How does Emigre license its fonts?

Each Emigre Font purchase is automatically licensed for use at one location with a maximum of six devices. For example: five CPUs and one printer. If you wish to use the Emigre Fonts on more than six devices, or at more than one location, you must purchase a license upgrade. The Emigre Font Software may not be shared between locations or business entities. Each location and/or entity must purchase a separate license, starting with the first device.

 
What is a device?

A device may be, but is not limited to, a printer, rasterizer, video display terminal, CPU, workstation or any device where the font software is rasterized or display of the Emigre Font is generated from font software outlines.
Our basic 6 device license covers any of the following 6 scenarios:
6 Devices = 0 Printers + 6 CPUs
6 Devices = 1 Printer + 5 CPUs
6 Devices = 2 Printers + 4 CPUs
6 Devices = 3 Printers + 3 CPUs
6 Devices = 4 Printers + 2 CPUs
6 Devices = 5 Printers + 1 CPU

 
Does Emigre offer site licensing for an unlimited number of output devices/ CPUs at one location?

Our Site License allows the installation and use of the fonts on an unlimited number of CPUs and printers at one physical address of a corporation or other legal entity.

 
Does Emigre offer licensing for large organizations with multiple locations?

Our World-Wide License allows the installation and use of the fonts at an unlimited number of locations of one corporation or other legal entity, limited to the number of CPUs.

 
What if the user controls and stores all their fonts from a central file server?

Regardless of where the fonts are stored the license is based on the number of output devices/ CPUs that the fonts will be used on. In this case the user must have something in place to monitor usage, so that the license will not be violated.

 
How far can I extend my font license?

Multi-device licenses can be extended to any number of machines which are operated by the licensee at one location; in accordance with Emigre's License Upgrade Formula. Other parties, including affiliates, agents, subsidiaries, clients or advertisers, will require their own licenses.

 
Can I embed fonts into digital documents?

Web sites and CD-ROM titles may feature bitmap images made using our fonts, but the fonts themselves may not be distributed. Embeddable font formats require the duplication of the fonts and thus seriously compromise the security of typefaces. The Emigre license excludes font embedding, except as described in the Embedding License Addendum. This addendum allows restricted distribution of portable digital documents in Adobe Acrobat PDF format under specific circumstances.

Distributing copies of a printed document is not the same as distributing copies of a digital document with embedded fonts. The latter also distributes live fonts, which add value to the digital document by making it more useful, flexible, and cheaper to distribute than a traditional printed document.

Unfortunately, currently available embedding technologies, which incorporate live fonts into web pages and digital documents, do so by jeopardizing the security of the fonts. Before allowing such usage of their fonts, font developers want to be certain that encryption of the embedded fonts is secure enough to prevent unauthorized access or use.

 
What about sending files to a service bureau?

Acrobat PDF format is the preferred method of sending files for output at a service bureau, as long as the specific requirements of our Embedding License Addendum are met. This addendum allows a licensed font user to send a PDF file to an unlicensed third party, such as a service bureau, subject to three conditions: 1.) One copy of any PDF file may be sent for the purpose of digital output by a service bureau, or for the purpose of proofing by a client or proofreader. Under no circumstances shall anyone be allowed to further distribute, duplicate or make additional copies of the PDF. 2.) Subsetting must be used for any font embedding. 3.) The PDF must have security set to allow only printing and viewing; it must prohibit changing, selecting, or adding.

Another acceptable solution when outputting files at a service bureau is to create PostScript files, also known as "print to disk" files. The service bureau need not have a copy of the fonts in order to print PostScript files. In addition they accelerate typesetting, and help prevent errors. Your service bureau can assist you in the particularities of creating PostScript files from your application.

If it becomes necessary for your service bureau to install a copy of the fonts on their equipment, they do need to purchase their own copy. As an alternative, Emigre offers the Service Bureau License whereby the user may purchase a license extension for use at a service bureau for half of the price of the font. (That's about $19.50 per single font or style.) In this case, the service bureau license is purchased as an extension of an existing customer's license, and is therefore valid only for output of that customer's jobs.

 

For more information, see: Various License Options