Hey there, I have a very basic question concerning the copyright information, which needs to be published when using a font, provided under the SIL OPEN FONT LICENSE.
Can someone tell me, what information I need to provide when I use this font in a printed publication? At the moment I name the font and the designer in the imprint of the publication. Is that enough? Or do I have to add any further information?
I would be very thankful, if you could help me. I am new in this and unfortunately could not find any concrete information about this.
You are not required to provide information about the author (or authors if they are more than one) of the font released under OFL that you are using in your printed publication.
We realize that this might be surprising as many EULAs in the wider type industry restrict the use of fonts in logos, online, in print or in 3D forms, and want users to pay for separate permissions for each of these differrent uses, 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 mentionned in your colophon or imprint but it is not a strict legal requirement.
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.
They 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.
If you have not already done so, you may wish to take a look at the OFL FAQ some more: http://scripts.sil.org/OFL-FAQ_web, it should provide you with more practical information about the terms of use of fonts under this licensing model.
N7s, this is a great answer. But I need to make sure I understand. Can I use Google fonts in my printed products (hard copies), including any books I would write? Sometimes it is so hard to find just the font I need.
Hi Max. You can use OFL-licensed fonts in print publications. You can obtain OFL-licensed fonts from many sources: Google Fonts, TypeKit, and many open font collections. You’d need to ask them for help for their particular sites. BTW - almost, but not all, of the fonts on Google Fonts are OFL-licensed, so be sure to look. AFAIK the non-OFL ones are licensed under other open licenses that allow broad use.
But again it’s not required.