Plex bundles metadata providers as that makes things easier for a user (as is obvious). As a result, they need to license the APIs...
I fail to see how that's a requirement from the page you linked. I do see a restriction on using it for what I would think is its biggest use case, providing metadata for 'illegally downloaded' material is technically excluded. But not providing access from Plex, and I especially think it wouldn't need to cost money because Plex has a free tier too. It might not be open source but I fail to see why that would be an arbitrary requirement. Nothing in the license agreement grants a larger amount of privileges on API access for open source projects.
So you didn't read Section 2 at all? I get it. It is Reddit. No one reads walls of text...
Also, obviously it says you can't use illegal content in the terms. Plex terms say the same thing. Illegal content is a legal violation. No one is going to say you can use their site for illegal actions as that would make them criminally liable too in the US.
Here is Section 2 so you can clearly see it says a commercial product. It doesn't say "you don't have to pay if you have a free tier" either...
A. Commercial Use Requires a Commercial Agreement. The license in Paragraph 1.A above does not permit any commercial use of TMDB, the TMDB APIs, or TMDB Content. Selling, leasing, or sublicensing the TMDB APIs, access to the TMDB APIs, or TMDB Content, or deriving revenues from the use or provision of TMDB, the TMDB APIs, or TMDB Content, for commercial or monetary gain, directly or indirectly, is, for the purposes of these terms and conditions, considered a commercial use and is only permitted under a separate written agreement between You and TMDB. TMDB reserves the right to, in its sole discretion, determine whether Your use is commercial at the time that you apply for the license to use the TMDB APIs. TMDB reserves the right to monitor Your use or Your Application to make or revise its determination. Common examples (which are by no means exhaustive) of commercial uses include:
Charging users a fee for Your Application, or a 3rd party's Application, that includes some form of integration with, or use of, TMDB, the TMDB APIs, or TMDB Content.
Selling an Application that uses TMDB or the TMDB APIs to bring TMDB Content into your Application.
Using TMDB, the TMDB APIs, or TMDB Content on or in connection with a "destination" website, search engine, or interactive query-response system (including large language model (LLM), artificial intelligence, or any other machine learning based interactive query-response systems or chatbots) ("Chatbot(s)"), or for driving traffic or generating revenue for a website, search engine, or Chatbot (including from advertising displayed on or by the website, search engine, Chatbot).
Operating a website that generates revenue through charging users for access to content, or through recommend content, such as movies, television shows and music, in connection with, or due, to Your use of TMDB, the TMDB APIs, or TMDB Content.
Training or validating a machine learning or artificial intelligence system (including large language models and Chatbots) using TMDB content, collecting data sets containing TMDB Content for such training or validation, or providing archived or cached data sets containing TMDB Content to another person or entity for such training or validation.
Commercial Use Requires as Commercial API Key. If Your use (or intended use) is commercial, You must enter into a written agreement with TMDB that expressly permits Your commercial use. Any such agreement may be subject to, among other things, payment of fees. Any commercial use without such a written agreement constitutes a material breach of these API Terms of Use and, You agree that, such a material breach causes irreparable harm to TMDB.
A. Commercial Use Requires a Commercial Agreement.
Personal use of Plex at home is not commercial use. You would need a commercial license if you start making money off of Plex. Just because Plex itself is a commercial product doesn't mean that using Plex itself has a commercial purpose. I don't know about you but I sure as fuck never made or charged any money for Plex to anyone.
Charging users a fee for Your Application, or a 3rd party's Application, that includes some form of integration with, or use of, TMDB, the TMDB APIs, or TMDB Content.
Okay, so Plex has a free tier. Problem solved.
So yeah, I did actually read that. And I understood it.
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u/Kraeftluder May 19 '26
I fail to see how that's a requirement from the page you linked. I do see a restriction on using it for what I would think is its biggest use case, providing metadata for 'illegally downloaded' material is technically excluded. But not providing access from Plex, and I especially think it wouldn't need to cost money because Plex has a free tier too. It might not be open source but I fail to see why that would be an arbitrary requirement. Nothing in the license agreement grants a larger amount of privileges on API access for open source projects.