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C
corrales_cachola
Participant
March 17, 2019
Answered

Webfont/Typekit license terms - for client sites

  • March 17, 2019
  • 1 reply
  • 10118 views

How does this new clause in the TypeKit terms for webfont licensing (Dec 31, 2019 deadline) affect websites you did for clients which are attached to your Adobe Kit ID#? Does this mean the client has to purchase the fonts being used on their websites in order to keep using them on their sites (assuming I have an active Adobe license)? What specifically does "web font hosting" mean in this context? Local hosting (i.e., on the client site)? Adobe hosting the fonts?

Can someone from Adobe please clear this up? It is like pulling teeth trying to figure out the specifics on this clause from staff, and design forums outside of this one are abuzz trying to interpret the implications. It is potentially a huge impact if you have designed many websites for clients under your current Adobe TypeKit ID, which those sites are using of course. Again, let's assume the main account holder (the designer in this case) has an active Adobe TypeKit account.

Thanks, Cory

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer liz, Adobe Type

Hi there,

[For reference, this question is referring to the licensing page at: https://helpx.adobe.com/fonts/using/font-licensing.html See also to Section 3.3 ("Reselling the Service") of the Adobe Fonts Service Additional Terms at http://www.adobe.com/go/adobe-fonts-terms.]

> Does this mean the client has to purchase the fonts being used on their websites in order to keep using them on their sites (assuming I have an active Adobe license)?

It means that the client needs their own Creative Cloud subscription by 31 December 2019 to provide the web font licensing and hosting for any websites using Adobe Fonts.  Our support team can help transfer the web font project (aka a "kit") from your Creative Cloud subscription to your client's Creative Cloud subscription; get in touch at https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html.

> What specifically does "web font hosting" mean in this context? Local hosting (i.e., on the client site)? Adobe hosting the fonts?

This help page is the font licensing for using Adobe Fonts from your Creative Cloud subscription, and refers to adding web fonts to your website with the embed code that we provide ( https://helpx.adobe.com/fonts/using/add-fonts-website.html ).

If you purchased a web font license that allows you to self-host any web fonts, that came with its own end user licensing agreement which is separate from Adobe Fonts.

I hope that this helps,

-- liz

1 reply

liz, Adobe Type
Community Manager
liz, Adobe TypeCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
Community Manager
March 18, 2019

Hi there,

[For reference, this question is referring to the licensing page at: https://helpx.adobe.com/fonts/using/font-licensing.html See also to Section 3.3 ("Reselling the Service") of the Adobe Fonts Service Additional Terms at http://www.adobe.com/go/adobe-fonts-terms.]

> Does this mean the client has to purchase the fonts being used on their websites in order to keep using them on their sites (assuming I have an active Adobe license)?

It means that the client needs their own Creative Cloud subscription by 31 December 2019 to provide the web font licensing and hosting for any websites using Adobe Fonts.  Our support team can help transfer the web font project (aka a "kit") from your Creative Cloud subscription to your client's Creative Cloud subscription; get in touch at https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html.

> What specifically does "web font hosting" mean in this context? Local hosting (i.e., on the client site)? Adobe hosting the fonts?

This help page is the font licensing for using Adobe Fonts from your Creative Cloud subscription, and refers to adding web fonts to your website with the embed code that we provide ( https://helpx.adobe.com/fonts/using/add-fonts-website.html ).

If you purchased a web font license that allows you to self-host any web fonts, that came with its own end user licensing agreement which is separate from Adobe Fonts.

I hope that this helps,

-- liz

C
corrales_cacholaAuthor
Participant
March 19, 2019

Thank for letting me know and clearing it up, Liz. Yes, that helps. I am not happy about it of course, as I would imagine few are who have been acting as font resellers for their clients under the current Adobe terms which have so far allowed this. I wish this new clause would have been made more clear to members as this is really a pain point now that we have to go back to clients that were billed out, and tell them there is a gotcha charge years later. Hard to build trust that way. In any event, thanks for the clarity, Cory

    C
    Craig_Paterson
    Participating Frequently
    November 22, 2019

    Hey Cory,

    Yes, it would have been good if Adobe had actually announced this change in an upfront manner and not just hide it away in the Terms of Use. I contacted Adobe Fonts via Twitter and received this response regarding how the change was announced…

    “The change was posted to the Terms of Use and required a click-through approval by all Adobe Fonts customers on sign in as of 15 October 2018.”

    So, I wonder how many people just accepted the message when they logged in after the change was made to the Terms of Use? Still seems a bit of an underhand way of making such a major change. There is nothing about it in the blog post from the day that the change was made either.

    Sorry Adobe, I love your products, but I feel this should have been made more public than it has been.

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