3 ms·

> "Download Comic Neue, free for a limited time" What does that mean? There's no real license information anywhere.

chrisBob 12y ago
A normal web page would probably have a link to the license information, but since you can't put links in CSS pages the author just had to make it open source.
- wut42 12y ago
  what ? this is a normal web page. what do you mean CSS page ?
  - chrisBob 12y ago
    Bootstrap style pages look gorgeous, but don't tend to say anything useful, and I hate it. I know it has nothing to do with CSS, and it is technically possible to have a link to something useful when using a pretty design, but I have yet to see an example. Judging by the 25 (now 26) karma I lost I think a lot of people here really like good looking pages with no links or information.
    - hactually 12y ago
      I don't think you understand bootstrap and how it pertains to HTML and CSS.
    - nollidge 12y ago
      You're losing karma because your complaint has no basis in fact, not because of aesthetic concerns.
- ceejayoz 12y ago
  What the hell are you on about? There are a variety of links on the page. You can't build a page out of CSS only.
  - dang 12y ago
    > What the hell are you on about? Please don't address other users aggressively on Hacker News. Consider how much better this comment reads if one deletes the first sentence. It goes from being a bad HN comment to a good one immediately.
da4c30ff 12y ago
An honest question: Isn't it that in some legal systems, an absence of license means public domain?
- slashdotaccount 12y ago
  Most of the world implemented the Berne Convention, which creates a thing called "copyright". In the world of copyright, absence of license means all rights reserved, except for "fair use", "fair dealing" and similar exceptions. In the world outside copyright law everything is in the public domain, no licenses necessary. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention
  - sp332 12y ago
    The Berne Convention didn't invent copyright.
    - schme 12y ago
      I don't think that was ever implied.
      - sp332 12y ago
        Well, you can have copyright without declaring that everything is copyrighted when it is created. A lot of countries had systems like that until they ratified the Berne Convention.
      - dragonwriter 12y ago
        No, it wasn't implied, it was stated outright that the Berne Convention "creates a thing called copyright" (when, in fact, the Berne Convention harmonizes certain provisions of copyright law among those countries who adhere to it.)
- DrStalker 12y ago
  While I'm sure there is a legal system somewhere in the world that does that most places have automatic rights for intellectual property, even if you give it away for free. Trying to use this font for business would result in compliance issues, because it's unclear what you can and can't do with it.
rebel 12y ago
Yeah, that seems like a terrible "license structure". If he added irrevocable I think it would be sufficient for use, but as is I can't understand how you could currently feel safe using it?
pbhjpbhj 12y ago
Currently the site says: "No attribution is required, this free version of Comic Neue has been released into the public domain." and links to CC's public domain page at http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ .

A normal web page would probably have a link to the license information, but since you can't put links in CSS pages the author just had to make it open source.

wut42 12y ago
what ? this is a normal web page. what do you mean CSS page ?
- chrisBob 12y ago
  Bootstrap style pages look gorgeous, but don't tend to say anything useful, and I hate it. I know it has nothing to do with CSS, and it is technically possible to have a link to something useful when using a pretty design, but I have yet to see an example. Judging by the 25 (now 26) karma I lost I think a lot of people here really like good looking pages with no links or information.
  - hactually 12y ago
    I don't think you understand bootstrap and how it pertains to HTML and CSS.
  - nollidge 12y ago
    You're losing karma because your complaint has no basis in fact, not because of aesthetic concerns.
ceejayoz 12y ago
What the hell are you on about? There are a variety of links on the page. You can't build a page out of CSS only.
- dang 12y ago
  > What the hell are you on about? Please don't address other users aggressively on Hacker News. Consider how much better this comment reads if one deletes the first sentence. It goes from being a bad HN comment to a good one immediately.

da4c30ff 12y ago

An honest question: Isn't it that in some legal systems, an absence of license means public domain?

slashdotaccount 12y ago
Most of the world implemented the Berne Convention, which creates a thing called "copyright". In the world of copyright, absence of license means all rights reserved, except for "fair use", "fair dealing" and similar exceptions. In the world outside copyright law everything is in the public domain, no licenses necessary. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention
- sp332 12y ago
  The Berne Convention didn't invent copyright.
  - schme 12y ago
    I don't think that was ever implied.
    - sp332 12y ago
      Well, you can have copyright without declaring that everything is copyrighted when it is created. A lot of countries had systems like that until they ratified the Berne Convention.
    - dragonwriter 12y ago
      No, it wasn't implied, it was stated outright that the Berne Convention "creates a thing called copyright" (when, in fact, the Berne Convention harmonizes certain provisions of copyright law among those countries who adhere to it.)
DrStalker 12y ago
While I'm sure there is a legal system somewhere in the world that does that most places have automatic rights for intellectual property, even if you give it away for free. Trying to use this font for business would result in compliance issues, because it's unclear what you can and can't do with it.

rebel 12y ago

Yeah, that seems like a terrible "license structure". If he added irrevocable I think it would be sufficient for use, but as is I can't understand how you could currently feel safe using it?

pbhjpbhj 12y ago

Currently the site says: "No attribution is required, this free version of Comic Neue has been released into the public domain." and links to CC's public domain page at http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ .