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Font Embedding

newtech Font embedding refers to technology that saves fonts (or subsets of fonts) inside document files. The aim of this is that recipients of the document can see it as it was designed, without having to have the fonts already installed on their computer. The benefits for publishers are obvious.:

Restrictions on embedding

For many years it has concerned type designers and foundries that font embedding entails their data moving, inside documents, to places where it is not licensed. It has not been possible to assure foundries that font data is not extractable from documents containing embedded fonts.

Embedding bits

Around 1991 Microsoft extended the TrueType specification to allow font developers to specify under what conditions their fonts may be embedded inside documents. At that time, before the web and mass use of e-mail, it was probably thought that documents would not often travel widely. Thus the first form of the specification does not offer much control to font developers. For more, see embedding bits.

EEULAA Inclusion by adding an OpenType Table

One suggestion about how to add the Electronic EULA Abstract (EEULAA) to fonts is to create a new OpenType table with standard fields. Emil Yakupov has created a (Windows) demo application which creates such a table and inserts it into a font and reads such tables from fonts. Here is the table description:

The table contains the principal positions of the EEULA abstract in simplified (machine readable) form. Each position of the EEULA abstract is represented by an identifier, bit value, numeric value and optional text (Unicode).

This table specification is in "alpha" version and is given here only for reference.

We currently do NOT have plans relating for DRM in this initiative.

Proposals for DRM relating to fonts typically involve similar systems to those used for the protection of music and video files, such as in AAC music files and DVD-Video. In such systems, copying the file to a new location means it will no longer function normally.

There is also debate about the practicality and economics of DRM for fonts: do those who would have to do the direct implementation have an economic incentive to do so? Does the total gain outweigh the total costs? Will users buy fonts that they cannot use as flexibly as existing fonts.

Due to technical complexity of the problem, and the issues mentioned above, most people in the font world believe that introducing DRM for fonts is not foreseeable in the near future. However, font developers (both foundries and designers) suffer greatly from piracy, which ensures that DRM wishes will remain fresh in their minds.

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Restrictions on embedding

Embedding bits

EEULAA Inclusion by adding an OpenType Table

We currently do NOT have plans relating for DRM in this initiative.