Pirates… Part 2

My last article generated a fair few responses. Duncan, a font designer himself, wrote me the following comment;

 

Hi Shane,

I always enjoy reading your features. The current one certainly hits close to home. You’ve made some great points and I wish everyone had your sense of ethics. Piracy is an ongoing dilemma.

Just a quick point with regard to LHF. Chuck is a tireless worker for his font artists and is super protective of their fonts. He pays generous royalties always on time.

The subject of font piracy has been a mission for him. He has tried various encryption and protection systems. Some were effective, but some were onerous for the customer. LHF currently has a simplified system. It contains as you’ve alluded to, information about the original purchaser. It may be not as effective in anti-piracy control as some of the other variations, but it has quelled the concerns of legitimate users. And the fonts can now be embedded in documents as well.

As far as I know, you have never had to be linked directly to LHF to use their fonts. They reside on your computers (up to 3). In the case of Gerber Omega users like us, they can be converted to Gerber fonts using the Gerber True Type Converted even though all the LHF fonts are now Open Type format.

Shane Drew has been involved in the sign industry since 1992.  Before that he had a very successful career in sales, winning several Sales Awards before deciding on a career change in his early 30’s. Shane has been writing freelance articles since 2002 and is a sign industry mentor for sign shops both in Australia and Europe, is a regular contributor to Europe’s biggest sign industry forum, and is well known in local circles for his passion about the Australian Sign Industry.  Shane is Managing Director of Drews Sign It Pty Ltd, a family business who are supporters of several major charities and not-for-profit organisations. A recent highlight is his appointment as a Green Guardian for his support of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, on Queensland’s Southern Gold Coast.

I am no expert at all the terms of use at LHF, but I encourage you to read this link for more details. http://letterheadfonts.com/license/ LHF has some terrific new fonts and it would be a shame if everyone in our industry doesn’t at least consider them.

LHF tried some incredibly complex attempts to cut down on piracy. Unfortunately, they were to complex and created some negative downside effects. The latest system is quite user friendly and yet provides a deterrent to folks that insist on abusing the terms of use.

Again, love the articles you write Shane,

Thanks very much Duncan.

I should point out that I have enormous respect for Chuck and the LHF team.

When LHF introduced the new anti piracy policy originally, I, along with a fair few others (I participated in a few online forums that were pretty vocal at the time), understood it to be as I stated in the article…. that is, you need to have internet access to LHF if you want to use the fonts.

I’m actually very pleased with this new revelation in your email, and I’ll revisit the site again.

They should be totally supported in their fight of piracy though. They have a stable of brilliant font designers, and fonts.

After the nice response from Duncan though, some readers advised me to ‘pull my head in. They purchased the fonts, they can do whatever they like with them’.

Well, actually, no. As much as you’d like to think that, it is not the case.

Let me explain it this way.

You have a drivers license right?

Can you share that license around?

Perhaps give it to a mate to do a quick job?

You paid for the license though didn’t you, so surely it is yours to do as you please?

But, if you speed too many times, or break the law, that license can be revoked… right? So you don’t actually own the license as much as have the right to use it, as long as you abide by the rules.
 
Interestingly, LHF answer two of the most common questions and misconceptions, on their site.

1) Do I own the fonts when I purchase from Letterhead Fonts?

When you purchase from Letterhead Fonts, you are purchasing a license to use the font files. You are not purchasing the actual fonts themselves. This license to use the fonts contains certain conditions as explained above and outlined in the EULA

2) What do I do if I sell or give away my computer?

Because your account ID is embedded into each of the fonts you licensed from us, you will want to take extra precaution to remove any Letterhead Fonts before selling or giving away your computer. These fonts can easily be identified by the “LHF” preface in the names.

Another supplier, Signfonts, has a different take on a similar license. Their site states;

1) What are my legal limitations using your fonts?

By clicking the .zip archive or any files in e-mail or on your computer or on the Signfonts CD package containing A&S font files, you agree to the terms of the Signfonts End User License Agreement.

A&S fonts remain the property of Art&Sign Studio / Signfonts.com. Payment received by Art&Sign / Signfonts.com in exchange for A&S font files, is for the license to use the fonts as described in this agreement and NOT for ownership of the fonts or font files.

This is a contract between you and Art&Sign Studio / Signfonts.com.

This license is non-transferable. If you do not agree to the terms, you may not use A&S fonts.

Your License Agreement permits you to use A&S fonts at only one location. A&S fonts may be installed on as many computers as you may have at that location. You may make one copy of the font files for purposes of back-up only.

Computers with A&S Signfonts installed may not be removed from the licensed location except for repair.

A&S fonts must be uninstalled from any computer that is taken out of service, traded or sold.

You are not permitted to alter the font files in any manner. This includes, but is not limited to, re-naming the font, altering, manipulating or rearranging the characters in any way.

Redistribution is prohibited, including, but not limited to, reselling and or trading. A&S fonts and font files may not be shared or passed around among Groups for any reason.

A&S fonts used within Word or Design programs must be converted to path (curve or line) before such program files are passed on to others, such as Printers, Web designers, clients, etc.

I received another email that touches on free fonts disks a little more, which I’ll cover in the next article, but suffice to say, you really need to read the fine print on all the fonts you purchase.

As already stated, the assumption that you ‘own’ the font you have purchased, whether it be from Lynotype, Myfonts, Font Bros, Font Garden, Signfonts, Letterhead Fonts or the many others is a fallacy.

Aside from the public domain fonts you buy on a disk, or download from free fonts sites like dafont or 1001 free fonts, your license literally covers the use of the fonts as long as you don’t break the rules.

As Duncan pointed out, LHF have a system that if one of their fonts is found on a free font site, they will know who purchased it originally, and will prosecute.

Other fonts suppliers are less forthcoming with their anti piracy mechanisms, so you shouldn’t assume you will not get caught.

In our next article, I’ll have part 3 of this discussion, with a letter from another reader that poses an interesting question concerning his attempt to be ‘pirate font conscious’.

Please feel free to send your comments to [email protected]