When does a typeface design enter the public domain
From OFLB
Please note: None of the information on this page is legal advice!
This varies from country to country.
In the USA, typeface designs can be kept out of the public domain if a design patent is registered, which lasts for 14 years. So any typeface older than 15 years is likely to be in the public domain. However, international copyright conventions mean that many nations have agreed to respect the copyright laws of other nations - so if something is first published in a jurisdiction with typeface design copyright, like the UK, it may be subject to copyright restrictions in the USA.
In the UK, its unclear. Typeface designs may be considered artistic works, and enter the public domain 70 years after the death of the designer, or they may be considered their own kind of work and enter the public domain 25 years after their first sale. ("Typographical arrangements" also have a 25 years copyright from first publication in the UK.)
Contents |
External Links
Worldwide
UK
- UK solicitor's summary that says they are artistic works with a 25 year term
- UK Law Part 1 and Part 2 about artistic works, and Part 3 about typefaces.
Germany
France
Italy
Our wiki contains a public domain page with more details about this topic.