Xref: utzoo comp.fonts:836 misc.legal:12291 can.general:2121
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!maytag!vlsi!watale!mims-iris.waterloo.edu!tom
From: tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu (Tom Haapanen)
Newsgroups: comp.fonts,misc.legal,can.general
Subject: Copyrighting fonts
Keywords: font copyright usa canada
Message-ID: <3334@watale.waterloo.edu>
Date: 14 Nov 89 03:01:16 GMT
Sender: daemon@watale.waterloo.edu
Reply-To: tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu (Tom Haapanen)
Distribution: na
Organization: WATMIMS Research Group, University of Waterloo
Lines: 22

I am looking for information on copyrighting of computer/printer fonts.
I know that the font _names_ are registered and so on, but what is the
protection granted to fonts?  Specifically, if a font is copyrighted,
will the copyright apply if:
	- the font is edited and changed into a different style
	- the font is transformed into a different style and/or size
	- the font file is converted into a different format (e.g.
	  for a different printer)
I guess what I want to know is whether the copyright covers the font
_file_, or the _design_ of the font.

Comments on both US and Canadian legislation will be appreciated; if
possible, include references in your response.  Thanks in advance.

Please respond by email; I will summarize to the net if there is interest.

                                        \tom haapanen
"now, you didn't really expect          tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu
 my views to have anything to do        watmims research group
 with my employer's, did you?"          university of waterloo

"I don't even know what street Canada is on"  -- Al Capone