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Font copywrites????

Marlene

New Member
I have a company that is requiring that I send all fonts used in a design. since fonts are copy written, should I tell them that what they are asking for is illegal and refuse to send the fonts?
 

Marlene

New Member
thanks Mason. this is a company that deals with designs all the time and I was shocked when I saw what they required. I deal with copywritten materials all the time but deal very rarely with fonts so I thought they were protected too.
 

omgsideburns

New Member
send them the names of the fonts and say all you can offer is to typset any logos in the design, but that you can't give 'em the files.

or just punch them in the face.
 

Rick

Certified Enneadecagon Designer
I usually purchase the fonts for the client and send them with the files. Then charge the client. I used to tell the client where to get the font, but that got too confusing.
 

p7050

New Member
I guess the following are illegal on ebay since fonts are copywrited
along with alot of others.

Item number: 370136913826
Item number: 170315720885
 

Bigdawg

Just Me
Convert whatever you did to outlines and send them that if you send them anything. Mason is right.. it's as simple as that when it comes to the font files.
 

Fred Weiss

Merchant Member
I guess the following are illegal on ebay since fonts are copywrited
along with alot of others.

Item number: 370136913826
Item number: 170315720885

Neither of these items involves actually selling the digital font, so nothing illegal is going on.
 

Marlene

New Member
When I send a design, I send it as an .eps and it is finished work ready to go into production. It thru me off that this company would require all the fonts as what on earth would they need them for as I have all ready set all the copy and I don't want them mucking with anything. Also, the fonts aren't something that can be shared. I haven't had anyone require that so it seemed odd. these guys are in the business and should know better.
 

bob

It's better to have two hands than one glove.
I have a company that is requiring that I send all fonts used in a design. since fonts are copy written, should I tell them that what they are asking for is illegal and refuse to send the fonts?

The term is 'copyright' not 'copywrite' and things are 'copyrighted' not 'copy written'. Knowing the nomenclature is half of all wisdom.

Regardless, it's not a copyright issue, it's a licensing matter. Lots of purchased font files come with a license agreement that clearly states you cannot transfer the files or their contents to anyone else. That you must convert any copy using that font to vectors before sending copy to anyone else. In other words you can use and transfer the characters but not the usable font file.

Merely tell the client that if it wants the actual font files that they are licensed to you only and it will have to license them themselves.
 

Techman

New Member
It thru me off that this company would require all the fonts as what on earth would they need them for as I have all ready set all the copy

Happens all the time. They ask for the fonts because they do not wish to be trapped in to a mess when or if you move on. They are assuming that you will supply the fonts and have charged accordingly. OR the font is converted, or they ask for a list fonts used.

All to often as of late, too much material is slung together by a clerk typist who has no idea,,, so whe client opens a file,,, and do not own that font,,, their system will substitute and thus display wrong. Its not a matter of wanting the fonts. Its a matter of wanting to display their written materials properly.

Amateur website designers make this mistake all to often too. They design a fancy website using an exotic font. Then find out later that too many other computers will not display the website as designed.

All of this font thing is confused by software that "collects for transport". Your software collects every thing including fonts into one file for transfer to your production house. Some places require this collected file and will not proceed unless they have the fonts too.

Good luck.
 

Rodi

New Member
They might, in fact have a license for the font! Sometimes, its easier to send your font along, because it could have some metric differences, special kerning, etc. I would make a form stating that they acknowledge that they have a license for the font(s) in question. It would relieve you from being a cop, but you keep the form and have them sign one each time.

That takes responsibility off of you.
 

Marlene

New Member
The term is 'copyright' not 'copywrite' and things are 'copyrighted' not 'copy written'. Knowing the nomenclature is half of all wisdom.

ooops, got to learn to spell someday, thanks bob for pointing that out
 

J Hill Designs

New Member
I dont understand why an outlined font wont work - If they need to tie in other copy with the logotype, include a list of fonts used
 

Rodi

New Member
I can answer that, you are in late stage production and a quick change is needed… everyone starts pointing fingers when you use your version and it is ever so slightly different…

Happens all the time.

Fonts converted to outline always appear just slightly heavier, less now with CTP than film based output, but its still there
 

Marlene

New Member
it's a design that I did so any type set or any copy needed would be done by me as I sure wouldn't let anyone else do it. I have out sourced tons of things over the years and never needed to include the font. I sent them an e-mail and told them that in I would send the file ready for production and wouldn't send the fonts as they are copywritten (groan, yes, I spelled it like that) so they just have to deal with it. I have had many designers who use Mac's include fonts when they send me artwork. I've never needed them as the copy was production ready. is it a Mac thing?
 

Steve C.

New Member
They might, in fact have a license for the font! Sometimes, its easier to send your font along, because it could have some metric differences, special kerning, etc. I would make a form stating that they acknowledge that they have a license for the font(s) in question. It would relieve you from being a cop, but you keep the form and have them sign one each time.

That takes responsibility off of you.

Bad idea...many people would have no problem saying they owned the
license when they do not... I like Rick's idea. Purchase the fonts for them
and add the cost to their bill. Plus finders fee.
 

digitalgraffiti

New Member
Bob is completely correct about the fonts and copyright. A font actually can not be copyrighted since it is a representation of the original copyrighted typeface. Fonts are only the software that you are licensed to use, the Typeface is the actual design of the characters. Garamond is a typeface, you have a font of it on your computer.

Some of the software companies out there actually have created a lot of their own problems by allowing fonts to be collected so they can be sent off to service bureaus and printers. If you were to check the actually licensing agreement from Adobe (it may have change in the past year or so) where it stated that you could collect the fonts and send them to the service bureau, but the service bureau could not use them unless they actually had a legal license to use the font (which means they had to pay for it-kind of defeats the purpose of sending the font in the first place). Adobe and many other font makers are now making it so you can not even embed a font into a program (and make a PDF of it) so you are forced to convert them to outlines.

Creating outlines does make the font slightly bolder than not outlined but I actually did some testing a few years ago and quality fonts were not effected as drastically as low quality "free" fonts and depending on the actual printing process (off of a real printing press-not a digital printer) actually made the font bolder than the convert to outline process did.

I make a habit of never sending fonts anywhere. I paid for the font, I do not want someone else using and most places that you send a font to will end up using that font for their own use. I try to stay away from many of those free sites because they are mostly badly created fonts to begin with and many times they are licensed only for personal use, not commercial.

The down of buying the font for the client is that most licensing is not tranferable, so if you buy it, the license is in your name and basically you are still just giving them the font, they would still not be licensed to use it.
 
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