Font licensing similar to Swiss Typefaces?

Chr. St. Jørgensen
Chr. St. Jørgensen Posts: 4
in Type Business
Hi, I really like Swiss Typefaces licensing model https://www.swisstypefaces.com/licensing. Are there any foundries that have a similar model? Thanks.
Tagged:

Comments

  • Robin Mientjes
    Robin Mientjes Posts: 132
    My own model is similar, but I do have different levels of license scope, as I want my type to be more broadly accessible.
  • Craig Eliason
    Craig Eliason Posts: 1,440
    Is this typical?
    B.6. You may not modify the design of the characters contained in the font software, even if converted to outlines with the help of an editing or design software.

    Does that mean that in using a font in an Illustrator composition I wouldn't be licensed to, say, add a texture or trace the edges to make it fractionally bolder?
  • John Nolan
    John Nolan Posts: 51
    That clause is pretty restrictive!
  • Jasper de Waard
    Jasper de Waard Posts: 641
    They're probably trying to avoid a situation where some amateur makes a change to one of their fonts in illustrator, thinking it's an improvement, but in fact just butchering the typeface, and making Swiss Typefaces look bad in the process. I agree that this seems quite restrictive, though.
  • Thomas Phinney
    Thomas Phinney Posts: 2,896
    Craig Eliason said:
    Is this typical?
    B.6. You may not modify the design of the characters contained in the font software, even if converted to outlines with the help of an editing or design software.
    No, that is not a typical font license clause. Quite unusual.

    I am sympathetic to the motivations, but it seems awfully restrictive.
  • Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian
    Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian Posts: 2,044
    edited October 2019
    Craig Eliason said:
    Is this typical?
    B.6. You may not modify the design of the characters contained in the font software, even if converted to outlines with the help of an editing or design software.

    Does that mean that in using a font in an Illustrator composition I wouldn't be licensed to, say, add a texture or trace the edges to make it fractionally bolder?
    Terrible.
  • Claudio Piccinini
    Claudio Piccinini Posts: 681
    Jasper de Waard said:
    They're probably trying to avoid a situation where some amateur makes a change to one of their fonts in illustrator, thinking it's an improvement, but in fact just butchering the typeface, and making Swiss Typefaces look bad in the process. I agree that this seems quite restrictive, though.
    Possibly. But frequently people use typefaces to design logotypes, so this would ask not to do so?
    And if someone does it nonetheless? Typefaces, especially the more graphic or decorative ones, have always been used in this vein.
    It doesn’t make much sense.
  • JoyceKetterer
    JoyceKetterer Posts: 813
    @Claudio Piccinini if the intent is to prevent logo use it makes much more sense to have a logo clause.  I personally think logo clauses are self defeating but at least they are a thing some customers know to look for.  

    The point of this clause is likely to require that they get custom work for any aestetic changes to the font. I get the impulse but think it's impractical and likely to alienate customers if they try to enforce it. 
  • Claudio Piccinini
    Claudio Piccinini Posts: 681
    JoyceKetterer said:
    @Claudio Piccinini if the intent is to prevent logo use it makes much more sense to have a logo clause.  I personally think logo clauses are self defeating but at least they are a thing some customers know to look for.  

    The point of this clause is likely to require that they get custom work for any aestetic changes to the font. I get the impulse but think it's impractical and likely to alienate customers if they try to enforce it. 
    Thanks for the insightful reply. Yes. by re-reading the clause I believe you’re spot on – but in this case it would have been a lot better to make the limitation explicit, i.e. recommend not to alter/customize the letterforms and/or regenerate the files (a thing which I seem to get is implied in most EULAs).
  • JoyceKetterer
    JoyceKetterer Posts: 813
    @Claudio Piccinini  I agree... this is a clash of worldviews.  I really believe that we can own the font (software) but not the typeface (letterforms).  From my worldview flows the idea that if someone alters the letterforms in InDesign they haven't injured me but that if they alter the software they have.  If you think a foundry owns the typeface (as some European law would actually assert) then it makes sense to say it the way they did.  
  • Claudio Piccinini
    Claudio Piccinini Posts: 681
    JoyceKetterer said:
    From my worldview flows the idea that if someone alters the letterforms in InDesign they haven't injured me but that if they alter the software they have.  If you think a foundry owns the typeface (as some European law would actually assert) then it makes sense to say it the way they did.  
    Yes, that is so. And it’s not subjective. Clearly the design belongs to the realm of intellectual property. It might not be so intuitive to consider the software in this vein as well (well, for the "informatics layman", which in the end is a position widely present).
    The alteration of letter forms to design logotypes and lettering would not be preventable, anyway. Law, in its essence does not work by constriction.

Categories