RE: Re[2]: pixel fonts

Clive Bruton wrote:

>Bill Hill Wrote:

>>The problems of IPR for fonts are, as you point out, not much different to
the 
>>problems of IPR for other "creative works" on the Net, such as photographs
and 
>>graphics, and in fact, the font embedding scheme which we are proposing gives 
>>greater protection to fonts than exists today for other creative works.

>In many ways there is little difference between various forms of Intellectual 
>Property, but fonts will *always* be different.

>               1	Whereas many other media have protection from copying
their forms
>		fonts do not. Anyone can copy a type design and call it their own.
>		The only things about fonts that are protected in US law is their
>		trade marked name, and the data in the case of a digitised font.
>
>		Note: the latter case is yet to be proven in a US court.
>
>	2	Unlike photographs or illustrations fonts are tools in their own
>		right, they can be used to create new works.
>
>	3	Almost without exception fonts exist today in a resolution independent
>		manner on the Net, this resolution independence can quickly be 
>		translated into platform or device independence.
>
>	4	A font is the carrier of its own source code. All information needed to
>		re-engineer a font is contained within it.
>
>		Many large companies give free software out on the net, to promote 
>		other products in most cases, how many of them give out source code?
>
>	5	For many type designers and small "foundries" fonts are their only
>		end product, there is nothing for them to cross-subsidise against.

>Yes vector based fonts on the Net make sense, but I'd rather spend 18 months 
>discussing it and getting it right than rushing out a solution that
destroys the 
>IPR of many small companies and individuals.

>What opportunities will be lost by taking time to sort it out properly,
only the 
>leverage of larger companies that can afford to subsidise type output through 
>other profit centres.

Amen and Alleluia! Welcome, Clive.

John Hudson, Type Director

Tiro TypeWorks
Vancouver, BC
tiro@portal.ca
http://www.portal.ca/~tiro

Received on Monday, 12 August 1996 14:25:20 UTC