Licensing Inquiry: Use of Built-in Windows TTS in a Government Agency’s Operational Software

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Licensing Inquiry: Use of Built-in Windows TTS in a Government Agency’s Operational Software

JoungWan Kim 0

We would like to confirm the licensing requirements for using the built-in Windows text-to-speech (TTS) functionality for business purposes.

Our company develops software for overweight vehicle inspection stations. We plan to use our application to invoke the built-in Microsoft voices installed on a Windows PC at a government-operated inspection station and read vehicle registration numbers aloud through on-site speakers.

We will not copy or redistribute the speech engine, nor will we sell the generated audio. We will not use Azure Speech or Microsoft Edge online TTS services.

Under these conditions, is any additional TTS license or fee required beyond the existing Windows license?

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Answer 1

Hello @JoungWan Kim ,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A

Thank you for explaining your use case. Since you intend to use Windows' built-in TTS voices locally to announce vehicle registration numbers, without redistributing the speech engine or generated audio files, the key question is whether your existing Windows license covers this business use.

Please review the applicable Microsoft Windows license terms, which define the permitted use of the software.

I couldn't verify an official Microsoft statement confirming whether your specific scenario requires an additional TTS license or fee. For a definitive answer, I recommend requesting written clarification from Microsoft's licensing team, including the Windows editions used at the inspection stations and how the TTS functionality will be used.

This will help ensure your implementation complies with the applicable licensing terms.

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