OFL FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about the SIL Open Font License (OFL) Version 1.1 - 26 February 2007 (See http://scripts.sil.org/OFL for updates) 1 ABOUT USING AND DISTRIBUTING FONTS LICENSED UNDER THE OFL 1.1 Can I use the fonts in any publication, even embedded in the file? Yes. You may use them like most other fonts, but unlike some fonts you may include an embedded subset of the fonts in your document. Such use does not require you to include this license or other files (listed in OFL condition 2), nor does it require any type of acknowledgement within the publication. Some mention of the font name within the publication information (such as in a colophon) is usually appreciated. If you wish to include the complete font as a separate file, you should distribute the full font package, including all existing acknowledgements, and comply with the OFL conditions. Of course, referencing or embedding an OFL font in any document does not change the license of the document itself. The requirement for fonts to remain under the OFL does not apply to any document created using the fonts and their derivatives. Similarly, creating any kind of graphic using a font under OFL does not make the resulting artwork subject to the OFL. 1.2 Can I make web pages using these fonts? Yes! Go ahead! Using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is recommended. 1.3 Can I make the fonts available to others from my web site? Yes, as long as you meet the conditions of the license (do not sell by itself, include the necessary files, rename Modified Versions, do not abuse the Author(s)' name(s) and do not sublicense). 1.4 Can the fonts be included with Free/Libre and Open Source Software collections such as GNU/Linux and BSD distributions? Yes! Fonts licensed under the OFL can be freely aggregated with software under FLOSS (Free/Libre and Open Source Software) licenses. Since fonts are much more useful aggregated to than merged with existing software, possible incompatibility with existing software licenses is not a problem. You can also repackage the fonts and the accompanying components in a .rpm or .deb package and include them in distro CD/DVDs and online repositories. 1.5 I want to distribute the fonts with my program. Does this mean my program also has to be free and open source software? No. Only the portions based on the font software are required to be released under the OFL. The intent of the license is to allow aggregation or bundling with software under restricted licensing as well. 1.6 Can I include the fonts on a CD of freeware or commercial fonts? Yes, as long some other font or software is also on the disk, so the OFL font is not sold by itself. 1.7 Can I sell a software package that includes these fonts? Yes, you can do this with both the Original Version and a Modified Version. Examples of bundling made possible by the OFL would include: word processors, design and publishing applications, training and educational software, edutainment software, etc. 1.8 Why won't the OFL let me sell the fonts alone? The intent is to keep people from making money by simply redistributing the fonts. The only people who ought to profit directly from the fonts should be the original authors, and those authors have kindly given up potential direct income to distribute their fonts under the OFL. Please honor and respect their contribution! 1.9 I've come across a font released under the OFL. How can I easily get more information about the Original Version? How can I know where it stands compared to the Original Version or other Modified Versions? Consult the copyright statement(s) in the license for ways to contact the original authors. Consult the FONTLOG for information on how the font differs from the Original Version, and get in touch with the various contributors via the information in the acknowledgment section. Please consider using the Original Versions of the fonts whenever possible. 1.10 What do you mean in condition 4? Can you provide examples of abusive promotion / endorsement / advertisement vs. normal acknowledgement? The intent is that the goodwill and reputation of the author(s) should not be used in a way that makes it sound like the original author(s) endorse or approve of a specific Modified Version or software bundle. For example, it would not be right to advertise a word processor by naming the author(s) in a listing of software features, or to promote a Modified Version on a web site by saying "designed by ...". However, it would be appropriate to acknowledge the author(s) if your software package has a list of people who deserve thanks. We realize that this can seem to be a gray area, but the standard used to judge an acknowledgement is that if the acknowledgement benefits the author(s) it is allowed, but if it primarily benefits other parties, or could reflect poorly on the author(s), then it is not. 2 ABOUT MODIFYING OFL LICENSED FONTS 2.1 Can I change the fonts? Are there any limitations to what things I can and cannot change? You are allowed to change anything, as long as such changes do not violate the terms of the license. In other words, you are not allowed to remove the copyright statement(s) from the font, but you could add additional information into it that covers your contribution. 2.2 I have a font that needs a few extra glyphs - can I take them from an OFL licensed font and copy them into mine? Yes, but if you distribute that font to others it must be under the OFL, and include the information mentioned in condition 2 of the license. 2.3 Can I charge people for my additional work? In other words, if I add a bunch of special glyphs and/or OpenType/Graphite code, can I sell the enhanced font? Not by itself. Derivative fonts must be released under the OFL and cannot be sold by themselves. It is permitted, however, to include them in a larger software package (such as text editors, office suites or operating systems), even if the larger package is sold. In that case, you are strongly encouraged, but not required, to also make that derived font easily and freely available outside of the larger package. 2.4 Can I pay someone to enhance the fonts for my use and distribution? Yes. This is a good way to fund the further development of the fonts. Keep in mind, however, that if the font is distributed to others it must be under the OFL. You won't be able to recover your investment by exclusively selling the font, but you will be making a valuable contribution to the community. Please remember how you have benefitted from the contributions of others. 2.5 I need to make substantial revisions to the font to make it work with my program. It will be a lot of work, and a big investment, and I want to be sure that it can only be distributed with my program. Can I restrict its use? No. If you redistribute a Modified Version of the font it must be under the OFL. You may not restrict it in any way. This is intended to ensure that all released improvements to the fonts become available to everyone. But you will likely get an edge over competitors by being the first to distribute a bundle with the enhancements. Again, please remember how you have benefitted from the contributions of others. 2.6 Do I have to make any derivative fonts (including source files, build scripts, documentation, etc.) publicly available? No, but please do share your improvements with others. You may find that you receive more than what you gave in return. 2.7 Why can't I use the Reserved Font Name(s) in my derivative font names? I'd like people to know where the design came from. The best way to acknowledge the source of the design is to thank the original authors and any other contributors in the files that are distributed with your revised font (although no acknowledgement is required). The FONTLOG is a natural place to do this. Reserved Font Name(s) ensure that the only fonts that have the original names are the unmodified Original Versions. This allows designers to maintain artistic integrity while allowing collaboration to happen. It eliminates potential confusion and name conflicts. When choosing a name be creative and avoid names that reuse almost all the same letters in the same order or sound like the original. Keep in mind that the Copyright Holder(s) can allow a specific trusted partner to use Reserved Font Name(s) through a separate written agreement. 2.8 What do you mean by "primary name as presented to the user"? Are you referring to the font menu name? Yes, the requirement to change the visible name used to differentiate the font from others applies to the font menu name and other mechanisms to specify a font in a document. It would be fine, for example, to keep a text reference to the original fonts in the description field, in your modified source file or in documentation provided alongside your derivative as long as no one could be confused that your modified source is the original. But you cannot use the Reserved Font Names in any way to identify the font to the user (unless the Copyright Holder(s) allow(s) it through a separate agreement; see section 2.7). Users who install derivatives ("Modified Versions") on their systems should not see any of the original names ("Reserved Font Names") in their font menus, for example. Again, this is to ensure that users are not confused and do not mistake a font for another and so expect features only another derivative or the Original Version can actually offer. Ultimately, creating name conflicts will cause many problems for the users as well as for the designer of both the Original and Modified versions, so please think ahead and find a good name for your own derivative. Font substitution systems like fontconfig, or application-level font fallback ...
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