Re: New work on fonts at W3C

Adam Twardoch wrote:
> Brad Kemper wrote:
>> I'm referring to Open Type and True Type, which do not seem to have the
>> same sort of patent complications as EOT.
> 
> You mean, except
> 
> http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=B58bAAAAEBAJ (Apple)
> http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=rTEhAAAAEBAJ (Apple)
> http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=lk4hAAAAEBAJ (Apple)
> http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=szcIAAAAEBAJ (Microsoft)
> 
> which all apply to the OpenType font format and its ISO/IEC version, the
> ISO/IEC 14496-22 Open Font Format?

There's one major difference between OpenType and TrueType patents and
EOT: the browser is expected to "decrypt" (unscramble) the font file
(possibly needing the patent license) but OpenType and TrueType fonts
are used by the operating system. The browser vendors do not have
problem with those patents.

In addition, the patent(s) on EOT is meant to be used as "security"
feature preventing the "decryption" of font.

-- 
Mikko