Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!apple!oliveb!sun!ringworld!eager
From: eager@ringworld.Sun.COM (Mike Eager)
Newsgroups: comp.fonts
Subject: Re: HP LaserJet Downloadable Fonts
Message-ID: <96281@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 29 Mar 89 02:28:42 GMT
References: <1736@trantor.harris-atd.com> <229800002@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Reply-To: eager@sun.UUCP (Mike Eager)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 22

In article <229800002@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> mcdonald@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
>
>Make a copy of them on floppies.
>Use debug to edit out the copyright, and change the name of the font
>to something else. 


You might get the idea that editing out the copyright statement constitutes
a violation of copyright.


>The BIT PATTERNS of the fonts cannot be copyrighted
>or patented or protected in any other way.

The BIT PATTERNS, can and (since you saw the notice) are protected by 
copyright.  Copying the diskettes, and removing the notice, are a violation
of copyright.

The actual shape of the character cannot be protected by copyright.  This allows
you, if you wish, to digitize the printed version of the letter and create your
own bit mapped or PostScript font.  Then, you can copyright the bit map or
PS program that you created.