Insights
Stories about font copyright are everywhere. Even if you have never experienced it yourself, you have probably heard something along the lines of, “Someone received a legal notice from a font company.” Based on stories like these, the perception that “fonts are scary” has taken hold. But is that really the case? Let’s take a clear and straightforward look at the misunderstandings and realities surrounding font copyright, which often feels difficult and intimidating.
Do font companies make money by demanding settlements?
Copyright refers to recognizing the effort and value behind a creative work and protecting the rights associated with it. Fonts, like other creative works, are protected by copyright law. Accordingly, if font copyright is infringed, legal penalties may be imposed under Article 46 of the Copyright Act.
Article 46 of the Copyright Act
The holder of economic rights in a copyrighted work may grant permission to another person to use the work.
A person who has obtained permission under paragraph (1) may use the work only within the scope of the permitted methods and conditions of use.
The right to use a work granted under paragraph (1) may not be transferred to a third party without the consent of the holder of the economic rights.
Copyright is a fundamental right that should be guaranteed to creators. Yet when it comes to font copyright, the phrase “settlement-driven business” is often attached. This stems from a negative perception that copyright is being used not to protect creators’ rights, but to profit from settlements.
To clarify this issue, it is necessary to look at cases of font copyright infringement. While it is difficult to generalize all cases, font copyright infringement can broadly be divided into the following two categories.
Illegal use of font files
Downloading, distributing, or copying fonts without the permission of the copyright holder is a representative example of illegal use. This was especially common when awareness of font copyright was low. In many cases, fonts were used despite knowing it was unlawful, but there were also cases where people used them simply because they were not aware of font copyright at all.
Violation of font licenses
Fonts come with licenses, which define the rules for their use. You can think of a license as a kind of usage guide that explains the scope of how a font may be used. Based on these terms, fonts can broadly be categorized as paid fonts, free fonts, and so on.
“Illegal use of font files” unquestionably constitutes a violation of copyright law. Such cases cause serious harm to the copyright holder—that is, the creator. By way of analogy, copyright infringement is like stealing agricultural produce that a farmer has cultivated with sweat and toil through all four seasons, then using it to make and sell kimchi. The work is done by the bear, but the profit is taken by the illegal user. Fortunately, as awareness of copyright continues to improve, cases of illegal use are gradually being reduced.
Font License Violations
What we want to focus on today is “font license violations.” The majority of font copyright disputes can be said to arise from this category, and the negative perception of so-called “settlement-driven business” is also closely tied to font licenses.
The core issue with “font license violations” is that many people do not properly understand what a license is. Earlier, we mentioned that fonts can be divided into paid and free fonts based on their license terms, but that explanation is only half true. In reality, it is difficult to classify most fonts simply as paid or free.
Let’s look at an example to explain the commonly assumed idea of a free font.
There is a font known as a free font, called ‘Font 1’. User ‘A’ publishes a book using ‘Font 1’, while user ‘B’ creates a company logo with the same font. The company that produced ‘Font 1’ considers only user ‘B’ to be in violation of the license. The reason is as follows: although ‘Font 1’ is distributed free of charge for print and video use, its license explicitly states that it may not be used for BI/CI purposes.
*The font platform ‘Sandoll Cloud’, operated by Sandoll, labels fonts like this as “scope-limited free fonts” to prevent them from being misunderstood as simply “free fonts.”
Let’s look at another example. User ‘C’ purchased a document program legitimately and used ‘Font 2’, which was bundled with the program. Because it was included in a paid program, user ‘C’ assumed that ‘Font 2’ was a free font, converted the document into a PDF, and uploaded it to a website. One day, the company that created ‘Font 2’ informed user ‘C’ that this constituted a license violation. The reason was that while ‘Font 2’ may be used free of charge within the document program, publishing it online as a PDF is not permitted under the license.
There are many other cases in which users believed they were using free fonts but became involved in copyright disputes due to license terms. As discussed earlier, this largely stems from a lack of proper understanding of font licenses. When fonts are downloaded from official distribution channels, license information is usually stated on the page. However, when fonts are obtained or used through other means, users often have little opportunity to encounter or review the license details.
It is also difficult to place the responsibility solely on users’ carelessness, as licenses themselves are often complex and not easy to understand. As a leading Korean font foundry, Sandoll abolished complex license structures* in order to prevent unnecessary harm to users. As a result, all fonts available on Sandoll’s font platform, Sandoll Cloud, can be used without separate license distinctions.
That said, there are still clear cases in which usage scopes are defined by licenses and users who were unaware of those licenses are held responsible. Against this backdrop, negative perceptions of fonts have not easily disappeared. Sandoll aims to create an environment in which anyone can use fonts freely. Beyond abolishing license distinctions, we continue to work toward fostering a culture in which users can use fonts with confidence.
Understanding Font Copyright to Protect Your Rights
As mentioned earlier, most copyright disputes arise from font licenses. In some cases, however, users who have used fonts legitimately are still confronted with demands for settlement fees or pressured into purchasing font packages through formal notices. For a healthy font-use culture, not only creators’ rights but also the rights of font users must be protected. With that in mind, we have compiled essential information on font copyright that will be genuinely helpful to know.
Are fonts not protected by copyright?
Fonts are protected under copyright law. However, to be more precise, it is necessary to distinguish between a font file and a font design. A font file, which qualifies as a computer program, is protected under copyright law, while a font design, which falls under the category of design, is protected under the Design Protection Act.
Article 2 of the Copyright Act
“Works” means creative works in which human ideas or emotions are expressed.
“Author” means a person who creates a work.
Article 4 of the Copyright Act
Literary works, including novels, poems, essays, lectures, speeches, screenplays, and other written works
Musical works
Dramatic works, including plays, dances, pantomimes, and other theatrical works
Artistic works, including paintings, calligraphy, sculptures, prints, crafts, applied art works, and other works of fine art
Architectural works, including buildings, architectural models, and design drawings
Photographic works (including those produced by methods similar thereto)
Audiovisual works
Diagrammatic works, including maps, charts, plans, sketches, models, and other drawings
Computer program works
Article 2 of the Design Protection Act
“Design” means the shape, pattern, color, or a combination thereof of an article (including parts of an article, typefaces, and images; hereinafter the same), which produces an aesthetic impression through visual perception.
“Typeface” means a set of letterforms created with common characteristics for use in writing, display, or printing, including the forms of numerals, punctuation marks, and symbols.
Font copyright places primary importance on the font file.
The fact that what is protected by copyright is the font file also means that, if you do not use a font file, you may be unrelated to font copyright disputes. This may sound counterintuitive—after all, don’t you have to use a font file to use a font?
If you commission design work from an external vendor, the client does not use the font file directly and therefore is not involved in a font copyright dispute. If there is a copyright issue with a font used in the design outcome, responsibility lies with the company that carried out the design work. The client can demonstrate this through documents such as outsourcing contracts or payment records.
Understanding font copyright properly is important because there are cases in which claims of copyright infringement are made even against people who did not use a font file. A copyright holder’s claim is not always correct. To prevent unnecessary disputes, it is essential to know the copyright status of the fonts you are using.
Tip. Using fonts without using font files
Earlier, we said that “to use a font, you use a font file,” but this is not entirely accurate. There are ways to use fonts without using font files. The font platform Sandoll Cloud does not download font files onto a user’s computer. Instead, selected fonts are activated through server calls. Because font copyright is based on font files, using Sandoll Cloud eliminates the risk of becoming involved in copyright disputes.
There is also a close connection between font copyright and Sandoll’s introduction of a cloud-based system—the first of its kind in the industry. Before Sandoll Cloud, font services provided font files directly to users, making them easy to distribute. As a result, many users ended up being held responsible for copyright violations after unknowingly using illegally distributed fonts.
To prevent further unnecessary 피해, Sandoll sought a service model that made illegal use impossible. The result of that effort is Sandoll Cloud, a cloud-based font service.
Sandoll Cloud, a cloud-based service that works without font files
Sandoll builds a user-centric environment that enables anyone to express themselves freely. By ensuring that even small ideas do not remain mere impressions, but can become the starting point for meaningful progress, we will continue moving forward step by step—providing services that are simple, clear, and easy to use.
Insights
Stories about font copyright are everywhere. Even if you have never experienced it yourself, you have probably heard something along the lines of, “Someone received a legal notice from a font company.” Based on stories like these, the perception that “fonts are scary” has taken hold. But is that really the case? Let’s take a clear and straightforward look at the misunderstandings and realities surrounding font copyright, which often feels difficult and intimidating.
Do font companies make money by demanding settlements?
Copyright refers to recognizing the effort and value behind a creative work and protecting the rights associated with it. Fonts, like other creative works, are protected by copyright law. Accordingly, if font copyright is infringed, legal penalties may be imposed under Article 46 of the Copyright Act.
Copyright is a fundamental right that should be guaranteed to creators. Yet when it comes to font copyright, the phrase “settlement-driven business” is often attached. This stems from a negative perception that copyright is being used not to protect creators’ rights, but to profit from settlements.
To clarify this issue, it is necessary to look at cases of font copyright infringement. While it is difficult to generalize all cases, font copyright infringement can broadly be divided into the following two categories.
“Illegal use of font files” unquestionably constitutes a violation of copyright law. Such cases cause serious harm to the copyright holder—that is, the creator. By way of analogy, copyright infringement is like stealing agricultural produce that a farmer has cultivated with sweat and toil through all four seasons, then using it to make and sell kimchi. The work is done by the bear, but the profit is taken by the illegal user. Fortunately, as awareness of copyright continues to improve, cases of illegal use are gradually being reduced.
Font License Violations
What we want to focus on today is “font license violations.” The majority of font copyright disputes can be said to arise from this category, and the negative perception of so-called “settlement-driven business” is also closely tied to font licenses.
The core issue with “font license violations” is that many people do not properly understand what a license is. Earlier, we mentioned that fonts can be divided into paid and free fonts based on their license terms, but that explanation is only half true. In reality, it is difficult to classify most fonts simply as paid or free.
Let’s look at an example to explain the commonly assumed idea of a free font.
There is a font known as a free font, called ‘Font 1’. User ‘A’ publishes a book using ‘Font 1’, while user ‘B’ creates a company logo with the same font. The company that produced ‘Font 1’ considers only user ‘B’ to be in violation of the license. The reason is as follows: although ‘Font 1’ is distributed free of charge for print and video use, its license explicitly states that it may not be used for BI/CI purposes.
*The font platform ‘Sandoll Cloud’, operated by Sandoll, labels fonts like this as “scope-limited free fonts” to prevent them from being misunderstood as simply “free fonts.”
Let’s look at another example. User ‘C’ purchased a document program legitimately and used ‘Font 2’, which was bundled with the program. Because it was included in a paid program, user ‘C’ assumed that ‘Font 2’ was a free font, converted the document into a PDF, and uploaded it to a website. One day, the company that created ‘Font 2’ informed user ‘C’ that this constituted a license violation. The reason was that while ‘Font 2’ may be used free of charge within the document program, publishing it online as a PDF is not permitted under the license.
There are many other cases in which users believed they were using free fonts but became involved in copyright disputes due to license terms. As discussed earlier, this largely stems from a lack of proper understanding of font licenses. When fonts are downloaded from official distribution channels, license information is usually stated on the page. However, when fonts are obtained or used through other means, users often have little opportunity to encounter or review the license details.
It is also difficult to place the responsibility solely on users’ carelessness, as licenses themselves are often complex and not easy to understand. As a leading Korean font foundry, Sandoll abolished complex license structures* in order to prevent unnecessary harm to users. As a result, all fonts available on Sandoll’s font platform, Sandoll Cloud, can be used without separate license distinctions.
That said, there are still clear cases in which usage scopes are defined by licenses and users who were unaware of those licenses are held responsible. Against this backdrop, negative perceptions of fonts have not easily disappeared. Sandoll aims to create an environment in which anyone can use fonts freely. Beyond abolishing license distinctions, we continue to work toward fostering a culture in which users can use fonts with confidence.
Understanding Font Copyright to Protect Your Rights
As mentioned earlier, most copyright disputes arise from font licenses. In some cases, however, users who have used fonts legitimately are still confronted with demands for settlement fees or pressured into purchasing font packages through formal notices. For a healthy font-use culture, not only creators’ rights but also the rights of font users must be protected. With that in mind, we have compiled essential information on font copyright that will be genuinely helpful to know.
Are fonts not protected by copyright?
Fonts are protected under copyright law. However, to be more precise, it is necessary to distinguish between a font file and a font design. A font file, which qualifies as a computer program, is protected under copyright law, while a font design, which falls under the category of design, is protected under the Design Protection Act.
Font copyright places primary importance on the font file.
The fact that what is protected by copyright is the font file also means that, if you do not use a font file, you may be unrelated to font copyright disputes. This may sound counterintuitive—after all, don’t you have to use a font file to use a font?
If you commission design work from an external vendor, the client does not use the font file directly and therefore is not involved in a font copyright dispute. If there is a copyright issue with a font used in the design outcome, responsibility lies with the company that carried out the design work. The client can demonstrate this through documents such as outsourcing contracts or payment records.
Understanding font copyright properly is important because there are cases in which claims of copyright infringement are made even against people who did not use a font file. A copyright holder’s claim is not always correct. To prevent unnecessary disputes, it is essential to know the copyright status of the fonts you are using.
Tip. Using fonts without using font files
Earlier, we said that “to use a font, you use a font file,” but this is not entirely accurate. There are ways to use fonts without using font files. The font platform Sandoll Cloud does not download font files onto a user’s computer. Instead, selected fonts are activated through server calls. Because font copyright is based on font files, using Sandoll Cloud eliminates the risk of becoming involved in copyright disputes.
There is also a close connection between font copyright and Sandoll’s introduction of a cloud-based system—the first of its kind in the industry. Before Sandoll Cloud, font services provided font files directly to users, making them easy to distribute. As a result, many users ended up being held responsible for copyright violations after unknowingly using illegally distributed fonts.
To prevent further unnecessary 피해, Sandoll sought a service model that made illegal use impossible. The result of that effort is Sandoll Cloud, a cloud-based font service.
Sandoll Cloud, a cloud-based service that works without font files
Sandoll builds a user-centric environment that enables anyone to express themselves freely. By ensuring that even small ideas do not remain mere impressions, but can become the starting point for meaningful progress, we will continue moving forward step by step—providing services that are simple, clear, and easy to use.