" page.
Here is http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/licensing/default.aspx

Please inform us after its investigating what fees are required for above task.

[Selur]

checked the page you linked to a while ago and since it didn't help I wrote an email to wmla@microsoft.com

1st on german since I got the email from a german microsoft page
Leider bin ich aus den Informationen auf:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/licensing/licensing.aspx
nicht ganz schlau geworden und habe deshalb folgende einfache Frage:

Muss ich wenn ich mit dem Windows Media Encoder erstelltes Material in den Internetauftritt einer kleinen (1-Mann) Firma integriere Lizenzgebühren an Microsoft (oder sonst wen zahlen) ?

Mit freudlichen Grüßen ...

which got me the following reply:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please note we need to have communications in English, however, I believe you are needing information about the Windows Media Encoder SDK, which you can find at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/default.aspx

Also, the information here may assist you as well: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/licensing/musicorvideoservices.aspx

Please let us know if further assistance is needed.

Thank you and kind regards,...


so I wrote:
hanks for the swift reply.

Here's the 'problem' got:

I read the informations at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/licensing/musicorvideoservices.aspx but they didn't slove my problem/question. I don't need a streaming server or something like it, I don't want to use drm in any way and I don't intent to deliver/distribute an encoder or decoder for the material in any way.

my problem/question:
When I integrate wmv material (I own the copyright of the material) created with the Windows Media Encoder 9 into a small business homepage (one-man firm) do I have to pay any license fees to Microsoft or anybody else?

I read the EULA that comes with the Windows Media Encoder 9, which also didn't help.

Since I also read the 'Terms of Use' at the bottom of http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/faq.aspx which mention:

"PERSONAL AND NON-COMMERCIAL USE LIMITATION.

Unless otherwise specified, the Services are for your personal and non-commercial use. You may not modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer, or sell any information, software, products or services obtained from the Services. "

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to put the material I encoded on a small business homepage or not without license fees.

Would be nice if you could give me a short reply.


Thanks in advance

=> now, waiting for an answer :)

Since I'm a bit unpationed I thought maybe one of the doom9 users might have an answer,.. :D

Thought that a bunch of people here might have an answer,...

Cu Selur

[Dmitry Vergheles]

Hi Cu Selur,

Actually, the task is quite interesting. I think such questions will be asked more often in the nearest future.

It seems no license fees to be required. Your task falls into
"Encode content into Windows Media Format, and optionally encrypt (protect) that content" and it requires : "Accept the end-user license agreement (EULA) when you download the encoder".

I didn't see EULA of end-user WMEncoder but EULA to be shipped with WME SDK doesn't contain "Fee" word at all.

But it is very interesting what answer you'll get from MS :)

[Selur]

I also asked today in the german selfhtml forum and got the reply that no license is needed, which would really be cool. :D

"I didn't see EULA of end-user WMEncoder..."
one accepts it when one installs the WME and as far as I can remember there was nothing that sais anything about paying them. :)
There's a about in it that one has to have a licensed version of the os&co but that's not a problem. :D

Cu Selur

[Selur]

Also wrote an Email to the Winavi support, since winavi can convert stuff to wmv, but they don't know it and wrote that they are sorry and that one should contact Microsoft. :(

Cu Selur

[Selur]

I got an answer by microsoft:
Hello ....,

There are no license fees associated with products using Windows Media Encoder SDK in the way permitted by the EULA.

Best Regards,



Win

Windows Media Licensing Department

Email mailto: wmla@microsoft.com



Windows Media DRM Licensing

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/drm/licensing.aspx

Windows Media Licensing

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/licensing/licensing.aspx

Windows Media Licensing Form

http://wmlicense.smdisp.net/licenserequest2/LicenseRequest.aspx

SDK Documentation

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnanchor/html/anch_winmedsdk.asp?frame=true


Cu Selur

[Dmitry Vergheles]

I hope you'll give us the link to the business film of your friend:D

[Selur]

at the moment some of the encodes (all wmv, 1st mp4) I did lie on my private space at:
- link deleted -
(it's german and the source material wasn't the best,...)

Cu Selur

Ps.: link should be active until monday I guess,...

[Dmitry Vergheles]

it seems, your friend that will not pay any fees thanks to you and that is hero of comedy movie is Mrs. Regina Turowski-Willeck:D

[Selur]

:D