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charcircuit04/23/20256 repliesview on HN

You can't copyright a font.


Replies

WillAdams04/23/2025

A typeface design, in the U.S., no, but the digital font file comprising outline data and instructions, according to current U.S. law, for an overview of current case law and a proposal see:

https://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/chtlj/vol10/iss1/5/

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taneliv04/23/2025

Maybe not in the US, but fonts do enjoy copyright protection in at least some European markets.[1] I frequently encountered this campaign on DVDs for rent in the local Blockbuster equivalents, so I don't think it is entirely theoretical infringement, either.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property_protecti... and forward

NikkiA04/23/2025

FACT/FAST are a UK organisation, where font copyright is espressly enumerated in the copyright law.

datadrivenangel04/23/2025

They absolutely are copyrighted and big money.

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andirk04/23/2025

"You wouldn't copyright a font"

xyst04/23/2025

You can copyright just about anything as long as you have the _money_

T-Mobile trademarked a very specific pink, "Magenta"

There’s even a company that holds trademarks on a set of colors, Pantone.

Courts have yet to reverse or revoke these silly trademarks.

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