Adobe Spark and font EULAs

John Nolan

I just had a look at Adobe's Spark app.

The web interface allows one to upload fonts to their interface to use when creating social media posts with the app. 

They do enjoin the user to make sure the EULA allows this use, but I'm not sure how to proceed. The fonts are restricted to the user's account, and projects exported as jpgs or pdfs, so the fonts don't go out in "wild".

In all fairness, it doesn't seem too far off desktop use, but what do people thing?

Thomas Phinney

Seems like something that one could reasonably expect many EULAs would permit. They ask the user to make sure it is within the EULA bounds. So, seems reasonable on Adobe’s part.

Personally, if it were my EULA, I would permit it, no problem. It wouldn't even seem like one of the more liberal things in my EULA. I would rank enabling this as below “editable embedding” in permissiveness.

James Puckett

So the Spark (and the font) are just used to generate static art for social media posts?

John Nolan

James Puckett said:

So the Spark (and the font) are just used to generate static art for social media posts?

Yes, as I understand it.

JoyceKetterer

@John Nolan It looks like this has been going on since June 2018. 

I am  aware Adobe is working on what they call "Bring  your Own Fonts" but had been assured  we could review  the pop up before it went live.  Probably  they meant this with regards to the  full system but am surprised that it's up on Spark now (as a test)?  

I'm having a  little trouble finding the functionality (it's  clearly  changed since  that article was written).  Would you be willing to post a screenshot?

JoyceKetterer

@Thomas Phinney - The issue isn't  whether it is permitted in the EULA (which, I  agree, is a good idea and something  I intend to add) but whether the end user actually knows if they have  a license.  I find that a considerable number of people  at companies think they have a  license when their company didn't buy one for them.  With direct desktop installation this is  something we've  long  ago accepted, but I think changes in technology should improve related technological problems, not compound them.  

John Nolan

JoyceKetterer said:

I'm having a  little trouble finding the functionality (it's  clearly  changed since  that article was written).  Would you be willing to post a screenshot?

Sorry, I didn't notice your request earlier.

k.l.

It is more than troubling to see that Adobe asks users of their software/service to acknowledge having been granted a permission – the permission to modify/convert font software licensed from another party – which Adobe very well knows is not granted by most foundries’ EULAs.