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Fonts - Copyrights


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#1 DesignByLenny

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Posted 06 August 2014 - 11:41 AM

Hi,

If I download a font which is "free for commercial use" and later on this font isn't free anymore, is it still legal to use it in new projects?

In other words, do I have to buy it although it was free when I first downloaded it?

#2 sikdesigns

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Posted 06 August 2014 - 04:29 PM

Good question. I would also like to know the answer to this one.

#3 Zibanu

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Posted 06 August 2014 - 07:46 PM

Maybe the font license didn't change after all. I noticed some fonts that have different license/declarations on different sites.

#4 HappyGD

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Posted 06 August 2014 - 09:59 PM

Hi,

If I download a font which is "free for commercial use" and later on this font isn't free anymore, is it still legal to use it in new projects?

In other words, do I have to buy it although it was free when I first downloaded it?


Did you download a font where this happened? The answer might be within the end-user license agreement

With fonts, sometimes certain weights have different license restrictions (example: normal is free, but bold and italic are not). Or maybe it could be that you have a different version of the font. Type foundries can produce and distribute the same font under different licenses.. it's not common but it can happen.

Anyways I think you are alright and don't need to worry

#5 DesignByLenny

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Posted 06 August 2014 - 11:12 PM

Thank you for your answers.

#6 sikdesigns

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Posted 07 August 2014 - 01:46 PM

Thanks HappyGD for your response. I think font restrictions can get tricky at times.

#7 HappyGD

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Posted 07 August 2014 - 03:46 PM

Thanks HappyGD for your response. I think font restrictions can get tricky at times.


Yeah, it can be tricky sometimes. What I do is organize my fonts as either personal use or commercial use so in the future when choosing a font, I automatically know when I can use the font and whether I can freely give it to other people to use.

#8 sikdesigns

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Posted 07 August 2014 - 05:15 PM

Thats a good idea....sorting them.

#9 DesignByLenny

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Posted 08 August 2014 - 06:09 AM

Thank you again for your replies.

I'm still curious to know if downloading a font which is "free for commercial use" now is going to
provide me the right to use it in commercial projects in the future.

My concern is that if I use a specific font in a logo / business card and later on the client
will be interested in using the same font in other commercial materials, it will require an additional investment
(in case that the font's creator decides to change the license agreement).

#10 HappyGD

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Posted 08 August 2014 - 02:12 PM

^^ You don't have to worry. If the version of the font you have is free for commercial use, then you can use it commercially in the future. A licensing change would most likely mean it's a different font version from the one you already own.

Think about it this way... imagine making a free font, then having it downloaded hundreds of thousands of times by people all over the world, and then wanting to change it's licensing? It would be almost impossible to enforce any new rules :)

#11 sikdesigns

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Posted 08 August 2014 - 04:03 PM

Good question and thanks again for responding.

#12 vonryan80

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Posted 11 August 2014 - 08:45 AM

Maybe fonts downloaded for free can be used on the design, the font-creator took the risk in making it free for the public to download (it's like a promotion. i think...). Maybe it wont be a crime to use it when you downloaded the font for free before they decided to sell it. as long as you don't distribute your own free copy.

#13 DesignByLenny

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Posted 14 August 2014 - 10:44 AM

Thank you again for your answers & ideas :)

#14 CInv

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Posted 04 March 2016 - 06:40 AM

 

 

So if you win a website competition and the CH has your website design do they need to pay to use the fonts on the website or do I?






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