Re: [tdf-discuss] Re: Font Embedding in ODF

On 2011-06-25, Andrew Douglas Pitonyak wrote:

> On 06/25/2011 02:09 PM, Nuno J. Silva wrote:
>
> > I see font embedding as a way to make interoperation easier, and not to
> > achieve faithful representation. I think a major goal is to have ODF
> > being used on several platforms, and available fonts differ from
> > platform to platform. OTOH I guess LibO can (and probably already does?)
> > bundle some fonts with it, so that the default fonts are available on
> > every install of LibO (but this still excludes other ODF-compatible
> > applications).
>
> I always wondered how embedding fonts worked from a copyright
> perspective. I use my favorite special font that I purchased for my
> own use, then I create a document that uses (and embeds) that font in
> the document.

At least the TrueType format has an "embeddable flag", which should say
whether the font can be shared, embed in a document, etc.:

,----[http://enwp.org/TrueType#Embedding_protection]
| Embedding protection
| 
| The TrueType format allows for the most basic type of digital rights
| management – an embeddable flag that specifies if author allows
| embedding of the font file into things like PDF files and
| websites.[...]
`----

An ideal approach would be raising a warning when embedding a
"protected" font in a forbidden way.

But of course this wouldn't suit the hungry US legislation -- there LibO
would probably need to completely forbid embedding "protected" fonts
(even if there is no way to know if the document with embed fonts is
going to be shared).

See http://www.planetpdf.com/mainpage.asp?webpageid=2402 for an example
of DMCA in action.

I think that, in case LibO embeds fonts, this _just_ means LibO must
respect that bit. But I might be wrong.

-- 
Nuno J. Silva (aka njsg)
gopher://sdf-eu.org/1/users/njsg

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