Remove OFL RFN

Bug #1443530 reported by Dave Crossland
8
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
News Cycle
In Progress
High
Unassigned

Bug Description

Currently your OFL copyright notice is:

Copyright (c) 2010-2011, Nathan Willis (<email address hidden>),
with Reserved Font Name "News Cycle."

A reserved font name isn't a good idea for 2 reasons.

1. It makes the process of collaboration via lp/github cumbersome; if a
memberof the general public clicks the 'fork' button up top right, they
must either seek permission from you before-hand to use the RFN, or to
immediately change the font name in the files as part of their first
modification, and then you'll have to change it back.

2. Many websites who self host the font files will modify them, doing
subsetting and format conversion, which are both explicitly defined in the
OFL as kinds of modification subject to the RFN restriction. SIL have been
willing to offer their view that the most popular web font formats are not
format conversions subject to the RFN restriction, but popular web font
bundling service Font Squirrel includes the less popular formats too, which
do. And subsetting remains. So, changing the name or contacting you are
both administrative burdens for these downstream users, and if they do
contact you, for you; and many people won't think carefully about this and
will just do so without asking, which formally terminates their license.
Putting them in that position is not a good situation.

So not having any RFNs is my best recommendation. To do this, change the notice to:

Copyright (c) 2010-2015, Nathan Willis (<email address hidden>)

And make a note in the FONTLOG

If you choose to keep it, I suggest a single line, not a line break, and updating the year:

Copyright (c) 2010-2015, Nathan Willis (<email address hidden>), with Reserved Font Name "News Cycle."

Revision history for this message
Nathan Willis (n8) wrote :

Yes; I decided to take out the RFN on new releases. There just has not been such an update yet. I suppose I could make another 0.5.x point release with just that change -- if doing so would help GWF or other redistribution services.

Changed in newscycle:
importance: Undecided → High
status: New → In Progress
Revision history for this message
Dave Crossland (davelab6) wrote :

Please do make a new release :)

To post a comment you must log in.
This report contains Public information  
Everyone can see this information.

Other bug subscribers

Remote bug watches

Bug watches keep track of this bug in other bug trackers.