Can "Free for Personal Use" Fonts be used in School?

[fiza]

We are getting a lot of requests from students doing Media for fonts they need from DaFont. Most are marked "Free for personal use". Would that cover us if we downloaded them for the students to use?

[localzuk]

There's nothing specific in copyright law for educational use of fonts, so it would fall onto the more general exceptions. I use the following when determining legality:

 

Educational use

There is a more general exception in law allowing some flexibility with regards use of copyrighted works. In general copying a work must comply with the following 4 conditions:

 

1. the work must be used solely to illustrate a point
   
2. the use of the work must not be for commercial purposes (remember, as a Trust, we are a Limited Company)
   
3. The use must be fair dealing (so, it doesn't disadvantage the copyright owner)
   
4. it must be accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement
   

If the font is installed on a school/institution device, then the user becomes the school/institution - as anyone using that device can use the font.

 

Personally, I lean towards "no" when it comes to "for personal use only" licenses. I think we fail on all 4 points to be honest.

[FishCustard]

My response to things like this is that school use is not personal use, and therefore we cannot use them unless it specifically states that we can (some fonts do allow non-commercial use).

 

What do they want the fonts for?

[fiza]

My response to things like this is that school use is not personal use, and therefore we cannot use them unless it specifically states that we can (some fonts do allow non-commercial use).

 

What do they want the fonts for?

 

Coursework for Media students.

[FishCustard]

Perhaps a teachable moment for them about how fonts aren't free?

[fiza]

I thought "free for personal use" meant that you could use the font but not to make money ie non-commercial.

 

Is there any site out there that has 100% free fonts? DaFont seems to be the go to site for Teachers and Students but nearly all of the fonts they want are marked "free for personal use".

[FishCustard]

Google Fonts are free for any use - there's loads on there and you can just download and install.

[ass17]

For me “personal use” means you cannot distribute or use in commercial products.

 

Reason I say this is like this, how is installing a font on a school PC for multiple people to use for private personal use any different that installing the font on home PC that has multiple users on it?

[pete]

Dafont gives the option to specify the copyright requirements when searching: https://www.dafont.com/new.php?text=Non-commercial&l[]=10&l[]=1

 

Educate the kids, as others have suggested?

 

Reason I say this is like this, how is installing a font on a school PC for multiple people to use for private personal use any different that installing the font on home PC that has multiple users on it?

 

A school isn't a person, it's an organisation. The use isn't private or personal - it's to be used in assessed work for which the student will gain a qualification and the school gets funding for that student..

[ass17]

Dafont gives the option to specify the copyright requirements when searching: https://www.dafont.com/new.php?text=Non-commercial&l[]=10&l[]=1

 

Educate the kids, as others have suggested?

 

 

 

A school isn't a person, it's an organisation. The use isn't private or personal - it's to be used in assessed work for which the student will gain a qualification and the school gets funding for that student..

 

At the same time it’s not classed as commercial, in terms of non-commercial refers to academic.

 

So if something says do not use for commercial purposes that tells me a school can use it as long as the end product does result in a commercial/financial gain.

[Garacesh]

So if something says do not use for commercial purposes that tells me a school can use it as long as the end product does result in a commercial/financial gain.

Still muddies the waters a bit.. What if it's a private school where parents pay for their children to attend?

I'd still be erring on the side of caution and saying "No"

[dmj]

TL;DR: look at the readme in the font and email the author if educational use isn't explicit.

 

 

DAFont say

"Are all the fonts free of charge?The fonts presented on this website are their authors' property, and are either freeware, shareware, demo versions or public domain. The licence mentioned above the download button is just an indication. Please look at the readme-files in the archives or check the indicated author's website for details, and contact him/her if in doubt.

If no author/licence is indicated that's because we don't have information, that doesn't mean it's free."

https://www.dafont.com/faq.php

 

 

 

[localzuk]

Just an FYI - DaFont specify that the "license" listed on the site is just an indication, and actual license information should be included in the downloaded file in a readme.

 

Here's the file for "Salmon White":

 

Hello, please contact me before any commercial use. My fonts for free use allowed only in personal project , non-profit and charity use. If you make money from using my fonts, Please purchase a commercial licensehere : "]http://www.typhoontype.net/fonts/salmon-white/

 

Or, for Borui:

 

'Free for personal use' means that it can't be used for any commercial purpose. This means that you nee to contact the author at [email protected]

 

So, you should really look into each font, and if unsure - contact the author/copyright holder.

 

EDIT: Beaten to the punch!

Edited July 19, 2019 by localzuk

[ass17]

Assume nothing - ask the author! Is the best way to go, I agree having though about it long enough [emoji23]