Font licensing and EULA: Adobe Type Basics OpenType Edition

Question

Hi all,

I'm not necesarilly working with graphic design daily. However, I may have to replicate a design for a publication that uses Adobe Garamond Pro, which is why I got interested in Adobe - Fonts : Adobe Type Basics OpenType Edition.

However, before I shell out the cash, I'd like to ask a few questions about related EULA's and font licensing issues - as the last thing I want to do is buy something, and then end up sued/financially destroyed/imprisoned anyways. (which is why I prefer with open fonts & software - at least no worries about prison, in case of misunderstanding the legalese)

So, here are the questions:

I am a Linux user, and I primarily intent to use the fonts with xelatex. On the download page, there are two options: "Win" and "Mac". Which one should I choose?
- Related question: Adobe Forums: Install a Mac font on a PC:
  Windows can use OpenType, Windows Type1 and Windows TrueType fonts. Windows cannot directly read Mac TrueType or Mac Type1 fonts.
  
  Macintosh can use OpenType, Mac Type1, Mac TrueType, and Win TrueType. Adobe products can read some Windows Type 1 fonts if installed in the correct folder.
Versions - possibly unrelated, but I've found this old comment from 2003 for 'Adobe Type Basics 5.0 Mlp (CD-ROM)':
Unfortunately, this product includes fonts in the older PostScript "Type 1" font format instead of the newer OpenType format. Adobe sells an OpenType edition of Adobe Type Basics, but this is a download-only product. I wish Adobe would sell the OpenType Edition on CD.
... so just to make sure: I would definitely download the OpenType if I buy from the above Adobe - Fonts : Adobe Type Basics OpenType Edition link, right?
Re-download - the Adobe Type Basics page doesn't mention the file format of the download, nor its size. With bought fonts, I'd consider installing whatever I need for as long as project lasts, then deleting everything from my computer, since I don't like proprietary stuff sitting on it. Thus, I'd be interested in re-donwloading the Adobe Type Basics package. So is this package a zip file or similar, if so - how big is it? Can I download the file multiple times after purchase? Is the number of times I can redownload limited?
I may have to do (in a role of page layouter for an academic institution) a document for a relatively big academic publisher (Springer); and I have little idea about how font licensing works there. Let's say I prepare a PDF which uses Adobe Garamond Pro, and embeds that font. Is it legal for me to just send that document to the publisher for printing, if I had purchased the Basics OpenType edition? I'm worried because I found in Adobe Forums: Install a Mac font on a PC:
As I understand it, print service providers are required by the font EULA to own the font even though the customer provides it.

I suggest you ask your customer to purchase the modern OpenType versions of the fonts.
... but then, Springer are "publishers", not "printers"? How worried should I be about this? Should I ask for confirmation in writing from them, that they own the particular embedded font? Then again, since in this case I'd be working for an academic institution as page layouter, should the academic institution also buy the font? If the academic institution already owns the font, am I legally obliged to own it as a page layouter (even if I'd use that font on the institutions computers with licensed fonts on them)? I'm pretty sure I'd be legally obliged to own it if I intend to prepare the layout on my own computer, is that correct?
The download page mentions for "End User License": 5 computers. Say I install one Adobe Garamond Pro on one computer, use it there for the duration of a project, and then delete it from the computer. Is this computer then still counted towards the number of seats?
Occasionally, I have my personal notes and such typeset in Latex, and here I send them to a printer (as in, "print service provider") to print 2-3 copies in softcover for personal use. As far as I understand it, this does not represent a "published" book (and so there isn't a "publisher" institution as in the Springer example above). So, in this case, again the same situation: let's say I prepare a PDF which uses Adobe Garamond Pro, and embeds that font. Is it legal for me to just send that document to the print house for printing, if I had purchased the Basics OpenType edition? How worried should I be about this?

Other neat related links I found:

Well, I believe this is all I have for asking (for now) - thanks in advance for any answers!

MiguelSousa · Accepted Answer

I am a Linux user, and I primarily intent to use the fonts with xelatex. On the download page, there are two options: "Win" and "Mac". Which one should I choose?
Related question: Adobe Forums: Install a Mac font on a PC:
Windows can use OpenType, Windows Type1 and Windows TrueType fonts. Windows cannot directly read Mac TrueType or Mac Type1 fonts.

Macintosh can use OpenType, Mac Type1, Mac TrueType, and Win TrueType. Adobe products can read some Windows Type 1 fonts if installed in the correct folder.

If you want Adobe Type Basics OpenType edition, then the fonts support multiple platforms. OpenType fonts work on Mac, Win and Linux systems.

Versions - possibly unrelated, but I've found this old comment from 2003 for 'Adobe Type Basics 5.0 Mlp (CD-ROM)':
Unfortunately, this product includes fonts in the older PostScript "Type 1" font format instead of the newer OpenType format. Adobe sells an OpenType edition of Adobe Type Basics, but this is a download-only product. I wish Adobe would sell the OpenType Edition on CD.
... so just to make sure: I would definitely download the OpenType if I buy from the above Adobe - Fonts : Adobe Type Basics OpenType Edition link, right?

Yes, the Adobe Type Basics Open Type Edition would provide you with OpenType versions of the fonts. Sorry that we don’t offer all the different fonts, font families and variations on CD-ROM, but it would be cost-prohibitive to make all those versions, and font software is relatively small compared to application software. That said, Our font EULA (End User License Agreement) which can be found at: http://www.adobe.com/type/browser/legal/pdfs/wf_EULA071111/EULA5seat_USEnglish07.11.11.html states: “2.5 Backup Copy. You may make a reasonable number of backup copies of the Software, provided your backup copies are not installed or used for other than archival purposes.” So you can make your own CD-ROM.

Re-download - the Adobe Type Basics page doesn't mention the file format of the download, nor its size. With bought fonts, I'd consider installing whatever I need for as long as project lasts, then deleting everything from my computer, since I don't like proprietary stuff sitting on it. Thus, I'd be interested in re-donwloading the Adobe Type Basics package. So is this package a zip file or similar, if so - how big is it? Can I download the file multiple times after purchase? Is the number of times I can redownload limited?

The file format is OpenType (CFF). I would recommend making a backup copy of these fonts if you don’t want to keep them on your system. Our Electronic Software Download service is not meant to be used for storage.

I may have to do (in a role of page layouter for an academic institution) a document for a relatively big academic publisher (Springer); and I have little idea about how font licensing works there. Let's say I prepare a PDF which uses Adobe Garamond Pro, and embeds that font. Is it legal for me to just send that document to the publisher for printing, if I had purchased the Basics OpenType edition? I'm worried because I found in Adobe Forums: Install a Mac font on a PC:
As I understand it, print service providers are required by the font EULA to own the font even though the customer provides it.

I suggest you ask your customer to purchase the modern OpenType versions of the fonts.
... but then, Springer are "publishers", not "printers"? How worried should I be about this? Should I ask for confirmation in writing from them, that they own the particular embedded font? Then again, since in this case I'd be working for an academic institution as page layouter, should the academic institution also buy the font? If the academic institution already owns the font, am I legally obliged to own it as a page layouter (even if I'd use that font on the institutions computers with licensed fonts on them)? I'm pretty sure I'd be legally obliged to own it if I intend to prepare the layout on my own computer, is that correct?

Wow! Lots of questions here. First of all, publishers publish. Printing is just one form of publishing. Embedding information for Adobe fonts can be found at the following:
http://www.adobe.com/type/browser/legal/additional_licenses.html
http://www.adobe.com/type/browser/info/embedding.html
If you send a file to a print service provider and send a copy of the font along as well, then the printer needs to own a valid copy themselves. If you send the print service provider a PDF version of the file, then you can embed the font in the PDF (but you would not send the a raw version of the font). In this case, the printer doesn’t need the font, because it is embedded in the document.

The download page mentions for "End User License": 5 computers. Say I install one Adobe Garamond Pro on one computer, use it there for the duration of a project, and then delete it from the computer. Is this computer then still counted towards the number of seats?

If you buy a license for Adobe Garamond Pro, you have up to 5 seats. So, it can be installed on a maximum of five computers at your company. It is that simple to be in compliance. If you were to obtain Adobe Garamond Pro by purchasing Adobe Type Basics OpenType Edition, then you can install the entire set on up to five computers at your company. You are licensing the set, and the fonts cannot be split up and used across multiple users at your company.

Occasionally, I have my personal notes and such typeset in Latex, and here I send them to a printer (as in, "print service provider") to print 2-3 copies in softcover for personal use. As far as I understand it, this does not represent a "published" book (and so there isn't a "publisher" institution as in the Springer example above). So, in this case, again the same situation: let's say I prepare a PDF which uses Adobe Garamond Pro, and embeds that font. Is it legal for me to just send that document to the print house for printing, if I had purchased the Basics OpenType edition? How worried should I be about this?

Yes. It is legal to send the document to a print service provider with the font embedded in PDF. You are printing a document, and your interpretation of what it means to “publish” or be a “publisher” is not relevant. The words don’t even appear in our EULA.

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