"wrapper format" (was: restarting discussion)

Thomas Lord wrote:
...

> What are we left with?
> A "wrapper format" can be constructed which can 
> embed TT and OT, bundling such font files with   
> arbitrary, HTML-formatted meta-data for user 
> consumption.  By convention, font vendors can use
> that meta-data to include licensing information in 
> an accessible format, perhaps using ccREL and RDFa
> to make the licensing information machine readable.


Why do we need another "wrapper format" to contain font + meta-data??

For heavens sake, the OpenType spec describes the TrueType sfnt file 
itself as a "wrapper, which provides organization for a collection of 
tables in a general and extensible manner".

Since the TrueType sfnt font format is extensible, tables to contain 
such  meta-data can be added to the font files themselves without 
breaking anything. (This is exactly what OpenType itself does - to 
legacy applications that know nothing of the addtional OpenType tables, 
  TTF flavoured OpenType fonts look and work exactly like old-fashioned 
TTF fonts)

In the Name table described in the OT Spec there are already places to 
store Copyright Notice, Trademark, Manufacturer Name, Designer name, 
History,  URL of font vendor ["If a unique serial number is embedded in 
the URL, it can be used to register the font"], Designer URL, Vendor 
URL,  License Description ["description of how the font may be legally 
used, or different example scenarios for licensed use."],  and  License 
URL.

This information could be easily retrieved and exposed by the client 
through  a menu item or dialogue box.

In addition to these existing tables described in the specification, 
there are already well developed and detailed proposals for an including 
an additional EEULA table in TTF / OTF fonts to store additional 
meta-data and permissions. See: <http://eeulaa.org/>. If this table were 
present in a font, browser manufactures like Microsoft could choose to 
have their applications respect the extended permissions etc in this 
table.

- Chris

Received on Wednesday, 1 July 2009 09:28:13 UTC