Legal Issue of Using the Fonts for printed book and ebook

[Capt.Khan]

Hi there,

Few years ago, I had used Indesign and illustrator to published a book but didn't know much about the font legal issue. Until now, I am working on digital book and get some cocerns about the issue. Hope someone can help me to understand the matter.

Question 1: As I have mentioned that I did publish a printed book by using Indesign and Illustrator. Of course I used available fonts from Indesign which were Cambria, Calibri. Is this an illegal matter of using those fonts for my printed book?

Question 2: I am now working on digital book such as PDF and Fixed Epub format. Is it ok for me to use those available fonts from Indesign and Illustrator such as Cambria, Calibri, ... for digital version especially for interactive PDF and Fixed Epub since the reader can copy the fonts?

Thank you very much for any input!

[Test Screen Name]

Before answering your two questions, I want to make two specific points.

A. You talk about "fonts in Illustrator" and "fonts in Indesign" but there is really no such thing. You install fonts into your computer (Windows or Mac) and Illustrator or InDesign will offer all the fonts in your system. The computer comes with a number of fonts; other apps like Office install more fonts; you can buy and download fonts; and older Adobe apps installed some fonts too.

B. Fonts are individually licensed. So we cannot tell you general rules that apply to all fonts. A font could have a license which said "not to be used in paperback books or on a Tuesday" and you woul be bound by whatever weird stuff is in the license for that one font.

1. Most font licenses allow you to use them in an ordinary printed book. But not to share the fonts with a print shop.

2. Many fonts are allowed to be used in PDF. Some are not.  Fewer fonts are allowed to be used in ebooks. I don't know what you mean by "the reader can copy the fonts" though.

The two fonts you name, Cambria and Calibri, are licensed by Microsoft and subject to the licenses for Windows or Office. Adobe do not own them.

[Capt.Khan]

Thank you very much for prompt reply! ...  It's a good lesson to learn!

- Is it true that since I am using Indesign to create digital book then I can use Adobe fonts for the book?

- Any limitation of using Adobe fonts for interactive PDF or Fixed Epub?

- How do I know a particular fonts licensed by Adobe or Microsoft ... ?

Thanks!

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Quote: "How do I know a particular fonts licensed by Adobe or Microsoft "

Look at the font's Properties (Windows, right-click on the font file) or Information (Apple). Or use a font manager program.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Confirming what @Test_Screen_Name wrote.

Your usage rights to a font are controlled by the font manufacturer. Traditionally, whatever font we received from a software program (like Windows, Office, Apple OS, or Adobe) could be used and embedded into a PDF or EPUB without any constraints (other than not reselling the font itself or giving it to someone).

But that era is ending.

For Cambria and Calibri (which were commissioned for Microsoft and come with Windows), view MS's EULA (end user license agreement) here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/fonts/font-faq You'll be exporting PDFs and EPUBs from your InDesign layout, so review the sections on Document Embedding.

From reading the MS EULA, I think you're safe with Calibri and Cambria, but you must check this yourself. (I am not a lawyer or expert on intellectual property.)

But this Microsoft EULA does not cover all the fonts on your computer system, or those from Adobe that you either installed traditionally or use via Adobe Fonts / TypeKit. For those fonts, you must read Adobe's EULA at https://helpx.adobe.com/fonts/using/font-licensing.html#act-client 

Many people are starting to use open source fonts -- fonts which have minimal restrictions on their use. A good source is at https://fonts.google.com/ 

For all other font manufacturers (font foundries), you most likely will have restrictions as to how you can use the fonts. Depending upon the manufacturer, you could incur additional licensing fees for:

• Embedding into a PDF, whether for print or for digital distribution
• Embedding into an EPUB
• Embedding into a website
• Embedding into A/V or other digital media
• Embedding into advertising materials, banner ads, and print ads in magazines
• Embedding into products that will be sold, either tangible products or digital products
• Using the fonts in logos and other graphics
• Converting the font glyphs to outlines
• Modifying any of the glyphs (example, converting a capital R to outlines, and then bending the vectors to form a long swash of the R's "leg.")

Some manufacturers require additional licensing fees to do any of the items listed above.

You'll pay one fee to download a "desktop" font to use in your software programs. But all you can do with that font is look at it on your screen and print it to your home desktop printer.

If you want to embed the font into a PDF to send to the printer so they can print 30,000 copies of your book, that will be another licensing fee based on the length of your book and how many copies you'll print.

And you'll pay another fee to embed the font into a EPUB, based on the number of copies you expect to sell...wait wait, I mean the number of copies THEY expect you'll sell.

I just blogged about this after one of our clients got burned. https://www.pubcom.com/blog/2019_12-06/font-licenses.shtml 

Summary: your safest fonts are from Microsoft, Adobe, and GoogleFonts.

[Capt.Khan]

Hi Bevi,

Thank you very much for explanation with great article from  https://www.pubcom.com/Blog/.

Every new writer and publisher should read that article before starting the project.

Well done!!!

Capt.Khan

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Great answer, Bevi. Thank you.

As I read the FAQ,  Microsoft fonts can be used in print documents as long as the Adobe software is not an educational version. And since InDesign honors embedding restrictions set in a font, it appears to be OK to use Microsoft fonts in PDFs and EPUBs. 

As Derek emplyed, it can be a lot easier to stick with Adobe fonts. 

[Derek Cross]

All Adobe Fonts, supplied for use on the Adobe applications are licensed for use for print and digital documents, including ePubs.

[Capt.Khan]

Hi Derek,

Thank you for the input!

Capt.Khan

[Srishti Bali]

Hi there,

In addition to the answers given above, you may take a look at this help article:https://helpx.adobe.com/in/fonts/using/font-licensing.html for more details.

Hope it helps!

Thanks,

Srishti