Typophile

Help! I received this inquiry...

Jason Pagura

This isn't the first time somebody has asked to redistribute one of my free fonts, but something struck me as a little bit different here. Might anyone have suggestions on how I should deal with it? I've granted generous licences for minimal compensation before to a couple small game developers (since the fonts are free already I just asked for some copies of the games) but this outfit seems in a different sort of position. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it feels different.
This inquiry is specifically about my font Bolonewt.

Hello from good old germany ;)

We are developers of a photobook solution, that we license to digital
printing houses.
Our photobook client is installed more than 100.000 times in germany,
and
even in Israel.
We want to include some new fonts in the next version of our client, so
we
are searching
around for some public domain or freeware fonts we can include in our
setup.

We found your webpage and find some of your fonts very useful for our
photobook client.
Would it be possible, that we can include some of your fonts in our
photobook client and
redistribute them with the setup?
The photobook software is always freeware for the end user. We do not
make
any money
with the the download or installation of the photobook client.

It would give us great pleasure if we can use some of your fonts. Of
course
we will credit
your fonts/webpage in the help file of the software.

Best regards
Thomas Bauer

__PRINTAHEAD - digital print
solutions______________________________________

www.minibits.de
- softwareentwicklung - webengineering - consulting -

Tiffany Wardle

But do they make money from the other end? Once installed is it like iPhoto where you can make calendars and booklets which you must purchase? I'm being skeptical, but it seems to me what your fonts will be used for are probably where they make there money. Am I wrong?

Si_Daniels

I'd ask for a pointer to a demo, where you can see what value your fonts might add to their application. Maybe ask for names of other freeware designers who have given up their fonts, and contact them for their thoughts.

Cheers, Si

raph

I'd ask for a little more than minimal compensation. It sounds like it's a moneymaking proposition for them, and I don't get the sense they're being completely upfront when they say they make no money on the client. While technically true, no doubt they're counting on the "atttach rate" to sell printing and/or services.

Best of luck!

Captured from web.archive.org on 15 Oct 2013. view this capture