Re: [ARSCLIST] OT: Copyright and typefaces

["Steven C. Barr(x)" <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Richter" <mrichter@xxxxxxx>
> Copyright can be asserted for both PostScript and TrueType fonts: 
> PostScript is printable and subject to human interpretation; TrueType is 
> an executable program. Needless to say, the commercial faces have 
> copyright notices in readable form within their headers.
> 
> The oddity arises when one uses a program to construct a font of one's 
> own. I have used several such and each has embedded a copyright notice 
> in the product - asserting that the rights belong to the publisher of 
> the program used. It's as though Shure had the rights to a recording 
> made with their microphones.
> 
> Since the PostScript file can be edited with a text editor, one could 
> easily change the notice to assert rights of the person who created it - 
> but is that legal? I wonder whether the original assertion is valid.
> 
Well...your copyright applies ONLY to the font (i.e. the shape and
design of the characters). Any information you make available over
the internet or on some digital storage medium is NOT copyrighted...
but, should someone make that same data available using your copyrighted
font, it is the LETTERS/NUMBERS/USW. that are violating copyright...
NOT the information itself!

In the pre-digital world, you would have one or more patents on the
devices containing the information...as well as a copyright on the
words used to present that information.

Actually, we are very fortunate that the "Roman" alphabet as well
as "Arabic" numerals were developed well before things could be
copyrighted or patented...

Steven C. Barr
(Thought for the day: suppose you take the time to create an entirely
new alphabet, with a character representing each possible sound that
a human being can utter (or otherwise make)...would you copyright
your new set of characters, or patent it? Explain in detail and
provide precedents where possible. This assignment is due on...)