GPL font exception: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Optional clause for the GNU General Public License}}

The '''GPL font exception''' clause (or GPL+FE, for short) is an optional clause within the [[GNU General Public License]] (GNU GPL) permitting [[digital font]]s shared with that license to be embedded within a digital [[document]] [[computer file|file]] without requiring the document itself to also be shared with GPL. Without the clause, conflicts may arise with open source projects distributing digital fonts which may be used in desktop publishing.<ref>See "Legal Considerations for fonts" at the Fedora Project: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Legal_considerations_for_fonts#allow-embedding (accessed 2011-10-22)</ref> According to Terry Hancock, editor of [[Free Software Magazine]], "There are some other free font licenses, but the GPL with the font exemption is the simplest and most compatible."<ref>In "Choosing and Using Free Licenses for Software, Hardware, and Aesthetic works" by Terry Hancock in Free Software Magazine 2010-09-26: http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/columns/choosing_and_using_free_licenses_software_hardware_and_aesthetic_works (accessed 2011-10-22)</ref>

{{Infobox software license

| image = [[File:GPL+FE (GNU GPL with Font Exception).svg|200px]]

| caption = A community generated icon for the GPL+FE

| author = David "Novalis" Turner

| version =

| publisher = [[Free Software Foundation]]

| date = {{Start date and age|2005|04|20}}

| OSI approved =

| Debian approved =

| FSF approved = Yes

| GPL compatible = Yes

| copyleft = Yes

}}

The '''GPL font exception''' clause (or GPL+FE, for short) is aan strategyoptional forclause sharingthat can be added to the [[openGNU sourceGeneral Public License]] (GNU GPL) permitting [[digital fontsfont]]s comparableshared with that license to thebe embedded within a [[SILelectronic Opendocument|digital Fontdocument]] License[[computer file|file]] without requiring the document itself to also be shared with GPL. Without the clause, conflicts may arise with open-source projects distributing digital fonts which may be used in [[desktop publishing]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Legal Considerations for fonts|url=http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Legal_considerations_for_fonts#allow-embedding|website=Fedora Project|access-date=5 June 2015}}</ref> As explained by Dave Crossland in ''[[Libre Graphics Magazine,]]'': "A [[copyleft]] font may overreach into the documents that use it, unless an exception is made to the normal terms; an additional permission to allow people to combine parts of a font with a document without effectingaffecting the license of texts, photographs, illustrations and designs. Most libre fonts today have such a copyleft license – the [[SIL Open Font License|SIL OFL]] or GNU GPL with the Font Exception described in the GPL FAQ."<ref>See{{cite "journal|last1=Crossland|first1=Dave|title=Copyleft Business" by Dave Crossland in |journal=Libre Graphics Magazine p.12-13, |date=2011|volume =1 |issue =2, 2011: |pages=12–13|url=http://libregraphicsmag.com/files/libregraphicsmag_1.2_lowquality.pdf | http://libregraphicsmag.com/backissues.html Republished at http://understandingfonts.com/blog/2011/07/copyleftaccess-business/date=5 (accessedJune 2011:10-22)2015}}</ref>

== Origin ==

The font exception was authored in April 2005 by David "Novalis" Turner, a [[Free Software Foundation]] GPL compliance engineer. As he explains, "The situation we were considering was one where a font was embedded in a document (rather than merely referenced). Embedding allows a document to be viewed as the author intended it even on machines that don't have that font installed. So, the document (a copyrighted work) would be derived from the font program (another work). The text of the document, of course, would be unrestricted when distributed without the font."<ref>First published on the Scribus discussion list by{{cite web|last1=Desjardins|first1=Louis Desjardins with the permission of David Turner, 2005-04-20 "|title=[Scribus] Response from the FSF about GPL fonts" |url=http://lists.scribus.info/pipermail/scribus/2005-April/018877.html|website=Scribus (accesseddiscussion 2011list|date=20 April 2005 |access-10-22)date=5 June 2015}}</ref><ref>From{{cite web|last1=Turner|first1=David "Novalis"|title=Font Licensing" by novalis (David Turner), published 2005-04-25 (modified 2010-05-17) |url=http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/20050425novalis|website=FSF (accessedBlog|publisher=Free 2011Software Foundation|access-10-22)date=5 June 2015}}</ref>

To be in compliance with the GPL, [[Red Hat]]'s [[Fedora (operating system)|Fedora Linux]] project included the font exception with the license for its [[Liberation Font]]fonts|Liberation font package]], albeit with additional restrictions in 2007.<ref>See{{cite "web|title=Licensing:LiberationFontLicense" |url=http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Licensing/LiberationFontLicense|website=Fedora (accessedProject|access-date=5 2011-10-22)June 2015}}</ref> These restrictions prompted further discussion among the [[Debian GNU/Linux]] distribution's community members concerning the GPL+FE.<ref>See{{cite "mailing list |title=License question: GPL+Exception" by Alan Baghumian 2007-05-12 |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/[e-mail]/msg36584.html (accessed|access-date=5 2011June 2015 |mailing-10list=debian-22).legal |last=Baghumian |first=Alan |date=12 May 2007}}</ref> This attention prompted other[[Ubuntu distributions(operating system)|Ubuntu]] to follow suit and examinecreate andthe edit[[Ubuntu theFont licensesLicense]] ofbecause digitalthey fontswere innot theirsatisfied distributionswith either the SIL OFL or with GPL+FE.<ref>See{{cite "web|last1=Willis|first1=Nathan|title=The Ubuntu font and a fresh look at open font licensing" in Nathan Willis 2010-10-13 in LWN: http|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/409813/|website=LWN.net|access-date=5 (accessedJune 2011-10-22)2015}}</ref>

The font exception was authored in April 2005 by David "Novalis" Turner, a [[Free Software Foundation]] GPL compliance engineer. As he explains, "The situation we were considering was one where a font was embedded in a document (rather than merely referenced). Embedding allows a document to be viewed as the author intended it even on machines that don't have that font installed. So, the document (a copyrighted work) would be derived from the font program (another work). The text of the document, of course, would be unrestricted when distributed without the font."<ref>First published on the Scribus discussion list by Louis Desjardins with the permission of David Turner, 2005-04-20 "[Scribus] Response from the FSF about GPL fonts" http://lists.scribus.info/pipermail/scribus/2005-April/018877.html (accessed 2011-10-22)</ref><ref>From "Font Licensing" by novalis (David Turner), published 2005-04-25 (modified 2010-05-17) http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/20050425novalis (accessed 2011-10-22)</ref>

To be in compliance with the GPL, [[Red Hat]]'s [[Fedora (operating system)|Fedora Linux]] project included the font exception with the license for its [[Liberation Font]] package, albeit with additional restrictions in 2007.<ref>See "Licensing:LiberationFontLicense" http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Licensing/LiberationFontLicense (accessed 2011-10-22)</ref> These restrictions prompted further discussion among the [[Debian GNU/Linux]] distribution's community members concerning the GPL+FE.<ref>See "License question: GPL+Exception" by Alan Baghumian 2007-05-12 http://www.mail-archive.com/[e-mail]/msg36584.html (accessed 2011-10-22).</ref> This attention prompted other distributions to follow suit and examine and edit the licenses of digital fonts in their distributions.<ref>See "The Ubuntu font and a fresh look at open font licensing" in Nathan Willis 2010-10-13 in LWN: http://lwn.net/Articles/409813/ (accessed 2011-10-22)</ref>

== Usage ==

To indicate a font exception to the GPL, a digital font creator adds the following language to the end of the GPL text distributed with their font:<ref>{{cite web|title=GPL FAQ|url=https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#FontException|website=GNU.org|access-date=5 June 2015}}</ref>

"<blockquote>As a special exception, if you create a document which uses this font, and embed this font or unaltered portions of this font into the document, this font does not by itself cause the resulting document to be covered by the GNU General Public License. This exception does not however invalidate any other reasons why the document might be covered by the GNU General Public License. If you modify this font, you may extend this exception to your version of the font, but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to do so, delete this exception statement from your version."<ref>From the "GPL FAQ" http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#FontException (accessed 2011-10-22)</refblockquote>

To indicate a font exception to the GPL, a digital font creator adds the following language to the end of the GPL text distributed with their font:

== See also ==

"As a special exception, if you create a document which uses this font, and embed this font or unaltered portions of this font into the document, this font does not by itself cause the resulting document to be covered by the GNU General Public License. This exception does not however invalidate any other reasons why the document might be covered by the GNU General Public License. If you modify this font, you may extend this exception to your version of the font, but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to do so, delete this exception statement from your version."<ref>From the "GPL FAQ" http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#FontException (accessed 2011-10-22)</ref>

*[[SIL Open Font License]] (created November 2005)

== References ==

{{reflistReflist}}

[[Category:Computer law]]

[[Category:Free content licenses]]

[[Category:OpenFree contentand open-source software licenses]]

[[Category:Free software licenses]]

[[Category:GNU Project]]

[[Category:Open source licensesCopyleft]]

[[Category:CopyleftOpen-source typefaces| licensing]]

[[Category:Typefaces]]

{{Free and open-source typography}}