Re: [Gimp-user] Copyright and brushes, fonts - was "Help"

[Chris Mohler <cr33dog gmail com>]

On Fri, Dec 30, 2011 at 6:37 PM, Steve Kinney <admin pilobilus net> wrote:
> Beware of "free download" fonts.

Dafont.com is a good source for truly free fonts.

Some are marked "Personal Use Only", however this is almost unenforceable*.

The whole area of typeface licensing is murky as hell.  For example, I
have a fully-licensed copy of "Akzidenz-Grotesk Pro" - but that is a
typeface originally designed in the 1890s and in no sane society
should require any sort of license!  And then there are all the
knock-offs: due to a quirk in the laws* concerning typefaces, one can
extract the glyphs, create a new font with those glyphs, and then
distribute it.  The 'README' in the font's zip file may or may not be
truth.  In short: tracking the legality of a specific typeface is
hellish at best, and sometimes near-impossible.

I try to spend my time designing these days, and not worrying about
font licenses.  Out of necessity, I have several large commercial
libraries - but I try to use free fonts whenever possible.  I also use
free (open source) software whenever possible - but again, out of
necessity, I also use Adobe's products as well (those are licensed
too, in case any of the jack-boots of the BSA are reading).

The BSA only needs an excuse - if they raid you, they WILL find a
violation.  So kids: encrypt your hard drives and keep your heads down
;)

Chris

*IANAL, this is not legal advice ;)

PS - the BSA is the most compelling argument I've ever seen for
running an all-linux shop ;)  Ask Ernie Ball about them sometime...