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License for Minion Pro font

Forum|Forum|9 years ago
April 19, 2016
2 replies
27538 views

I'm having a disagreement with someone who claims to be a publishing pro and I just need some clarification.

According to my understanding, in order to use Minion Pro commercially, I need to obtain a license which can be done by purchasing Adobe software which includes the font. Otherwise, I can only use it for personal or in-office use. Not for print or digital media accept as part of a graphic if it doesn't involve a continuous bitmap image in place of the font itself. Embedding to a file that will be printed is fine so long as I have a software license, or in lieu of that, the printer does.

What I need to know is, is it possible for me to purchase Minion Pro as a standalone product (no software package) from a third party and use it commercially like in a printed book or ebook? Or do I have to purchase it as part of Adobe software like InDesign or packaged with Font Folio or can I purchase it from a site like Fonts.com for commercial use?

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Correct answer Dov Isaacs

In terms of the Minion Pro font family, you have the following choices:

If you are licensed for any Adobe software that either directly bundles the font or makes the font available for use via the Typekit service or if you license the font(s) via Fontspring Adobe ❯ Fontspring , you have a full license to use the font for either personal or commercial purposes. In all cases you can use the fonts in commercial designs, for printing, and for embedding in PDF, ePub, or EPS files. There are no royalties associated with distributing such PDF, ePub, or EPS files that have these fonts embedded or for use of these fonts in a commercial design (such as a logo, tee shirt, etc.)

If you are using Typekit, you can also use the Minion Pro fonts as web fonts using Typekit as the source (see instructions from Typekit). You cannot use the fonts dynamically in applications such as mobile device applications. And you cannot give or send the fonts as files to anyone or entity which is not already licensed for the particular fonts.

If you license the Minion Pro fonts from any other source, you may be subject to much more restrictive terms and royalties. Read the EULA (End User License Agreement) from such other sources.

- Dov

Dov IsaacsCorrect answer

Legend

In terms of the Minion Pro font family, you have the following choices:

If you are licensed for any Adobe software that either directly bundles the font or makes the font available for use via the Typekit service or if you license the font(s) via Fontspring Adobe ❯ Fontspring , you have a full license to use the font for either personal or commercial purposes. In all cases you can use the fonts in commercial designs, for printing, and for embedding in PDF, ePub, or EPS files. There are no royalties associated with distributing such PDF, ePub, or EPS files that have these fonts embedded or for use of these fonts in a commercial design (such as a logo, tee shirt, etc.)

If you are using Typekit, you can also use the Minion Pro fonts as web fonts using Typekit as the source (see instructions from Typekit). You cannot use the fonts dynamically in applications such as mobile device applications. And you cannot give or send the fonts as files to anyone or entity which is not already licensed for the particular fonts.

If you license the Minion Pro fonts from any other source, you may be subject to much more restrictive terms and royalties. Read the EULA (End User License Agreement) from such other sources.

- Dov

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

A

Anonymous

Dov's answer here is correct. Adobe's standard font EULA (available with its software products, Adobe Font Folio, and with Adobe fonts on Fontspring) and Typekit's terms of use do not distinguish between personal and commercial use. Either is fine. This includes use of fonts in documents and other work that is distributed commercially (e.g. a printed book) as well as distribution of electronic documents like PDFs.

You can license Minion Pro individually with Adobe's font EULA from Fontspring here: Minion® Pro Fonts ❯ Fontspring

One minor correction, as Thomas has already mentioned, is that the latest Adobe EULA available from Fontspring now allows one to send Adobe font files to a service bureau for document output, with some restrictions. You can read that in Section 2.6.2 here: Fontspring Font License

A

Anonymous

Thank you very much for replying, Christopher. I hope you didn't find the request by me annoying.

There is just one important question at the center of the disagreement between Thomas and myself. It is Thomas' view that you can buy the same commercial license that allows you to use the fonts in printed books from third party providers like Fonts.com and MyFonts.com. But I've read the Minion Pro end license user agreements on those sites, and they suggest that you cannot use the fonts in that manner with the personal use licenses they provide.

To put this matter to rest: This question involves a scenario where you were not using a licensed printer or service bureau. Do the licenses from these third party outlets allow you use the fonts in commercial products like books, and if not, can these third parties sell you commercial license that would allow this usage?

MyFonts.com EULA:

http://www.myfonts.com/viewlicense?lid=1992

Unfortunately I can't help you interpret Monotype's font license. Here's why:

When anyone licenses font software, they are one of two parties making a legal agreement under specific written terms. When it comes to those terms, ultimately you need to judge for yourself, have your own legal counsel advise you, or ask the other party.

Anyone can offer an opinion, of course, as Thomas has done. I could, but when it comes to agreements between Monotype and its customers, my employer prefers I not offer legal advice about that. Adobe does not advise Monotype on its license terms for Adobe fonts (beyond ensuring they conform to our own licensing agreement with them), so there is no special insight I could offer.

Thomas Phinney is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable people out there on this subject, but if you prefer a more definitive answer to what Monotype's font EULA allows, your best source would be Monotype.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

BobLevine

Community Expert

You can license it through any authorized reseller or directly from Adobe.

Without a license you cannot use it at all.

E

Eager_force157FAuthor

Participating Frequently

Okay, but I haven't found a reseller that licenses it for commercial use. Do you know of any? For instance, the Monotype end user license agreement states that it cannot be used in a commercial product.

<<3. Embedding Font Software and Representations of Typeface and Typographic Designs and Ornaments. You may embed the Font Software only into an electronic document that is not a Commercial Product, (ii) is distributed in a secure format that does not permit the extraction of the embedded Font Software, and (iii) in the case where a recipient of an electronic document is able to Use the Font Software for editing, only if the recipient of such document is within your Licensed Unit.

You may embed static graphic images into an electronic document, including a Commercial Product, (for example, a “gif”) with a representation of a typeface and typographic design or ornament created with the Font Software as long as such images are not used as a replacement for Font Software, i.e. as long as the representations do not correspond to individual glyphs of the Font Software and may not be individually addressed by the document to render such designs and ornaments.>>

Also, I don't see on Adobe.com where it can be purchased as a single font download.

BobLevine

Community Expert

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