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Hi Val and list,<br>
<br>
I officially support releasing the PNG files, SVG files and future
SignWriting fonts under the OFL.<br>
<br>
One main concern we all have is that licensing can get complicated.
The rest of my email will validate this concern. However, licensing is
needed in the world today. Specifically, people need to know what
they can do and what they can't do without having to email Val all the
time.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
-Steve<br>
<br>
In response to Sandy...<br>
<br>
There are several types of official font files for computer use. One
version specifically uses SVG data.<br>
<br>
>From Wikipedia, a font "is a coordinated set of glyphs designed with
stylistic unity. A [font] usually comprises an alphabet of letters,
numerals, and punctuation marks;"<br>
<br>
>From Wikipedia, "a glyph is the shape given in a particular [font] to a
specific grapheme or symbol."<br>
<br>
I font is defined by an idea, not by how it's packaged.<br>
<br>
I consider the SignWriting alphabet to be a real alphabet. And I
consider our current PNG version to be a stylistic representation of
that alphabet; hence a font.<br>
<br>
>From the OFL Preamble:<br>
--------------------------------<br>
The goals of the Open Font License (OFL) are to stimulate worldwide<br>
development of collaborative font projects, to support the font creation<br>
efforts of academic and linguistic communities, and to provide a free
and<br>
open framework in which fonts may be shared and improved in partnership<br>
with others.<br>
<br>
The OFL allows the licensed fonts to be used, studied, modified and<br>
redistributed freely as long as they are not sold by themselves. The<br>
fonts, including any derivative works, can be bundled, embedded,<br>
redistributed and/or sold with any software provided that any reserved<br>
names are not used by derivative works.<br>
-----------------------------------<br>
<br>
The first definition in the OFL:<br>
"Font Software" refers to the set of files released by the Copyright<br>
Holder(s) under this license and clearly marked as such."<br>
<br>
Both the PNG and SVG versions are a set of files and meet the spirit on
the OFL. There is no stipulation about the packaging of the font, so I
don't see a problem here. <br>
<br>
The OFL states that the set of files "may include source files, build
scripts and documentation."<br>
<br>
What does "may" mean? If the "may" means "perhaps", as in the set of
file could include (but is not limited to) source files, build scripts
and documentation, then we're fine. However, if the "may" means "may
only", then we need to define the PNG and SVG files under either 1)
source files, 2)build scripts, or 3)documentation. <br>
<br>
According to wikipedia, a "source file" is text and human readable.
However, I don't think that's what they mean in the OFL. Are all font
packages text files and human readable? I'm not an expert, but I'd
have to say no. If the accepted font files in use today can be called
"source file", then I don't see a problem calling our PNG files "source
files". QED<br>
<br>
The OFL seems like a fine license. My only concern is with the
statement "The fonts and derivatives,<br>
however, cannot be released under any other type of license." Does
this mean no dual licensing? So a font released under the OFL can not
be released under any other license by the original copyright
holder? I believe this statement needs to be clarified in a future
version of the OFL.<br>
<br>
My 2 cents,<br>
-Steve<br>
<br>
Sandy Fleming wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:1180353086.7555.7.camel@localhost.localdomain"
type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">SIL Open Font License
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&id=OFL">http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&id=OFL</a>
Our question to programmers who use SignWriting...
How do you feel about the OFL License?
If the SignWriting symbols are placed under the OFL License, will you
feel free to use the symbols for your programming? That is what
matters to me.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
I'm not sure about this.
The site doesn't seem to define what it means by a "font". So far we
have Val's PNG symbols and Machado's SVG symbols. Do either of these
count as a font? It would seem to me that the PNG would come under som
sort of images license and the the SVGs under some sort of software
license.
In the "Working Model" diagram, the site talks about "Other software
product bundled for specific languages/scripts", but even so, what we
have so far handles PNGs and SVGs, not fonts.
Sandy
</pre>
</blockquote>
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