Reg - Linotype copyright action on Adobe-format fonts

[Declan McCullagh]

Bitmapped fonts may not be copyrightable in the U.S., but Postscript/vector 
fonts certainly are:

http://news.cnet.com/news/0,10000,0-1005-200-326302,00.html
>In a case that pitted Adobe Systems
>against a small software company in Florida, U.S. District Judge Ronald
>Whyte of San Jose, California, ruled that computer fonts are no different
>from other kinds of software, and enjoy full copyright protection.

See the font FAQ:
http://nwalsh.com/comp.fonts/FAQ/cf_13.htm
>  scalable fonts are, in the opinion of the Copyright Office,
>computer programs, and as such are copyrightable

-Declan

At 01:44 PM 12/18/2001 -0500, Duncan Frissell wrote:

>I thought everyone knew.  Fonts aren't copyrightable.  Font *names* are.
>The reverse of the norm.  With a story or novel the body of text is
>copyrightable, the title isn't.
>
>DCF
>
>On Tue, 18 Dec 2001, Declan McCullagh wrote:
>
> > Why wouldn't an original typeface be covered under U.S. copyright laws?
> >
> > -Declan
> >
> > At 10:12 AM 12/18/2001 -0800, David Honig wrote:
> > >IIRC fonts are not copyrightable in the US, but are elsewhere, yes?
> > >
> > >Assuming that's correct, then an algorithmic font (eg Postscript) could be
> > >turned into an albeit large static set of pixels which wouldn't be
> > >copyrightable in the US.