5 ms·

I have a better question: Does anyone care? Seriously? The debate has degenerated to whether Google is ripping off Apple's choice of font? WTF?

by nknight 15y ago

sp332 15y ago
This isn't about Apple. Helvetica is one of the most popular fonts, it's used everywhere. edited
- jtauber 15y ago
  Actually, the point is just to play a fun typeface recognition game :-)
  - sp332 15y ago
    Haha, OK, I was thinking of this other post on the topic https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3130822 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3130822
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- tptacek 15y ago
  It's really not. Google probably can't get the rights to Helvetica because of the way Android is licensed. I wouldn't want to call "homages" to Helvetica a "time honored tradition", but that's only because "tradition" seems like the wrong word. Nobody's been injured here.
- nknight 15y ago
  (Edit: Comment I responded to initially made reference to an entity holding "the rights" to Helvetica.) What rights are those, exactly? Typefaces are not copyrightable under US law. You can get design patents, but Helvetica was developed in 1957, any such patent would be long expired. You can trademark the name, but that's of no consequence here. You can copyright a particular "font file" in much the same way you can copyright a block of code, but that doesn't prevent someone else from creating their own version that is visually indistinguishable. So, what rights would be violated here, exactly?
  - sp332 15y ago
    Lots of other countries do though https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Copyright_on_typefaces https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Copyright_on_... and Helvetica Neue was just updated in 2009. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Helvetica#Neue_Helvetica_W1G_.282009.29 https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Helvetica#Neu...
    - nknight 15y ago
      I'm not clear what you're pointing to on that first page. It mentions only the UK as recognizing copyright in typefaces. The other countries mentioned are Germany, where there are design patents only, Japan, where there is explicitly no protection, and in Switzerland it indicates there is effectively no protection. It's irrelevant when Helvetica Neue was updated, that makes no difference to the protection (or lack thereof) for the designs already embodied in Helvetica.
      - sp332 15y ago
        If Google wants to distribute their devices globally, they will have to clear the font usage with all jurisdictions. Sorry if the link wasn't helpful, but fonts are generally commercially distributed as software, which is copyrighted. Companies can be sued for using unlicensed fonts. http://intellectual-property.lawyers.com/intellectual-property-licensing/Company-Sues-Over-Unauthorized-Use-of-Its-Fonts.html http://intellectual-property.lawyers.com/intellectual-proper... Anyway I agree that Google didn't rip anyone off.

I have a better question: Does anyone care? Seriously? The debate has degenerated to whether Google is ripping off Apple's choice of font? WTF?

by nknight 15y ago

I have a better question: Does anyone care? Seriously? The debate has degenerated to whether Google is ripping off Apple's choice of font? WTF?

sp332 15y ago

This isn't about Apple. Helvetica is one of the most popular fonts, it's used everywhere. edited

jtauber 15y ago
Actually, the point is just to play a fun typeface recognition game :-)
- sp332 15y ago
  Haha, OK, I was thinking of this other post on the topic https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3130822 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3130822
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
tptacek 15y ago
It's really not. Google probably can't get the rights to Helvetica because of the way Android is licensed. I wouldn't want to call "homages" to Helvetica a "time honored tradition", but that's only because "tradition" seems like the wrong word. Nobody's been injured here.
nknight 15y ago
(Edit: Comment I responded to initially made reference to an entity holding "the rights" to Helvetica.) What rights are those, exactly? Typefaces are not copyrightable under US law. You can get design patents, but Helvetica was developed in 1957, any such patent would be long expired. You can trademark the name, but that's of no consequence here. You can copyright a particular "font file" in much the same way you can copyright a block of code, but that doesn't prevent someone else from creating their own version that is visually indistinguishable. So, what rights would be violated here, exactly?
- sp332 15y ago
  Lots of other countries do though https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Copyright_on_typefaces https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Copyright_on_... and Helvetica Neue was just updated in 2009. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Helvetica#Neue_Helvetica_W1G_.282009.29 https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Helvetica#Neu...
  - nknight 15y ago
    I'm not clear what you're pointing to on that first page. It mentions only the UK as recognizing copyright in typefaces. The other countries mentioned are Germany, where there are design patents only, Japan, where there is explicitly no protection, and in Switzerland it indicates there is effectively no protection. It's irrelevant when Helvetica Neue was updated, that makes no difference to the protection (or lack thereof) for the designs already embodied in Helvetica.
    - sp332 15y ago
      If Google wants to distribute their devices globally, they will have to clear the font usage with all jurisdictions. Sorry if the link wasn't helpful, but fonts are generally commercially distributed as software, which is copyrighted. Companies can be sued for using unlicensed fonts. http://intellectual-property.lawyers.com/intellectual-property-licensing/Company-Sues-Over-Unauthorized-Use-of-Its-Fonts.html http://intellectual-property.lawyers.com/intellectual-proper... Anyway I agree that Google didn't rip anyone off.