Canva & Adobe Express - Uploaded Fonts with Unrestricted Use
Stuart Sandler
Posts: 370
While both Canva and Adobe CC allows its users to onboard fonts only requiring them to click a box to confirm they legally can and that they do own such licensing (which most EULAs don't allow), once onboarded, the fonts can be used:
* To create print designs (fair and agreeable to most foundries)
* To create graphics (also fair and agreeable to most foundries)
* To create motion graphics for broadcast (some licenses restrict broadcast use)
* To create websites (by converting the font to WOFF2 files and publishing the site) - (most EULAs definitely don't allow this without the purchase of a web font)
* To create personalized products for purchase using templates via 3rd party printing partners (most EULAs definitely don't allow this without the purchase of a personalization license and even Adobe Fonts restricts this!)
* To create templates for free and resale (thereby transferring the font as part of the template purchase) - (all EULAs forbid transferring a font or a font license to any 3rd party who hasn't purchased their own license to access or use the font)
Sincerely, I have no problem if an online application that uses fonts acts the same way as a desktop application, of that we can all agree is reasonable and while some EULAs don't allow this, some do. Now for the folks that do allow fonts to be uploaded to Canva or Adobe Express, did you know that your fonts CAN be used for things expressly forbidden by your EULA terms like the items I've noted above?
And there is no way to police this usage and to my knowledge neither organization has enabled a protocol that allows font designers to expressly restrict the additional usage of their onboarded fonts to be used for these purposes.
These practices by Canva and Adobe are definitely eroding your income - Is nobody else seeing this?
* To create print designs (fair and agreeable to most foundries)
* To create graphics (also fair and agreeable to most foundries)
* To create motion graphics for broadcast (some licenses restrict broadcast use)
* To create websites (by converting the font to WOFF2 files and publishing the site) - (most EULAs definitely don't allow this without the purchase of a web font)
* To create personalized products for purchase using templates via 3rd party printing partners (most EULAs definitely don't allow this without the purchase of a personalization license and even Adobe Fonts restricts this!)
* To create templates for free and resale (thereby transferring the font as part of the template purchase) - (all EULAs forbid transferring a font or a font license to any 3rd party who hasn't purchased their own license to access or use the font)
Sincerely, I have no problem if an online application that uses fonts acts the same way as a desktop application, of that we can all agree is reasonable and while some EULAs don't allow this, some do. Now for the folks that do allow fonts to be uploaded to Canva or Adobe Express, did you know that your fonts CAN be used for things expressly forbidden by your EULA terms like the items I've noted above?
And there is no way to police this usage and to my knowledge neither organization has enabled a protocol that allows font designers to expressly restrict the additional usage of their onboarded fonts to be used for these purposes.
These practices by Canva and Adobe are definitely eroding your income - Is nobody else seeing this?
3
Comments
-
** For clarity, I have blacklisted all of my fonts from being uploaded to either platform due to this issue.1
-
What is the blacklisting process?0
-
As not to post specific e-mail addresses of specific employees I worked with at each organization, the best way to go about getting your fonts blacklisted from being uploaded is as follows:
Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/legal/dmca.html - This page links to this online form so you can report uploaded content that infringes on your intellectual property rights here: https://survey.adobe.com/jfe/form/SV_a3iwQO3jp990k2W
Canva: https://www.canva.com/policies/dmca-contact/ - E-mail the contact listed on this page
Both organizations use a similar blacklisting process with foundries and those methods should remain confidential for the benefit of foundries.3
Categories
- All Categories
- 43 Introductions
- 3.7K Typeface Design
- 807 Font Technology
- 1.1K Technique and Theory
- 624 Type Business
- 447 Type Design Critiques
- 544 Type Design Software
- 30 Punchcutting
- 137 Lettering and Calligraphy
- 84 Technique and Theory
- 53 Lettering Critiques
- 489 Typography
- 304 History of Typography
- 115 Education
- 70 Resources
- 500 Announcements
- 80 Events
- 105 Job Postings
- 149 Type Releases
- 165 Miscellaneous News
- 271 About TypeDrawers
- 53 TypeDrawers Announcements
- 117 Suggestions and Bug Reports