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From: richard@gryphon.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: looking for Amiga fonts (summary)
Message-ID: <1573@gryphon.CTS.COM>
Date: Wed, 16-Sep-87 20:09:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: gryphon.1573
Posted: Wed Sep 16 20:09:52 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Sep-87 08:01:19 EDT
References: <1125@vu-vlsi.UUCP>
Reply-To: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton)
Organization: Trailing Edge Technology, Redondo Beach, CA
Lines: 38
Keywords: summary, font editors, font sources

.
(Thanks to David T. for his font summary)

A couple of things to add:

It would seems that font *designs* cannot be copyrighted in the US under 
current laws. It seems America has be ripping off the European font
designers for the past n years, and making a good buck at it.

You can trademark a name, like "Helvetica" (tm), and you can 
copyright the actual binary that is the font image.

But thats it.

What this means is you can take a laserwriter, print each character
full page size, digitize them (change the name) and *poof* you are in
the font buisness. You can sell them as your own. Pretty scarey huh ?

This info was gleaned from an article on font copyrights written
by Chuck Bigelow, and posted about a year ago. It was posted again
recently, and will appear in the next PostScript Language Journel.

Mail me (go ahead, just try!) and I'll mail you a copy.

In spite of all this, I would doubt that you could convert LaserJet
fonts to Amiga format and distribute them by any means.

On the other hand, HP would have to prove you did'nt just
copy the design, but, rather, converted their binaries. Sticky wicket.

Rather amusing situation, as HP will send you disks and disks of fonts
if you call Boise and ask to be put on the developers list.
-- 
Richard J. Sexton
INTERNET:     richard@gryphon.CTS.COM
UUCP:         {hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, ihnp4, nosc}!crash!gryphon!richard

"It's too dark to put the keys in my ignition..."