Just submit an invoice for the rights to the designs at $5,000+ per font. When they tell you you’re crazy you can just cut them a great deal on limited exclusivity.

Thanks, James for the joke. (or is it not?) But I suppose i am asking for suggestion of the exact words what to write instead of ideas of how to cut a deal with them. we are pretty sure the quotation won't include the exclusivity and they would never pay for that. We don't even bother to travel down that direction to start any negotiation. We call the shot on this, not them. We just have to put it down in B&W and they would agree.

Anyone?

No?

Sans lawyers, I would vote to keep it simple:

"The font [insert font name] will be licensed to [insert client name]. [design firm] will grant [x] licenses to [client name]. Additional licenses may be purchased for [insert amount and conditions]. [design firm] will retain full ownership of [font name] and the right to license, update, sell, etc. said font."

But note that I am not a lawyer.

> will grant [x] licenses to [client name]

Or you could make it a site license. That's the arrangement I've usually seen with clients who have a corporate font.

Most lawyers in this country don't understand the business of font design,

This one does: http://www.martinezgroup.com/index.html

Do yourself a favor and get somebody who knows how to write a font license. Spend a few bucks, you'll sleep better.

Don't be a cheapskate.

Hey James M., our friend Weng is in Kuala Lumpur. I doubt the Martinez Group is going to be able to help him.

And this forum is?

> Hey James M....I doubt the Martinez Group...

Marcox, I'm not the person who suggested that.

JamesM,

You are not the only James M on this forum.

James M

> You are not the only James M on this forum.

Oops, didn't realize that.

I've made some commissioned typefaces, and my SOP is three years exclusive license, and after that it's mine to distribute. It gives the client time to establish the brand, and in that sense own the type. Most clients are fine with that. Two wanted five years, and I went with that after negotiating the price. There were some who wanted all rights, for which I tripled the quote. One declined, but the rest were suddenly happy with three years.

Hey Weng Y!

How about a response?

You pose a question and ask for advice, you get advice and then what?

Is it too much to ask for you to take part in the discussion you started?

This is one of the reasons I think this whole typophile forum is **** e d..

Thanks guys for your feedbacks and help. Really appreciate that.

Sorry, I was rushing for the deadline and honestly I wasn't expecting any response here since my previous posts didn't get much response.

Aluminum-

That is very helpful. It's closer to what I was looking for. I would have to be more specifics about the "etc" though.

Marcox- thanks, you got a point here.

Terminaldesign-

Thanks for the link. It's indeed a bliss to know there's such a law firm for such niche industry. I would consider their service in future, but not for this particular project though.

No, we are not cheapskate.

We are often the victims of cheapskate and we fully understand the pain of being one. The world doesn't need another cheapskate and we work hard not to be one and we believe we are not one. We have invested thousands in licienced fonts for our studio and blow people head off with M16 whenever we see them copying fonts without observing the right. We have purchased fonts from almost every major font foundry- FF, ITC, Emigre, T-26, ...you name it, we got it. You can reserve your preaching for the truly guilty.

We handle big corporations all the time, some are international clients, and we read our local clients pretty well, and I think we pretty much know what we are doing in term of negotiation. It's not always that straightforward when you are dealing with a business negotiation. Many aspects to be considered but at the same time you got to keep things within budget for a project (no matter how big the budget is) and I don't think I need to preach to the converted here in regards to this. (I am sorry I am allowed to reveal details here. It would lead to unnecessary complications)

What i am trying to say is that we have made certain business decisions in regards to the project after considering all aspects and we won't be able to undo that. As I mentioned earlier, I am looking for suggestions for writing the language, not about how to deal with the negotiation.

I don't mind if some of us want to discuss about business negotiation here, but it won't be able to help me much.

Also bear in mind that we are not talking about running a font business here, nor are we being commissioned to design a corporate font. It's an ID project which happened to arrive at a new font as a solution- which we knew clearly not included in the brief. Otherwise I would prefer to invest in a good legal advisers (which we do all the time anyway) in order to get things done in proper way.

This is an one-off project and it's probably the first in the history of this country where a design firm are given the opportunity to design a set of fonts for a client's brand ID. (LOL- I know) Things are wired differently in this part of the world and font design is DEAD (or rather, it has never really be born) in this country and I am one of the very, very, very few rare species who are into font design. (again that is another lamentation which I would prefer to share in other time)

We try to push and advocate font design whenever we can at the same time at the same time without compromise too much...

OK, you can see how these whole things are heading. I am trying to start a lengthy discussion on business negotiation and I am not looking for one- as I said in the beginning.

And Terminaldesign-

Excuse me, please-

I think by now you should understand that this forum is opened not just for discussion alone but also for people who are seeking practical help for some real problems. And since this is a online typography community and there is really no pressure or obligation in any way for any members to offer any kind of help, the entire thing is depending on good will and generosity of others to help, unless we are doing something obviously unethical, which I don't think i am.

I am not trying to start any discussion here as I mentioned in the first place (i might do that on other topics other time) and of course I don't mind if people start some good discussion and debates over here but like I said, it's not going to help me.

Tomi from Suomi-

Thanks very much. Do you mind to share a bit how did you go about terming that or a link which I can refer to?

Again, no obligation. I am asking favor form people here. Please don't be offended with me asking that and if people don't feel like helping, that's fine with me.

Sorry typo-

"I am sorry I am NOT allowed to reveal details here."

Alright- I probably can post the final design and the history here as a case study for you guys to discuss and debate, but it has to be after the launch and I also have to be very careful how I go about this. There are many parties involved and we actually took over the job from a renowned international agency, by revealing details can get us into some legal problem.

So, no promise...

Now you begin to understand why I am not allowed to reveal too much...

.

Alright... seems like I am hitting the wall on this one.

I better get lost before I piss more ppl off. Thanks guys for all the help and sorry I bore you with my poor blogging skill.