Typekit - Web-only font licenses?
I'm enjoying finding out more about Typekit, a technique which will hopefully soon allow website designers to embed any fonts for use while satisfing font foundries web licensing quibbles.
Currently designers are using techniques such as the difficult to implement SIFR or the newer Cufón to use any font on their pages, however these throw up legal licensing issues surrounding the embedding and therefore (as some foundries see it) clear distribution of copyrighted fonts.
Typekit is looking to solve the licensing and technology issues by working with the font companies to promote a “web-only” font license. This can only be a good thing, at least to clear up the current grey area of usage in these font replacement techniques.
After looking across some foundries licensing terms, which are either old, confused or haven't quite heard of the internet yet - I'd have found it easier to learn the entire UK tax system than if I could embed a font.
“Every major browser is about to support the ability to link to a font.”
The only concern that I have is this solution is hosted by Typekit, rather than local to your site. Similar to the DRM music problem, if TypeKit were to close then all your websites would be stripped of the fonts... since your only "renting" them.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how Typekit develops - could it end up with clients have a stock photography budget, and a budget for fonts...?
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