GPL font exception: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 16:18, 17 January 2021

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The '''GPL font exception''' clause (or GPL+FE, for short) is an optional clause that can be added to the [[GNU General Public License]] (GNU GPL) permitting [[digital font]]s shared with that license to be embedded within a [[electronic document|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>{{cite web|title=Legal Considerations for fonts|url=http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Legal_considerations_for_fonts#allow-embedding|website=Fedora Project|accessdateaccess-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 affecting 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>{{cite journal|last1=Crossland|first1=Dave|title=Copyleft Business|journal=Libre Graphics Magazine|date=2011|volume=1|issue=2|pages=12–13|url=http://libregraphicsmag.com/files/libregraphicsmag_1.2_lowquality.pdf|accessdateaccess-date=5 June 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>{{cite web|last1=Desjardins|first1=Louis|title=[Scribus] Response from the FSF about GPL fonts|url=http://lists.scribus.info/pipermail/scribus/2005-April/018877.html|website=Scribus discussion list|accessdateaccess-date=5 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Turner|first1=David "Novalis"|title=Font Licensing|url=http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/20050425novalis|website=FSF Blog|publisher=Free Software Foundation|accessdateaccess-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 fonts|Liberation font package]], albeit with additional restrictions in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=Licensing:LiberationFontLicense|url=http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Licensing/LiberationFontLicense|website=Fedora Project|accessdateaccess-date=5 June 2015}}</ref> These restrictions prompted further discussion among the [[Debian GNU/Linux]] distribution's community members concerning the GPL+FE.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Baghumian|first1=Alan|title=License question: GPL+Exception|url=http://www.mail-archive.com/[e-mail]/msg36584.html|website=Debian Legal discussion list|accessdateaccess-date=5 June 2015}}</ref> This attention prompted [[Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu]] to follow suit and create the [[Ubuntu Font License]] because they were not satisfied with either the SIL OFL or with GPL+FE.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Willis|first1=Nathan|title=The Ubuntu font and a fresh look at open font licensing|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/409813/|website=LWN.net|accessdateaccess-date=5 June 2015}}</ref>

== Usage ==

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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:

::"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>{{cite web|title=GPL FAQ|url=https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#FontException|website=GNU.org|accessdateaccess-date=5 June 2015}}</ref>

== See also ==