Hello, everyone.
I’d really like someone to help me.
Although I’ve read the license and frequently asked questions.
I want to use the Old Standard TT font that is under license: SIL Open Font License (OFL).
Do I need to put some information in the book about the license? if so, which one? and where to put it?
The other question is: Do I need to put information about the author?
Basically I want to know if I can just use the source in my book without having to put some information about, for example: license or credit to the creator of the source.
Hi Leon, thank you for your question and your desire to clarify what you are allowed to do under the terms of the Open Font License.
You are not required to provide information about the licensing or the author (or authors if they is more than one) of the font released under OFL used in your printed publication. You are just using the font as intended by their authors.
We realize that this might be surprising as many EULAs in the wider type industry restrict the use of fonts in various types of publications, have advertising clauses and want users to renogeciate and receive payment for separate permissions for each different use-case, but this is not the case for any fonts released under the OFL.
The OFL FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) entry 1.1.2 says:
Question: 1.1.2 Is any kind of acknowledgement required?
Answer: No. Font authors may appreciate being mentioned in your artwork’s acknowledgements alongside the name of the font, possibly with a link to their website, but that is not required.
So there’s no need to do it: Authors will probably appreciate being mentioned in your colophon or imprint but it is not a strict legal requirement.
But if you are prepared to do it, it’s good form to mention the name of the font, the designer (possibly the foundry) with a link to their websites if applicable. Different authors have different views around what to include in a colophon and sometimes there is more information beyond the basic legal elements: who is the typesetter, what kind of paper (is it recycled?), what kind of ink, what kind of publishing software and workflow, where it was printed, etc. And this can also include the fonts being used. If and where you put it is entirely up to you.
Authors might even like a little email from you to tell them about a nice new printed publication using their font. Creators usually like to see their creations in new contexts. It might make their day or maybe give them ideas to provide extensions to the fonts to cater to your specific needs. But again it’s not required. It’s your call.
Best wishes for your book design and publishing projects.