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Date: 1998-11-14 15:43:47
From "William Adams"
Subject: Re: Typeface Trade mark permission. How to do it?

Michel Bujardet, Match Software said:
>I would be very interested to read what other lists members have come up
>with to say, for instance, 'This is my version of Avant Garde'.

ATypI has a guideline of 17 years exclusivity before one creates a derivative
design--I'd see this as a minimum guideline, though in at least one instance
(Bitstream's version of Frutiger, where they waited 17 years to the day and
released the next) where a commercial company has been pilloried on the post
of public (well, professional type designers posting in comp.fonts) opinion.

The problem with Avant Garde is that there isn't now available a good version
of it which matches Herb Lubalin's original (but since recanted) vision of a
typeface with a ligature for every (almost) possible letterpair. (There was a
licensed one at one time, which is no longer distributed).

Moreover, with Avant Garde, it's easy--you license the name from ITC, pay
extra if you want to get 'stats of the original art, and then release it as 
<your company name here> Avant Garde.

What if it's a font which the designer wanted to remain exclusive to a given
firm? Can one then act ethically in a manner contrary to the designer's
wishes? What about (oh blast, can't remember the names) what's his name
tossing the punches for the Doves type into the Thames? What's the ethical
basis for a Doves resurrection then?

My take on this has always been that if you get the permission of the designer
(or his/her heirs), it's okay, without that permission, well there should
be a
reason for not getting it, like, say everyone's dead. (A Janson revival for
instance).

William

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