[Bf-committers] Blender 2.69 testbuild1 AHOY

[IRIE Shinsuke]

I disagree with the idea that the embedded font is not a part of the
executable code.

The font files are converted to C programs (bfont.ttf.c and
bmonofont.ttf.c), compiled, and merged into a single image.  Here,
bfont.ttf.c and bmonofont.ttf.c are derivatives of the original font
softwares and contain executable code (initialization of variables).
Merging the fonts in this way is similar to linking to static libraries.

Furthermore, TrueType font is not mere data, because it normally
includes hinting programs running on interpreter in the font renderer.

Generally, if embedded font was not considered linked to the program,
GPLed font such as GNU FreeFont wouldn't need the font embedding
exception.

An installer exe is quite different from this case because the
bundled data is used only for restoring the original files, so the
installer and the files it installs are considered as separate works:

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.en.html#GPLCompatInstaller

The font embedded in the blender executable is not a separate work
and restoring the original font files is not easy.

IRIE Shinsuke

13/09/25, Brecht Van Lommel wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 1:17 PM, IRIE Shinsuke <irieshinsuke at yahoo.co.jp> wrote:
>>> As for bfont, it's license is also included. However, didn't see any
>>> requirements in cases font being bundled into executable itself. License
>>> might be enough, maybe not. Anyway, it was bundled like this since ancient
>>> ages and never caused issues.
>>
>> In cases font is bundled into executable, the font data part of the
>> executable can be considered as a derivative of the font software,
>> so restrictions of the font license should be inherited.
>> GPL doesn't allow any further restrictions without additional terms.
>
> I don't know if this is really true. Is bundling something into the
> same executable really the same as what the GPL calls linking, does
> this actually make it a derivative work? If you bundle all data in a
> single installer exe, is that also linking? The font isn't executable
> code, it's data. So to me this doesn't obviously seem like a
> violation.
>
>>> Anyway, it was bundled like this since ancient
>>> ages and never caused issues.
>>
>> There has been the issue since ancient age indeed, but no one was
>> aware of that until I pointed out.
>>
>> Ton, did you investigate this issue?
>
> Ton is on vacation at the moment, and he won't be able to reply this
> week and the next, I don't know if he investigated this.
>
> As I understand it, you suspect this to be an issue, but none of us
> are lawyers, and we don't know if this is actually an issue. If I had
> to take I guess, I'd say it isn't.
>
> Brecht.
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