Typophile

Extended License Fees

viamedia

In my ongoing quest to understand font software EULAs, I have a new question:

Why do some font designers or foundries prohibit or require an additional license fee to use a font for a logo?

In understand wanting a different kind of fee for adding the actual software (or some subset thereof) to a product that will be sold, be it interactive (a design program) or even static (a set of alphabetic rubber stamps). I don't understand the reason for additional fees when it comes to (relatively) static use such as logos, where the software never leaves the designer's office.

Your thoughts?

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Because logos are special. They go on every single thing a client does. You don’t get a great logo by using cheap type.

And a LOT of designers are letting the font designer do most of the work in creating a wordmark. In some agencies a workmark design is 90% done after a name is dumped into a stock document with find/replace. If your client wants a great logo, they need to pay for great lettering. If you can’t draw great letters, and you’re not willing to hire someone who can, you SHOULD have to pay extra for great letters. If you think that you’re so good you should not have to pay extra to use fonts in logos, then you need to draw your own letters.

viamedia

So help me understand your position better. Your very handsome font RECOVERY is for sale at TypeTrust for $20. Which of the following uses would require me to obtain what the EULA defines as a commercial license and what would the additional license cost:

    • Use as title text on CD/DVD packaging or on a book cover
    • Use as title text on a poster or other collaterals for an event
    • Use as text in advertising in a magazine or newspaper
    • Non-editable use on a website
    • Use as a wordmark logo
    • Use as a component of a logo that also includes other graphic elements

Also, the EULA specifies derivative work as font software and not anything involving the manipulation of vector letterforms created with use of the licensed font software. So am I correct in interpreting that the license allows me to create those vectors and then edit them to meet my client's aesthetic goals?

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Most of your questions regarding the licensing for Recovery are covered in the TypeTrust EULA FAQ. As for use in the logo, if it includes other elements you might not need to. Branding stuff gets negotiated with TypeTrust. I realize that isn’t especially convenient, but it’s not exactly killing an art director to send someone an email asking for clarification and pricing.

So am I correct in interpreting that the license allows me to create those vectors and then edit them to meet my client’s aesthetic goals?

Correct. AFAIK most type EULAs prohibition on derivative works is there to keep someone from changing the outlines around a little and reselling them.

Captured from web.archive.org on 22 Jan 2015. view this capture