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Copyright (Fonts?) =/

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  • 26-04-2010 8:41pm
    #1
    Mister Man
    Registered Users Posts: 955 ✭✭✭


    hey guys,

    So today I was making a package design for a Xbox and Playstation controller for a gaming site

    Now I Finished up and sent the product over to see if they liked it.

    Now the final product they said was good, but they arn't sure about the font being copyrighted or not.

    So I'm kinda wondering how do I Know if the font is copyrighted or now?

    Is there a way I can use the font if it is for this kind of use?

    Thanks for any help guys :)


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    #2
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,571 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    If you are going to work as a designer you need to really research copyright laws on fonts, photographs, the works. Because if there is a problem it lands right on you.

    Fonts (typefaces) are one of the more difficult areas, but generally, if you have purchased a typeface, you can use it. You might have to check whether you have bought the right to use it as you wish, or just for one job.

    If the typeface was one of the ones supplied on your computer you are ok. However if it was given away with, say, a magazine, you will find that they are not for commercial use. Shareware fonts are dodgy because they are often based on commercial typefaces and you could be in breach of copyright.

    You can buy discs of fonts and it should say on the packaging that they can be used without restriction.

    There are also loads of fonts floating around that get passed from one person to another. Commercial printers tend to collect them because the fonts have to be sent with the job, then they just go into general use. This should not happen, but it does.

    Strictly speaking you should not pass a font to a printing company, but that is completely impractical and is the main flaw in the system. There might have been some more legislation about that, but I don't know.

    If you want to use a specialised font that has to be purchased you have to go to the client and ask if they are willing to pay for it (like stock photography), it is then strictly speaking theirs, you are just holding it, you cannot use it for another job (unless of course you buy it yourself).

    So the bottom line is, where did you get it from?


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    #3
    Mister Man
    Registered Users Posts: 955 ✭✭✭Mister Man


    I get alot of my fonts from sites like dafont.com
    Myfonts.com a good bit.
    I Got a couple from Piratebay.org (LOL)
    And some sent to me over MSN/AIM/Blaa blaa blaa

    I have far to many fonts on my PC Currently....I Would take a wild guess and say maybe 3000+ Fonts. Ive been building them up over the last year or so.

    The one i have used for my last (And First at that) job was BankGothic. A well knowen font i believe.

    I Was doing some googling on copyright for fonts. And some sites say its ok, some say its not, i was a littel bit confused. So i said i would look into it

    Now im not getting payed to do this stuff, I get free stuff from there site when I Want something and in return I help them out with stuff (Graphics, Web design etc)

    As you can prob. tell im a youngster. Im only 17 :P


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    #4
    p
    Registered Users Posts: 2,119 ✭✭✭p


    Really you should be paying for all your fonts.

    Given you're not going to do this, I would suggest that you search for the font in question and see if it's a commercial or free one. If it's a commercial one, then simply bill them for the font, or use a different one.

    Always buy the fonts when doing professional work.


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    #5
    red_ice
    Registered Users Posts: 4,946 ✭✭✭red_ice


    as p said, you should be buying fonts. Especially if your not arsed designing your own.

    The way to look at this situation is as follows. Bipmapped images in the shape of letter forms, or even typefaces are not copyrightable and you can do what you like with them. Make them your own all you like.

    The 'font' is. An easy way to discribe this is that a font is, by definiton (for copyright) a computer program. the .TTF extension or whatever you are using is the script/file/program that is copyrighted.


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    #6
    101001
    Registered Users Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭101001


    Bank Gothic is a trademark so Im guessing/almost positive its copyrighted... you can purchase it here for http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/bank-gothic/ $25

    Maybe if you ask real nice they'll grant you a license to use it once?

    But I really wouldnt worry about it


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    #7
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,571 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    If you are going to take yourself seriously as a graphic designer you need to play by the rules. You can either be a cheap-jack chancer, or a professional. Word will very quickly get round of who is worth employing and who is not, and one of the things that clients are paying for is your expertise. They should not have had to come to you to ask about copyright, that is one of the things you should be telling them. A few really good clients is much better than a lot of odds and ends of jobs, evidently you have a potentially very good client there, stick with them and do lots of reading and research. Lecture over :D


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    #8
    101001
    Registered Users Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭101001


    firstly, fairplay on being proactive and motivated enough to find yourself graphics jobs at such a young age. The experience you'll get will be invaluable. Im pretty sure you wont make that font mistake again.

    Secondly another suggestion I'd have is getting rid of the 3000+ fonts you have on your system they can be a resource hog. Everytime you load (some)programmes they'll want to search and load fonts with that amount you are greatly increasing load times. I have very few fonts on my system and if Im using a font for a specific client I will remove that font and pack it away in that clients folder (externally when backing up). Keeps your system free of too many fonts and you will then always have the font you used for a specific task if needed and you won't forget what font you used incase a copyright issue like this one arises.


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    #9
    Mister Man
    Registered Users Posts: 955 ✭✭✭Mister Man


    101001 wrote: »
    firstly, fairplay on being proactive and motivated enough to find yourself graphics jobs at such a young age. The experience you'll get will be invaluable. Im pretty sure you wont make that font mistake again.

    Secondly another suggestion I'd have is getting rid of the 3000+ fonts you have on your system they can be a resource hog. Everytime you load (some)programmes they'll want to search and load fonts with that amount you are greatly increasing load times. I have very few fonts on my system and if Im using a font for a specific client I will remove that font and pack it away in that clients folder (externally when backing up). Keeps your system free of too many fonts and you will then always have the font you used for a specific task if needed and you won't forget what font you used incase a copyright issue like this one arises.

    Thats a good idea! Although my systems pretty decent at loading them all up on PS it can take a while in Xera Webstyles and Xera 3D.

    Does anyone have a list hand of legal to use fonts for making packages etc? Ive searched google a bit, but its coming up with one or two fonts so would be hand to just get a list. ive a few writen down by my computer (3-7)

    Off-topic- anyone bough CS5 (or downloaded the trial version)


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