[Openfontlibrary] design service

[Christopher Fynn]

Liam R E Quin wrote:
> On Wed, 2008-11-05 at 20:41 -0200, minombresbond wrote:
...
>> I understand that the glyps of any typeface is not
>> 'copyrightable' material in USA and the rest of the world
>>
>> http://www.loc.gov/cgi-bin/formprocessor/copyright/cfr.pl?&urlmiddle=1.0.2.6.2.0.174.1∂=202&section=1&prev=&next=2
>>
>> (except any 'patented' typefaces in any european countrys),
> 
> That's not right -- they are not copyrightable in the US, but
> they _are_ copyrightable in (many) other countries.  However,
> typeface design protection is limited, e.g. in the UK I think
> it's 25 years.

The UK is not as strict as other European countries.

As far as I know in Germany a type design may be Copyright  for 70 years 
after the death of the creator and, even after that, the state the State 
may continue to exercise rights relating to  acknowledgment of the 
author and the rights relating to the integrity of the design.
(Don't no whether "integrity" rights could be used to prevent 
modifications and derivatives of an original design.)

In other continental European countries may have similar laws. Generally 
I don't think European differentiates between typeface design and other 
design and artwork.

Safest to follow the rules of the country where a design or typeface was 
first published AND the rules of the country where OFLB is hosted.

This is what Wikimedia Commons requires for copied artwork uploaded 
there  (Term of US Law and the law of the country where something was 
originally published).

I also wonder whether free software licenses (designed for software) are 
appropriate for fonts where a font is first published in a country where 
the design is protected?

- C