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diff --git a/archive/2022-03-08-font-summary.md b/archive/2022-03-08-font-summary.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c1eff5e --- /dev/null +++ b/archive/2022-03-08-font-summary.md @@ -0,0 +1,97 @@ +# Choosing font for logo and website : how and why? + +We intended to use Font Rund [0] for Sigsum website and logo. Rund is licensed +under Letters from Sweden [1]. It falls under the purview of proprietory +license. We needed to decide on whether to stick with Rund or to go for another +font licensed under SIL OFL [2] or any other permissive/Open Source/Free +Software one. + +Before jumping into the conclusion we considered the following scenarios + + - If the Sigsum developers and the community at large can freely use and/or + develop and/or contribute in the website or logo of the project? + - Do we need customized permission for every developer working in it? + +## Decision + +We decided not to use Rund. +Choose a font which is licensed under SIL OFL. + +## Difference between SIL OPEN FONT LICENSE 1.1 and Letters from Sweden +(Desktop Fonts) + + 1. If we consider different types of font licenses in a line, then SIL OPEN + FONT LICENSE 1.1 and Letters from Sweden (Desktop Fonts) belong to the extreme + opposite side of the spectrum. While OFL follows the schema of Free and Open + Source, Letters from Sweden (Desktop Fonts) is of utmost proprietory. + 2. Terms Letters of Sweden intends to control the entire usage of the font and + the end-users. OFL stands for the freedom of the end-user. + 3. LoS is vague in its wording regarding the definition of entity, derivative + work, etc. In contrast, OFL is sufficiently worded to cover our intended + usage and aligned with our free and open-source ethos. + 4. When we choose a license, we choose a community and set the community's + expectation at large towards our project, OFL fits that bracket. + +## Trademark and Copyright overlap : + +To trademark the logo design in the future will create a weird overlap between +copyright law (especially around open source licenses) and trademark law, in +which the open-source license may grant permission to use the logo in a way that +could be restricted by trademark law. However, our lack of knowledge in Swedish +Intellectual Property laws makes us unsure whether it will not. + +## Reasoning for the decision: + +We could use for website and never needed permission for each developer working +on it. It was logo where we got stuck. The license in the current form and +wording is strictly commercial therefore limits our usage. Also the license does +not define/recognise Open Source project in any form. There is another topic +which might be potential issue i.e overlap of Trademark and Copyright, we do not +want to deal that. The whole thought process can be found in the pad. Also we +have presentation [3] on Font licensing overall and specific to our use-case. + +## Miscellaneous Notes + +Under this we contain the highlights of our discussion that led to our +abovementioned decision. + +### Some practical usecase/questions to consider + +- If we can print merchendise with our logo designed with the particular font +on it? +- If someone/some group from the community at large wants to use font as a text +in a merchandise/webpage for some stuff related to sigsum what will be the fate +then? (Say a developer from Japan wants to print a t-shirt with Sigsum logo and +text -"Join Sigsum") +- Does every developer developing the website needs to get the font license +separately or there is an option for volume licensing? + +### Possible outcomes + +Utopia: Letters of Sweden license the font (Rund) to us under OFL or an +equivalently free license. + +The Swap: We change to another less nice font, but with a nicer license. + +The Ostriche: We go ahead using Rund with their license and fix any issues with +it later. + +## The Motivation and the discussion before making the decision + +**We should not be using Rund at all.** + +Taking explicit permission from LoS will require substantially much work, +communication, persuasion from our side, killing the precious time of our actual +project work. The overlap between trademark and copyright is an entirely +unknown arena right now. Also, since Fonts licensed under OFL is used in +various open-source projects around the community, it will be easy to apply the +foss norms/rules here. Lars came up with the idea of a tailor-made for us +licensed under SIL. Nevertheless, this is out-of-scope because the goal project +Sigsum is way different from font creation. Further, this option is too costly +for us. + +## References +0. https://lettersfromsweden.se/font/rund/ +1. https://lettersfromsweden.se/license/ +2. https://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=OFL_web +3. https://slides.com/dascommunity/font-licensing-sigsum-project |