Xref: utzoo comp.sys.amiga:1466 comp.sys.mac:1035
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!think!ames!amdahl!kim
From: kim@amdahl.amdahl.com (Kim DeVaughn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Macintosh Fonts
Message-ID: <19685@amdahl.amdahl.com>
Date: 16 Dec 87 02:48:29 GMT
References: <546@oscvax.UUCP> <1308@uhccux.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Amdahl Corporation,  Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Lines: 49

In article <1308@uhccux.UUCP>, cm450s02@uhccux.UUCP (Jeff T. Segawa) writes:
> In article <546@oscvax.UUCP> rico@oscvax.UUCP (Rico Mariani) writes:
> >I've recently converted a whole bunch of Macintosh fonts to the Amiga
> >format and I'd like to put them on a public domain font disk.
>
> I think most of the fonts released by Apple are either copyrighted by
> Apple itself, or licensed to them by ITC, Adobe or others. This is
> especially true of some laser fonts, like ITC Garamond and Zapf.

There has been several lengthy discussions of the copyrightability of
fonts here on the net over the past couple of years.  I have some of
the old (and somewhat authoritative) information tucked away somewhere
on a tape, and if there is sufficient interest, can dig it out and
post or email it to interested people (if you send me a path to you
relative to a backbone site).  ARPA, BITNET, etc. paths are not likely
to be successful, in my experience.

Anyway, to summarize, it is my understanding that fonts themselves are
NOT copyrightable.  At least not in the US, and probably not in Canada.

The *names* of fonts, however, may be Trademarked and/or Copyrighted.

So, if that understanding is correct, all one has to do is give a given
font a new name, and everything is legal.  I will not discuss whether
to do so is *moral* or not ... one must let their conscience be their
guide (or their lawyer's :-) ).

Elsewhere in the world, fonts may indeed be copyrighted, and I'm not at
all sure how that affects things.

I know this sounds weird, especially in North America where everyone is
so lawsuit conscious, but I believe it really is that way.

On the other hand, I am not a lawyer, so it would probably be best to
check with one first (I suppose they *do* actually serve a useful purpose
once in awhile).

/kim


[  Any thoughts or opinions which may or may not have been expressed  ]
[  herein are my own.  They are not necessarily those of my employer. ]

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