Fonts are Software Too

Did you know that the typefaces you use every day are software? All fonts are software, and, like any software, fonts are intellectual property and are subject to copyright and trademark laws.

Operating systems include fonts. Desktop and network applications include fonts. These 'system fonts' are licensed under the terms of their respective applications’ End User License Agreements (EULAs).

But what about the other fonts we use – for design, for publishing, for legal documents – for any work outside the basic tasks of creating and printing documents and email?

These fonts are also licensed by font software publishers (foundries) or from type designers, and using them means paying attention to the terms of the license agreements and being compliant with the standards they set. Just like licenses for software programs are a necessity, your organization also needs to be sure its fonts are licensed too. Find out if your organization has the licenses it needs to avoid risks.

Software Piracy Data


View the Piracy Rate by Region

A number of factors contribute to regional differences in piracy — the strength of intellectual property protection, the availability of pirated software, and cultural differences. In addition, piracy is not uniform within a country; it varies from city to city, industry to industry and demographic to demographic. While efforts to cut piracy in large businesses may be successful, piracy can increase as a result of new users from small businesses entering the market for the first time.

Find out more.