Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!bu.edu!m2c!umvlsi!dime!leban From: leban@par3.cs.umass.edu (Bruce Leban) Newsgroups: comp.fonts Subject: Re: Bitstream Fontware and Personal TeX Inc FIP Message-ID: <22705@dime.cs.umass.edu> Date: 16 Nov 90 17:47:19 GMT References: <7191@hub.ucsb.edu> <7241@hub.ucsb.edu> Sender: news@dime.cs.umass.edu Reply-To: leban@par3.cs.umass.edu (Bruce Leban) Distribution: comp Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst Lines: 23 >From psycho@casaba.ucsb.edu (Scot Kellan Forbes): > ... where can I > find information on the format used in Fontware outlines? The scaling > algorithms would also be very useful ... >From (Glenn Parker): >Sorry, but the format of FontWare files is proprietary to Bitstream, as is >the software used to render them into bitmap fonts. However, Bitstream >does license this technology, if anyone is _extremely_ interested. Just because Bitstream considers the format proprietary doesn't mean someone else can't crack it and then release the format. You can't copyright a data format independent of the data and if it were patented I'm sure you (Glenn) would have said (if not, you reduce the value of your patent -- you lose the legal presumption that violators knew you had a patent). IMHO, open formats are superior. I can now buy Type 1 and 3 PostScript fonts from LOTS of people, make my own and even find freeware fonts on the net. I can't do that with a secret format like Fontware. Of course, Adobe used to only have one public format, but they changed. --- Bruce Leban@cs.umass.edu @amherst.mass.usa.earth