In looking at the "official" website - it looks to me like the license fee is only for manufacturers of burners/players/disks - not for DVD content producers.

from the website:
who needs the license?
You do, if you fall under any of the following categories.
1. Replicators/Manufacturers of DVD Discs
2. Manufacturers of DVD Players, DVD Recorders, DVD Drives and DVD Decoders. Also, makers of personal computers that incorporate DVD Drives, DVD Players or DVD Decoders are required to have them.
3. Manufacturers of other DVD Products that utilize the information disclosed in the DVD Format Book. These include manufacturers of Integrated Circuits and Encoders, as well as Formatters, etc.

I've had DVDs mass produced by a big name replication house, with the DVD logo on the cover art, and there wasn't any mention of not being able to use the DVD logo.

You have to read further:

The Logo authenticates the product as being legitimate and better Format compliant. It means that the only Logo that may appear on a product is the Logo of the Format used to manufacture the item. For example, it would be wrong to use the DVD Video Logo on a DVD-R disc that was authored to include visual material.

When you read everything there it is very clear that it is a violation of trademark laws to use the symbol.

you have to read even further than that, under Use of the Logo by Non-Licensees:

"** Video productions, authoring studios, contents providers

If they use DVD FLLC�fs Licensed Replicators, they are able to use the DVD Logo under the instructions of the Replicators."

note that the website also sez that dvd+rw discs are never allowed to use the dvd logo.

so if you go with a licensed replicator there should be no problem... but that does not solve the issue for those of us who burn dvd -r's at home.

Soory, I didn't clarify, I was referring to those of us that do it ourselves, not replicators.

You're quite welcome. I'm glad somebody appreciated it.

I must say I'm at least a little disappointed in the reaction my post provoked. I would've hoped that being content producers ourselves we would be more aware of the importance of respecting others intellectual property.

would help if the page had the logos to look at...

Exactly what I was thinking!

Anyway, here is the real logo, if you have the authorization.

If you open the link in the first post of this thread and click at the botton of the page, you can download the free use logos.

nup dont work mate

Unfortunately, as you discovered the DVD logo preview thumbnails and the links to the JPEG versions on the ArtofDVD.com page are broken. So I have taken the liberty of providing them on my own site (which is allowed under the license). Anyone wishing to preview the free ArtofDVD.com logo and/or download the JPEG version can visit my DVD Logos page.

Anyone wishing to download the ArtofDVD.com logo Photoshop file can still get it from the ArtofDVD.com page. It is avaible at the bottom of the page through the "Click here for a zip archive with a Photoshop file and the license" link.

I realize this is a little dated; but I was wondering if artofdvd.com created an "alternate design" what's keeping others from creating their own design, as long as it doesn't look like the design?

Thanks!

The Replication company licenses the right, and may place the logo on REPLICATED material. They are responsible for meeting the specs.

Athens Video created their own design:

http://www.athensvideo.com/

"5-02- 2006: Free DVD Logo to use however you want. If you want to use the other well-known DVD logo on anything, you must pay a licensing fee for that right. This is fair, because the logo represents certain standards. However, it is a hassle to obtain those rights, and it costs money. We use our own DVD logo, which we are distributing free to anyone who wants to use it.
Download here:(http://www.athensvideo.com/gallery/AlternateDVDlogo.jpg)"

I would guess it would probably be okay, but not being familiar with the legal angles in this circumstance, I'm afraid my answer would be "I don't know." ArtofDVD.com's logo was developed in consultation with the DVD FLLC, so in that sense it apparently has some official blessing from the powers that be.

Just curious... I didn't see anything about this fact on Eliot's website (ArtofDVD.com). How do you know this for certain?
Thank you very much!