When you want your USB product to cooperate with (potentially all) other USB products, you need a unique VID/PID (Vendor ID / Product ID) combination for your product. Note: not one for each individual item you sell, just one for each product. This PID/VID is used by the PC to match your USB device to the corresponding PC software (USB drivers).
VOTI has acquired a Vendor ID (VID) and sells the right to use a range of PIDs (with this Vendor ID). I get a lot of questions about this, so I created this FAQ for it.
Wouter van Ooijen wouter@voti.nl
1. Why do I have to pay shipping costs (S/H) for something that can be delivered by email?
2. Why are you (VOTI) not listed on the usb.org member list?
3. How can I be sure you (VOTI) realy own the VID that you claim to have payed for?
4. What happens when you (VOTI) stop paying your annual fee?
5. Doesn't re-selling PIDs violate your (VOTI's) license agreement with usb.org?
6. How can I be sure you (VOTI) don't sell the range I get too someone else too?
7. How can I be sure someone else doesn't use my PIDs without my permission?
8. I bought a PID range from you. Can I re-sell PIDs from that range?
9. I bought a PID range. Now can I use the USB logo?
10. I need a VID/PID for som experiments. Do I need to buy PIDs from you?
11. What is the annual fee for using my PID range?
1. Why do I have to pay shipping costs (S/H) for something that can be delivered by email?
It is how my webshop works: there is a flat fee for shipping of every order.
Actually it is only partially for shipping: it also covers administrative costs that are more or less
connected to each order (instead of connected to the items you order), like my accountant.
If you know of a good accountant that works for free let me know, and I'll reduce the
S/H costs.
Or think of it like this: that S/H cost is part of the product price. Just add the two in your
mind and then decide whether the price is still good.
When you buy a PID range I indeed email you the range (or rather I tell you to look
at the updated page that shows the ranges), but I also send you the invoice and a copy
of the ranges page by normal mail. I think I am required to do so by the law of my country,
and I don't want to hire a lawyer to check whether this is realy required.
2. Why are you (VOTI) not listed on the usb.org member list?
Because I am not a member. Membership requires an annual fee, which is far too high for me.
3. How can I be sure you (VOTI) realy own the VID that you claim to have payed for?
Either you believe me on my nice blue eyes (my foto is on my homepage), or you read this
email from usb.org. But I know: I could easily have forged that email.
I don't know why, but usb.org
seems to think that owners of an ID, which are not usb.org members, like to remain anonymous,
but members want to be listed.
When you ask usb.org 'Who owns the ID 0x16C0?' they won't give you a straight answer, instead
they will forward your email to me (at least, untill they get tired of doing so). I will then
email you so you have some assurance that I indeed own that ID.
4. What happens when you (VOTI) stop paying your annual fee?
Nothing, because there is no annual fee to pay. The annual fee is for members, I am not a member.
I just payed the one-time fee to get a VID.
5. Doesn't re-selling PIDs violate your (VOTI's) license agreement with usb.org?
No, because the is no such agreement. I just payed for a VID and got one.
6. How can I be sure you (VOTI) don't sell the range I get too someone else too?
You can find the ranges I sold here. I have no other assurance to give.
But note that I gain nothing by selling the same range over and over: a PID is 16 bits, so
I have 65536 PIDs to sell. When I ever sell that many I'll use a small part of it to buy another VID.
7. How can I be sure someone else doesn't use my PIDs without my permission?
You can't. Neither the usb.org nor VOTI (nor anyone else) can police the use of VIDs and PIDs.
VIDs and PIDs are no secrets, so if you want you can use anyones VID/PID.
But you will cause troubles for you customers, so it would not be a wise thing to do
if you want to stay in business.
8. I bought a PID range from you. Can I re-sell PIDs from that range?
Of course you can. It would be outright silly if I would forbid you to do what I do.
And it would require us to sign some kind of license restricting what you could do with the PIDs
you bought. And it would require me to hire and pay a lawyer to write that license.
So: no such bullshit.
9. I bought a PID range. Now can I use the USB logo?
NO!. The usb.org has very strict rules about using the USB logo.
The product must be rigourously tested for conformance, and you must sign an agreement.
You probably can't even say that your product is USB compatible. You might
be allowed to say that it works with a USB connection.
10. I need a VID/PID for som experiments. Do I need to buy PIDs from you?
Check here. I have reserved PIDs 1000 .. 1009 for 'lab use'.
You are free to use those PIDs with my VID on these conditions:
11. What is the annual fee for using my PID range?
There is no annual fee, not for me (I am not an usb.org member, I just bought a VID), and not for you
when you bought a PID range from me.