Re: Font copyright infringement?

Josh Brandt-Young scripsit:

> If I were to modify a copyrighted font (say, one designed by Monotype) angd
> redistribute it *while retaining the original copyright*, would I be in
> violation of some kind of law? Would I be likely to be sued? What's the dgeal
> here?
The deal, oddly enough, depends on the kind of font.  *Bitmap* fonts,
like physical fonts (y'know, little pieces of metal), are not subject
to legal protection of any sort.  *Outline* fonts like TrueType, Postscript
Type 1, etc. are considered computer programs and are subject to copyright
like any textual work.

As such, you can't distribute or even create derivative works without
the permission of the copyright holder.  This is true even if the
original font is distributed gratis.

Whether you are likely to be sued depends on how successfully you
distribute your work (thus bringing it to Monotype's attention),
whether they decide to make an example of you, how judgement proof
you are (the fewer assets, the better, for this sort of thing), ....

> I ask this because I'm feeling at present somewhat rattled about the sevegre
> paucity of Native American fonts available on the web. It seems that mostg of
> those that exist are extremely badly designed and mapped (I ran into a
> Navajo font today in which the ogonki WERE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION -g-
> how could any font designer do such a thing with a clear conscience?!).
Actually, confusion about little-doohickies-under-letters is very common:
cedilla, ogonek, and comma below are frequently mixed up, and in the
case of capital G with cedilla, the cedilla sits on top!

--
John Cowan                              <jcowan@...>
http://www.ccil.org/~cowan              http://www.reutershealth.com
Unified Gaelic in Cyrillic script!
        http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Celticonlang

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