Article View: comp.fonts
Article #2806Re: copyright and typeface design
From: ;;;;RD48
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 16:24
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 16:24
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So, essentially, if I "drop-n-drag" or "trace outline" using a font editor
I am essentialy swiping someone else's _code_ (and any little hidden
"extra" code will be included). But on the other hand if I print and scan
the _output_ and recontruct it from scratch (the only way to get a good
recreation anyway), then we are into the very gray "look-n-feel" area.
Certainly nobody can _copyright_ the geometry of a "b" from courier ("that's
Microsoft's circle and bar, son!). Similarly, while importing a kerning
table is again swiping _code_, nobody can copyright the combination of
characters (Microsoft owns the "WA" combination?). Essentially, if I can
recreate a font without ever reading the original code directly using a
font editor, I have not stolen any _code_, rather I have been "inspired" by
the look of a font to generate my own version.
--
Gavin Helf
UC Berkeley Political Science
Berkeley-Stanford Program in Soviet Studies
ghelf@violet.berkeley.edu
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!think.com!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!agate!violet.berkeley.edu!ghelf From: ghelf@violet.berkeley.edu (;;;;RD48) Newsgroups: comp.fonts Subject: Re: copyright and typeface design Date: 27 Jan 1993 16:24:42 GMT Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 19 Message-ID: <1k6d0a$8rk@agate.berkeley.edu> References: <1993Jan21.172248.13913@bsu-ucs> <1082@rtbrain.rightbrain.com> <1993Jan27.043323.9535@ucl.ac.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: violet.berkeley.edu