Re: .ttf in source packages
Jeff Epler writes: > Are ".ttf" files "source files" under the DFSG? That's not a question that can be answered for all works. It needs to be asked of each work. > (Surely they are not the source files used within Bitstream during the > development of the font!) Probably not. The question to ask is: What is the preferred form of the work *today* for someone making modifications to the work? If there is no better form that even exists, then the preferred form of the work today is the only form of the work today. On the other hand, if there is some better form of the work, that would be preferred when making modifications, that form is the source form. And yes, this does raise the question of the honesty of those who make claims about what forms of the work exist today. -- \ “Instead of a trap door, what about a trap window? The guy | `\ looks out it, and if he leans too far, he falls out. Wait. I | _o__)guess that's like a regular window.” —Jack Handey | Ben Finney
.ttf in source packages
Based on the recent discussion of the "Hack" typeface, I have become curious. Debian ships fonts in "main" where the source package contains only .ttf files. ttf-bitstream-vera is an example of such a package. Are ".ttf" files "source files" under the DFSG? (Surely they are not the source files used within Bitstream during the development of the font!) If not, do such packages belong in "main"? Jeff
Re: DFSG + Hack typeface license with transition to proposed new source file build in Debian package
> I personally think that technical issues should not be worked around by imposing licensing restrictions. If typeface development tools need to be improved in order to get better QA, then I hope they can be enhanced from a *technical* point of view. In the meanwhile, licensing restrictions should not be introduced to compensate for technical limitations. A very valid point and well taken. On Aug 16, 2017, 11:02 AM -0400, wrote: > > I personally think that technical issues should not be worked around by > imposing licensing restrictions. > If typeface development tools need to be improved in order to get > better QA, then I hope they can be enhanced from a *technical* point of > view. In the meanwhile, licensing restrictions should not be introduced > to compensate for technical limitations.
Re: DFSG + Hack typeface license with transition to proposed new source file build in Debian package
On Wed, 16 Aug 2017 08:40:00 -0400 Chris Simpkins wrote: > [...] Downstream open source project font licensing from the days > prior to SIL OFL (and to some degree even after that period) is a > bit of a quagmire. Hello, I agree that font licensing is a quagmire. Well, I even go further and personally think that it is a real mess: I wish more fonts were simply released under the terms of wide-spread and well understood licenses (such as the Expat/MIT license or the GNU GPL v2 + font exception)... Doing so would spare a good number of headaches to many people! > > Item 2 is where the reserved font name declaration is located. > I have been considering modification of the language here to permit > forks to use “Hack” in the name, but not “Hack” alone for a forked > typeface. [...] Personally speaking, I would encourage you to at least relax this restriction (or, even better, to drop it entirely). That way, only one name (or no name) would be forbidden for derivative fonts and everything would be simpler... [...] > It is a downside in the typeface software development area that > is in need of repair. But it is a reality that we face. I personally think that technical issues should not be worked around by imposing licensing restrictions. If typeface development tools need to be improved in order to get better QA, then I hope they can be enhanced from a *technical* point of view. In the meanwhile, licensing restrictions should not be introduced to compensate for technical limitations. This is my personal opinion. I hope this helps. Bye. -- http://www.inventati.org/frx/ There's not a second to spare! To the laboratory! . Francesco Poli . GnuPG key fpr == CA01 1147 9CD2 EFDF FB82 3925 3E1C 27E1 1F69 BFFE pgp0DX5mzOql7.pgp Description: PGP signature
Re: DFSG + Hack typeface license with transition to proposed new source file build in Debian package
Thank you Jeff. The Hack Open Font License was modeled on the Bitstream Vera license and SIL OFL. Downstream open source project font licensing from the days prior to SIL OFL (and to some degree even after that period) is a bit of a quagmire. Item 2 is where the reserved font name declaration is located. I have been considering modification of the language here to permit forks to use “Hack” in the name, but not “Hack” alone for a forked typeface. We have bound our own hands in this language and would like to make/release some derivative typefaces from the Hack source with names such as “Hack Ligature”, “Hack ASCII”, “Hack ZeroSlash”, etc. This will also support other project teams who would like to associate their fork with the Hack upstream source by using Hack followed by a string that distinguishes it from the upstream source. The impetus for the reserved font name issue is simply QA. We perform a great deal of manual testing prior to releases that cannot be fully automated in the current era of font development software. The exact build process that we use is the one that we have validated and want to support. One of my worries if we loosen this requirement (i.e. fully remove the reserved font name) is that we will be approached on the repository about all build issues assuming that we will be able to troubleshoot the issue for teams that elect to build with a different approach. There are numerous other ways to compile the fonts out there and the OpenType tables as well as the hinting on the fonts can, and in many cases likely will, change for those who do not appreciate these issues. It is a downside in the typeface software development area that is in need of repair. But it is a reality that we face. Will wait for more feedback and then weigh in further. On Aug 16, 2017, 8:23 AM -0400, wrote: > > This License becomes null and void to the extent applicable to Fonts or Font > Software that has been modified and is distributed under the "Bitstream Vera" > names
Re: DFSG + Hack typeface license with transition to proposed new source file build in Debian package
Here is the text of the license found at > [2] https://github.com/source-foundry/Hack/blob/master/LICENSE.md ## License Hack Copyright 2015, Christopher Simpkins with Reserved Font Name "Hack". Bitstream Vera Sans Mono Copyright 2003 Bitstream Inc. and licensed under the Bitstream Vera License with Reserved Font Names "Bitstream" and "Vera" DejaVu modifications of the original Bitstream Vera Sans Mono typeface have been committed to the public domain. This Font Software is licensed under the Hack Open Font License v2.0 and the Bitstream Vera License. These licenses are copied below. ### Hack Open Font License v2.0 (Version 1.0 - 06 September 2015) (Version 2.0 - 27 September 2015) Copyright 2015 by Christopher Simpkins. All Rights Reserved. DEFINITIONS "Author" refers to any designer, engineer, programmer, technical writer or other person who contributed to the Font Software. PERMISSION AND CONDITIONS Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of the fonts accompanying this license ("Fonts") and associated source code, documentation, and binary files (the "Font Software"), to reproduce and distribute the modifications to the Bitstream Vera Font Software, including without limitation the rights to use, study, copy, merge, embed, modify, redistribute, and/or sell modified or unmodified copies of the Font Software, and to permit persons to whom the Font Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: (1) The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all modified and unmodified copies of the Font Software typefaces. These notices can be included either as stand-alone text files, human-readable headers or in the appropriate machine-readable metadata fields within text or binary files as long as those fields can be easily viewed by the user. (2) The Font Software may be modified, altered, or added to, and in particular the designs of glyphs or characters in the Fonts may be modified and additional glyphs or characters may be added to the Fonts, only if the fonts are renamed to names not containing the word "Hack". (3) Neither the Font Software nor any of its individual components, in original or modified versions, may be sold by itself. TERMINATION This license becomes null and void if any of the above conditions are not met. THE FONT SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT, PATENT, TRADEMARK, OR OTHER RIGHT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE FONT SOFTWARE OR FROM OTHER DEALINGS IN THE FONT SOFTWARE. Except as contained in this notice, the names of Christopher Simpkins and the Author(s) of the Font Software shall not be used to promote, endorse or advertise any modified version, except to acknowledge the contribution(s) of Christopher Simpkins and the Author(s) or with their explicit written permission. For further information, contact: chris at sourcefoundry dot org. ### BITSTREAM VERA LICENSE Copyright (c) 2003 by Bitstream, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bitstream Vera is a trademark of Bitstream, Inc. Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of the fonts accompanying this license ("Fonts") and associated documentation files (the "Font Software"), to reproduce and distribute the Font Software, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, merge, publish, distribute, and/or sell copies of the Font Software, and to permit persons to whom the Font Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright and trademark notices and this permission notice shall be included in all copies of one or more of the Font Software typefaces. The Font Software may be modified, altered, or added to, and in particular the designs of glyphs or characters in the Fonts may be modified and additional glyphs or characters may be added to the Fonts, only if the fonts are renamed to names not containing either the words "Bitstream" or the word "Vera". This License becomes null and void to the extent applicable to Fonts or Font Software that has been modified and is distributed under the "Bitstream Vera" names. The Font Software may be sold as part of a larger software package but no copy of one or more of the Font Software typefaces may be sold by itself. THE FONT SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT, PATENT, TRADEMARK, OR OTH