
- Word vs word non commercial install#
- Word vs word non commercial software#
- Word vs word non commercial license#
- Word vs word non commercial free#
Can you copy typefaces without worrying about copyright law? is not obligated to provide greater protection to works from other countries than it provides to works produced in the U.S. That means, among other things, that the U.S. is a party (such as the Berne Convention) operate under a common principle (called “national treatment”) which holds that a country must treat foreigners and locals equally. have to follow the copyright law of other countries under international treaties?Īll of the major copyright treaties and agreements to which the U.S. England also allows typeface designs to be protected by copyright (since 1989). In contrast, Germany recognized in 1981 that typeface designs can be protected by copyright as original works. Copyright Office has unequivocally determined that fonts are not subject to protection as artistic works under the 1976 Copyright Act. may be the only country in the western world not to recognize intellectual property rights in typeface design. You should remember that copyright law, and more specifically, as it relates to typefaces and fonts, varies by country.įor example, the U.S. This means that copyright law (at least in the U.S.) protects only the font software, not the artistic design of the typeface. On the other hand, scalable fonts (because they are incorporated as part of a program or software) are protected by copyright.
Word vs word non commercial software#
does not protect typefaces.įonts may be protected as long as the font qualifies as computer software or a program (and in fact, most fonts are programs or software).īitmapped fonts are considered to be computerized representations of a typeface (and are not protected by copyright law). Does copyright law protect typefaces and fonts? Copyright Office for it to be automatically protected by copyright law (registration does have benefits – but we won’t be covering those in this article).įor more about copyright law, you can read Everything Marketers Need to Know To Avoid Violating Copyright Law and Small Business Legal Issues: Copyright Basics. One does not need to register a work with the U.S. Under the 1976 Copyright Act (United States), the copyright owner has the exclusive right to reproduce, adapt, distribute, publicly perform and publicly display the work.Īny or all of these rights can be licensed, sold or donated to another party. Other agreements will restrict the ways you can use a font.Ĭopyright is a form of legal protection provided to those who create original works.
Word vs word non commercial install#
Those agreements will vary among fonts and among font makers – so read them very carefully to understand what you can and cannot do with the fonts you’re licensing.įor example, some agreements will restrict the number of computers on which you can install a font.
Word vs word non commercial license#
Your rights and obligations are defined in the End User License Agreement (EULA). Whether you pay for a font or acquire it for free, each font comes with a license that explains how you may use that font (and how you may not use the font).


Word vs word non commercial free#
How do you acquire a license to a font?įonts can be free or licensed, for a fee, for commercial use.
+-+Microsoft+Word+non-commercial+use+6222012+120811+PM.jpg)
The software that tells your display or printer to show a letter in “Helvetica” is the font.

Variations of Helvetica, such as Helvetica Regular, Helvetica Italic, Helvetica Bold, etc. Technically, a “font” is a computer file or program (when used digitally) that informs your printer or display how a letter or character is supposed to be shown.Ī “typeface” is a set of letters, numbers and other symbols whose forms are related by repeating certain design elements that are consistently applied (sometimes called glyphs), used to compose text or other combination of characters.Īlthough many people would call “Helvetica” a font, it’s actually a typeface. Background Info on Fonts, Typefaces and Copyright Law How is a font different from a typeface? Let’s look at the law of fonts and typefaces and answer the most common questions agencies, designers, and marketers ask about using fonts in designs and marketing projects. After all, most lawyers don’t understand design or marketing.įar too many designers and marketers incorrectly assume that they can freely use any typeface or font for logo design or any other design project.Įven design and marketing agencies often run afoul of font law and expose themselves and their clients to legal liability. The truth is that most people, and especially designers and marketers, do not understand the law governing the use of typefaces and fonts. The right typeface is often the key to strong brand identity, a well-designed website, sharp looking brochures, and strong marketing materials.īut there’s much confusion and misinformation about typefaces, fonts and how designers and marketers can lawfully use them commercially.
