Webfont/Typekit license terms - for client sites

[corrales_cachola]

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

[liz, Adobe Type · Accepted solution]

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

[corrales_cachola]

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

[Craig_Paterson]

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.

[Absurd design team]

Will Adobe be offering a Creative Cloud subscription that only grants access to Fonts, or will our clients now have to have an app subscription too?

[Craig_Paterson]

I seriously doubt whether that will happen. That is basically what Typekit was before it was engulfed by Adobe. I was quite happy to pay my $49 per year for Typekit to use it the way we had done for years. When it was engulfed by Adobe and became part of my Creative Cloud subscription it was an added bonus, but then to change the terms in the way they have is really annoying.

I have just a couple of sites left to move away from Adobe Web Fonts, now all either alternative Google fonts, or purchased and self hosted where necessary.

One client already has a CC subscription so have moved the Web Project over to their account, but there was no way I was going to ask all my web clients to purchase a CC sub just for fonts.

#annoyed

[noraz90065746]

Yes, what a coverted way of announcing such a major issue, and then patrolling it!

It would be quite useful to have a Typekit only (much cheaper) subscription for clients running one website, using perhaps one, two or three fonts. Clients are not likely to use any of the other applications and so this would benefit everyone.. .
Can Adobe consider this?
thanks

[Studio Alvin]

So my client now needs a full Creative Suite subscription to use few web font on their web site ?

Well, I don't think that they'll accept it (and they shouldn't) and we probably won't use Adobe font services anymore.

Adobe, please change your mind, this is ridiculous.

[cabbagehill]

There's no way we're going to ask our clients to get a full subscription to Adobe Creative Suite just to use a couple of fonts -- that's absolutely ludicrous.  Glad I looked this up as I am just getting into dev'ing sites and thinking about using Adobe Fonts (they're good, but not that good).  The clear choice-free message here: don't use Adobe Fonts on the web.  Got it, will pass it along.

[stevenm33329052]

Totally ridiculous. We now have to move away from using Adobe Webfonts in our projects. Glad this point is clarified, but feel Adobe has created a MAJOR problem for us that has to now be explained to our clients. Luckily we too had began to move away from Adobe fonts, but it's still extremely annoying - none of our clients will ever pay for a full Adobe Cloud subscription to have the privilege of using one maybe two fonts on their website. Utter madness.

[noraz90065746]

I have looked into this again yesterday and all Adobe subscriptions include the fonts.

So if a client purchases a subscription for the cheapest package - I think it was about 5USD monthly it is OK if it is a business looking at having specific fonts, because even trying to purchase some of them is super expensive... I guess some of the fonts have taken years to get created- and I do appreciatte how well they are designed. My personal view. 

Can someone from Adobe confirm which is the cheapest pacakage to purchase that includes fonts?

Thanks!

[sseguin]

Can someone from Adobe confirm which is the cheapest pacakage to purchase that includes fonts?

[HARSHIKA_VERMA]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out. Please check out the Creative Cloud plans here: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html 

InCopy seems to be the cheapest which has Adobe Fonts included.

Hope it helps.

Thanks,

Harshika