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DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> can i use free fonts for photography purposes??
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Showing posts 1 - 15 of 15, (reverse)
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 08/14/2007 08:23:20 PM · #1
I love the fonts fo dafont.com, I was wondering can I use them for model names or whatever. I am not selling them, might place them on myspace or something.
 08/14/2007 09:15:03 PM · #2
It depends on the license associated with each individual font.

~Terry
 08/14/2007 11:17:43 PM · #3
You can use them for anything you want to. When you buy a font, you are buying the rights to use it for anything you want, other than redistribution of the font file itself.
 08/14/2007 11:23:33 PM · #4
The fonts are free!! I just like to place the fonts with my photos, and maybe put them on myspace or something, is that ok??
 08/14/2007 11:28:32 PM · #5
if it is a free font, you can use it on your photos for titles or whatever. but cannot re-distribute the font file itself, as someone else still owns it.
 08/14/2007 11:29:01 PM · #6
Originally posted by Dlove:
The fonts are free!! I just like to place the fonts with my photos, and maybe put them on myspace or something, is that ok??


Are you talking about distributing the font file itself or just using the font to put text on your photos?
 08/14/2007 11:30:19 PM · #7
JUST putting them on photos like model names, and putting them on my myspace page
 08/14/2007 11:45:12 PM · #8
Originally posted by Dlove:
The fonts are free!! I just like to place the fonts with my photos, and maybe put them on myspace or something, is that ok??


That depends on the license included with the particular font.

Originally posted by dafont.com:
The fonts presented on this website are their authors' property, and are either freeware, shareware, demo versions or public domain. The licence mentioned above the download button is just an indication. Please look at the readme-files in the zips or check the indicated author's website for details, and contact him if in doubt. If no author/licence is indicated that's because we don't have information, that doesn't mean it's free.


(Emphasis mine).

Some fonts on those sites are free for personal use, some are demos, etc. Read the license if you're not sure.

~Terry
 08/14/2007 11:48:24 PM · #9
Originally posted by basssman7:
if it is a free font, you can use it on your photos for titles or whatever. but cannot re-distribute the font file itself, as someone else still owns it.


That's not necessarily true -- it depends on the license. In some cases, the license gives you permission to redistribute (GPL, for example). In others, it restricts commercial use, which would include advertising -- and using them to help promote his model photography may constitute advertising. Still others are demo version licensed for evaluation purposes only. In those cases, they can't legally be used at all without purchase of a license.

~Terry
 08/15/2007 12:07:19 AM · #10
Do i need to email the artist to double check??
 08/15/2007 01:03:39 AM · #11
Originally posted by Dlove:
Do i need to email the artist to double check??


If there is a readme or license file in the download, I'd start by reading that. In most cases, that will tell you. If you're still not sure, then it's probably not a bad idea to contact the artist.

~Terry
 08/15/2007 04:29:50 AM · #12
Originally posted by Dlove:
Do i need to email the artist to double check??


If you are using the font for non-commercial purposes, and the licence does not contain any obvious, heavy restrictions, then I would say to use it unless and until asked not to do so.

If you are using the font for commercial purposes then you should be more careful and check the licence carefully as with this comes a higher practical risk of liability.
 08/15/2007 07:02:44 AM · #13
Originally posted by Matthew:
Originally posted by Dlove:
Do i need to email the artist to double check??


If you are using the font for non-commercial purposes, and the licence does not contain any obvious, heavy restrictions, then I would say to use it unless and until asked not to do so.

If you are using the font for commercial purposes then you should be more careful and check the licence carefully as with this comes a higher practical risk of liability.


Isn't this the exact same thought process/rationalization that leads to the image theft we see so frequently?

~Terry
 08/15/2007 09:49:04 AM · #14
Terry's absolutely right. You get those files for free, so at least show the decency to respect the licence under which the author released them.
 08/16/2007 06:03:32 AM · #15
Originally posted by ClubJuggle:
Isn't this the exact same thought process/rationalization that leads to the image theft we see so frequently?

~Terry


It is a practical approach. I am not suggesting that DLove deliberately breach the terms of any licence, but only that in such a situation a consumer should act proportionately.

In a non-commercial context, DLove is a consumer of the âfree fontsâ website and as such, important license terms or restrictions should be highlighted to him in order to be effective â if they are not, they are probably ineffective (ie he is not restricted in those terms). The âfree fontsâ website might be at fault, but this is not an issue for the consumer. If he were in breach of the licence (say, because he did not even bother to read the licence and it did highlight some restrictions that he breached), then his liability would probably be negligible or zero.

Accordingly, my advice stands that if DLove does not see any obvious restrictions on a quick review of the licence, then he should be okay to use the font.

It is highly disproportionate for every consumer to be expected to contact the author to better understand the licence terms upon which the author has issued the font â not least because the author is probably not a copyright lawyer and may not fully understand the terms upon which he has (wittingly or not) released the font.

In a commercial context, DLove is not a consumer and does not get all the same benefits â plus he makes a profit from the use of the font commercially and this can result in liability. So a more careful reading would be proportionate â and if it is a key part of the website and likely to generate large amounts of money, and cannot easily be replaced, then get some legal advice.

Message edited by author 2007-08-16 06:05:23.
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