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Mohammad Modassir
Mohammad Modassir
Inspiring
February 5, 2016
Question

Font licensing

  • February 5, 2016
  • 1 reply
  • 1581 views

Hi,

I have downloaded many free fonts from internet, after i got the "missing fonts" popup window in Indesign which i have rented for one month. Now, i dont know about the legality of the free fonts i just donwloaded on my computer. Can i still use them? And why dont Adobe have a block function that kan give a alert and not install a font if that font is illegal??!

I have rented it for one month, so if i go asking about those free fonts, then it may take me days or maybe week. And then i only have 3 weeks left using indesign before Adobe close the current monthly paid Indesign. So why can't Adobe have a program which can alert and make it impossible to be transferred to Indesign if its illegal????

If there are so many fonts missing, are Adobe saying that "dont use our program if you dont check every simple licence of thousands of fonts and its legality???

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    1 reply

    Dov Isaacs
    Dov Isaacs
    Legend
    February 6, 2016

    There are literally thousands of fonts posted on the internet for free download. Some are truly “free” — the designer of the font is contributing their work to the design community at no charge. Others are “shareware” where the font is free to download, but that you are expected to pay a fee if you like the font and actually use it. And finally, there are pirated fonts that someone has illegally posted on the internet.

    There is no practical way that Adobe can check the legality of fonts that you download from the internet, install, and use with our software. Since a pirated font file is usually no different from the legal font file and that Adobe applications have no way of knowing where you downloaded the font from and/or whether you actually licensed it, there is regrettably nothing we can do to assist here.

    That having been said, if you are looking for a particular typeface and do a search on its name, if you find that the font is being licensed for a fee either by Adobe, Monotype, Linotype, fonts.com, etc., then you can be quite certain that any other website offering the font as a “free download” is doing so illegally.

                  - Dov

    - Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)
    Mohammad Modassir
    Mohammad ModassirAuthor
    Inspiring
    February 6, 2016

    Its a double job to compare free fonts for downloading with the paid ones from the multiple sites+++ you just mentioned.

    Would i commit a crime/or break any rules or trust if i download hundreds of free missing fonts randomly from internet and without knowing which ones is pirated or not?

    Dov Isaacs
    Dov Isaacs
    Legend
    February 6, 2016

    You certainly would be violating the law in most jurisdictions by simply downloading and using such fonts without ascertaining whether or not you can legally use them.

    Feigning ignorance is not a legal excuse.

           - Dov

    - Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)
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