[Bf-committers] Embedded Bfont violates GPL

[IRIE Shinsuke]

> 1) Fonts are 'libraries normally distrubted with the OS' therefore the
> GPL linking to such libraries is excluded from any GPL linking
> restriction

Did you mean "system library" exception?  In this case the exception
cannot be applied because:

- DejaVu fonts are not major essential components of the OS
- Bfont and Bmonofont are inseparably embedded in the Blender excutable

> 2)  Fonts are trademarked - the renaming can be viewed as requiring
> changes to avoid trademark infringement.  People aren't allow to make...

I didn't mention trademark...  The "further restrictions" imposed by
the DejaVu font license are not for avoiding trademark infringement.
"Bitstream Vera" is indeed trademarked, but AFAIK "Tavmjong Bah" and
"Arev" are not.

Apache 1.1 license is incompatible with the GPL for the similar
restrictions (The derivative works are prohibited from using "Apache"
names without prior written permission).

http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/License:Apache1.1

IRIE Shinsuke

13/07/18, Tom M wrote:
> 1) Fonts are 'libraries normally distrubted with the OS' therefore the
> GPL linking to such libraries is excluded from any GPL linking
> restriction
>
> 2)  Fonts are trademarked - the renaming can be viewed as requiring
> changes to avoid trademark infringement.  People aren't allow to make
> changes to other trademarkable items such as the blender logo.  Since
> this is true of all aspects subject to trademark protection, and every
> GPLed project generally includes trademarkable elements, either all
> GPLed projects are in violation of the GPL - or the GPL has trademark
> exceptions in fact, even if not explicitly stated.
>
> LetterRip
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 7:19 AM, IRIE Shinsuke <irieshinsuke at yahoo.co.jp> wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Blender's default font (Bfont = DejaVu Sans fonts) is embedded
>> in the program binary, so the Bfont is distributed under GPL.
>> However, this GPLed DejaVu fonts still inherit the following
>> hateful restrictions:
>>
>> - The Font Software may be modified, altered, or added to, and
>>    in particular the designs of glyphs or characters in the Fonts
>>    may be modified and additional glyphs or characters may be
>>    added to the Fonts, only if the fonts are renamed to names not
>>    containing either the words "Bitstream" or the word "Vera".
>>
>> - The Font Software may be modified, altered, or added to, and
>>    in particular the designs of glyphs or characters in the Fonts
>>    may be modified and additional glyphs or characters may be
>>    added to the Fonts, only if the fonts are renamed to names not
>>    containing either the words "Tavmjong Bah" or the word "Arev".
>>
>> - The Font Software may be sold as part of a larger software
>>    package but no copy of one or more of the Font Software
>>    typefaces may be sold by itself.
>>
>> Such "further restrictions" apparently violate the GPL.
>>
>> To avoid the license violation, Blender has to drop the Bitstream
>> Vera derivative fonts (Bfont + Bmonofont) or load these fonts from
>> separate font files as runtime data on startup.  The international
>> fonts don't cause the problem because they are distributed as
>> separate font files in 2.6x/datafiles/fonts/ directory.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> --
>> IRIE Shinsuke
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