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Permissions Fields

Written by Administrator

Wednesday, 11 October 2006 22:13

EPAR (Embedding Permissions and Recommendations) is what we've decided to name the OpenType table that contains the EULA, Recommendations, and Personalization data. Below is a list of the data fields that comprise the permissions and EULA info sections.

1. Bundle: Licenses may be tied to use or sale with specific software or hardware

1. A font may be bundled with other fonts, other programs or with computer hardware.
2. If this is so then this field contains the name and/or details of the bundle.

Example(text): "Supplied with Adobe Creative Suite 4"

2. Compression: Licenses may allow compression of the font file

       1.     Subsetting: glyphs are removed from the font.
       2.     Algorithmic data compression: The font file data is rewritten in a different form.
       3.     Since the possible types of compression are virtually infinite this is a text field. The field may contain one of the following values: "All", "None", "Allowed-followed by a list of allowed compressions", "Disallowed-followed by a list of non-allowed compression types".

Example(text): "Allowed-zip,tar"

3. Conversion: Licenses may allow conversion of the font file. this can take several forms

       1.     Format conversion - conversion between vector font formats such as Type 1, TrueType and OpenType.
       2.     Platform conversion - Conversion to a platform-specific format.
            3.     Raster conversion - Conversion between bitmap and vector font forms
       3.     Since the possible types of conversion are virtually infinite this is a text field. The field may contain one of the following values: "All", "None", "Allowed-followed by a list of allowed conversions", "Disallowed-followed by a list of non-allowed conversion types".

Example (text): "Disallowed-bitmap,Flash"

4. Licensing units: this field documents how a license is tied to something physical - people, places and/or devices.

   1.    Number of Devices: If tied to devices the license can be for a specific number of devices or for an unlimited number.
       1.    Any numeric quantity
       2.    Unlimited
   2.    Type of device: Licenses may be tied to individual person(s) and/or particular devices.
       1.    Users: A license tied to users means that only the specified users or number of users are licensed to use the font.
        2.    Devices: A license tied to devices means that the font may be used only on the specified devices or number of devices. "Devices" usually refers to computers, workstations, printers, servers, etc.
        3.    Printers: A license tied to printers means that the font may be used only on the specified printers or number of printers. This is rarely used anymore since modern fonts in general are not downloaded to printers.
        4.    Servers: A license tied to servers means that the font may be used only on the specified server computers or number of servers.
            5.     Workstations: A license tied to workstations means that the font may be used only on the specified workstations or number of workstations.

Example (number:type,...): "5:users,1:server"

5. Link: If the license allows the use of a font in the display of a website or to be served as a licensed asset, then this field specifies the source of linking allowed followed by the type and method.

1. The sources are: same-origin, root-string, sub-licensee.

2. The types are display/print, edit/print.

3. The methods are "Accessible" (straight @font-face call) or "Protected" (obfuscated call). E.g. root-string, display/print,encrypted, etc.)

Example (text:text:binary): "SO:DP:P"

6. Site: Licenses may be tied to a specific physical location

       1.     Location: A site license means that anyone on the site (department, building, campus - some contiguous area) is licensed to use the font.
       2.    Company: A company license means that anyone in the company (regardless of location) may use the font.
       3.    Third party: Where one party licenses the font for use by another party. The "third party" could be an individual or a group of people.
            4.     Network: means that anyone on a LAN, WAN, or the WWW may use the font,
            5.     If the license is a site license then this field contains the name/address/description of the site.

Example (text): "HQ LAN at XYZ Corp., New York City"

7. Meter: Licenses tied to time or events

   1.    Pay-per-Use: A license for a specific or counted number of uses of the font
   2.    Pay-per-Download: A license for a specific or counted number of downloads of the font.
   3.    Pay-per-Time: A license for a specific or counted number of time units.
       4.     Pay-per-view: A license for a specific or counted number of viewer impressions.
       5.     The field contains two datapoints - the unit and the quantity.

Example (quantity:type): "5:years"

8. Font document embedding: see the Font Embedding page under our Technology tab for details. "Document Embedding" means to incorporate the font into a document so that the font travels with the document. These are the same as the original document embedding bits.

   1.    Installable - means the font may be installed and used on whatever device the document is on.
    2.    Editable - means the font may be used in editing the document, but may not be installed on any device.
    3.    Print & Preview - means the font may be used only to print a document or display on a device.
    4.    None - the font may not travel with the document.

Example (text): "Editable"

9. Font video embedding: "Video Embedding" means to incorporate the font into a video so that the font travels with the video

   1.    Installable - means the font may be installed and used on whatever device the video is on.
    2.    Editable - means the font may be used in editing the video, but may not be installed on any device.
    3.    Display - means the font may be used only to display text on a device.
    4.    None - the font may not travel with the video.

Example (text): "Display"

10. Font application embedding: "Application Embedding" means to incorporate the font into a computer program/application so that the font travels with the program.

   1.    Installable - means the font may be installed and used on whatever device the application/program is on.
    2.    Editable - means the font may be used in editing text in the course of running the application/program, but may not be installed on any device.
    3.    Print & Display - means the font may be used only to print a document or display on a device in the course or running the application/program.
    4.    None - the font may not travel with the program/application.

Example (text): "Installable"

11. Font modifications: Font users may need additions or other modifications to a font for their uses. The license may or may not allow this or may allow it only under certain circumstances (e.g. that the modifications be done by the original designer).

1. This field excludes modifications such as conversion, compression, and subsetting, which are covered elsewhere.
2. Possible kinds of modifications include glyph editing; adding new glyphs; changing metrics; hinting, etc. but are virtually unlimited. therefore this is a text field with possible calues of "All", "None", "Allowed-with a list of allowed modifications", "Disallowed-with a list of non-allowed modifications".

Example (text): "Disallowed-hinting, add glyphs"

12. License transfer: A licensee may want to sell or give their font to someone else. The license may or may not allow this or may allow it under ceertain circumstances (for instance, that the change in license be registered with the vendor)

   1.    Yes
   2.    Maybe (Yes, under certain circumstances.)
   3.    No

Example (Text): "Yes, under same conditions as original EULA"

13. Sharing: If a font may be temporarily shared with a service bureau then this field gives the conditions.

1.    Yes
2.    Maybe (Yes, under certain circumstances.)
3.    No

Example (Text): "Yes, under same conditions as original EULA; max 7 days"

EULA Information Fields

1. Full EULA URL: The EPAR can only give a summary of the most important parts of a EULA. In order to give the licensee access to the complete (and legally binding) EULA text the EULA should be accessible on the WWW and/or within the font. This field is for the URL where the full EULA is located.

1. URL entry
2. internal link?

Example (URL): "http://www.softwareco.com/EULA[age.html"

2. Remote EPAR URL: The EPAR can also be accessed on a remote server. This field is for the URL/file where the remote EPAR is located. This is particularly useful for large license where many copies would need to be updated if there was a license change. Rather than read the EPAR data from the local table the application would read it from the remote EPAR file maintained by the vendor.

1. URL entry

Example (URL): "http://www.softwareco.com/SoftwareCo2009.epar"

3. License upgrade URL: If a licensee finds that their license is inadequate for their purposes then they should have a way to contact the vendor and arrange for a license upgrade (e.g. more users, more locations, more embedding, etc.) that will allow them to use the font as needed. This field is for the URL of the license upgrade web page or equivalent.