Is There A List of Non-Royalty Fee Video/Audio Formats?(YES)
Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 6:25 am
After reading the information in the thread about having to pay license fees for formats like XVID for commercial usage, I was wondering if there is a list somewhere that specifies which video and audio formats a game developer would not need licenses for.
Does anyone have any information or links to this?
For instance, would MP3 be considered a non-licensed or licensed audio format for commercial usage? What other formats should a developer be aware of?
Thanks.
-------[EDIT]----------
Okay, found this while waiting: MP3Licensing.com - http://www.mp3licensing.com/royalty/games.html
So if you don't sell over 5000 titles, then you are okay, it seems. At least that is hopeful.
-------[EDIT]-----------
Okay, I think I found some more applicable information re: formats and licensing fees.
Here is some hopefully more heartwarming news for those of us who want to use MPEG based formats (like XVID) but sell in low volume (i.e. compared to game companies):
MPEG LA (PDF) - http://www.mpegla.com/avc/AVC_TermsSummary.pdf
It appears that the under 100,000 title sale is the limit.
Cya
Does anyone have any information or links to this?
For instance, would MP3 be considered a non-licensed or licensed audio format for commercial usage? What other formats should a developer be aware of?
Thanks.
-------[EDIT]----------
Okay, found this while waiting: MP3Licensing.com - http://www.mp3licensing.com/royalty/games.html
So if you don't sell over 5000 titles, then you are okay, it seems. At least that is hopeful.
-------[EDIT]-----------
Okay, I think I found some more applicable information re: formats and licensing fees.
Here is some hopefully more heartwarming news for those of us who want to use MPEG based formats (like XVID) but sell in low volume (i.e. compared to game companies):
MPEG LA (PDF) - http://www.mpegla.com/avc/AVC_TermsSummary.pdf
For (b) (1) where an end user pays directly for video services on a title-by-title basis (e.g., where viewer determines titles to be viewed or number of viewable titles are otherwise limited), royalties for video greater than 12 minutes (there is no royalty for a title 12 minutes or less) are (beginning January 1, 2006) the lower of 2% of the price paid to the Licensee (on first arms length sale of the video) or $0.02 per title (categories of licensees nclude legal entities that are (i) replicators of physical media, and (ii) service/content providers (e.g., cable, satellite, video DSL, internet and mobile) of VOD, PPV and electronic downloads to end users).10 Where an end user pays directly for video services on a scription-basis (not ordered or limited title-by-title), the applicable royalties per legal entity payable by the service or content provider are (beginning January 1, 2006) 100,000 or fewer subscribers during the year = no royalty; greater than 100,000 to 250,000 subscribers during the year = $25,000; greater than 250,000 to 500,000 subscribers during the year = $50,000; greater than 500,000 to 1,000,000 subscribers during the year = $75,000; greater than 1,000,000 subscribers during the year = $100,000.
It appears that the under 100,000 title sale is the limit.
Cya