☠️ Raidin’ the Pirate Fonts of typOasis; Font Piracy Is Real; Treasuring Types

When the stars and planets align to have a Typography Tuesday fall on TLAP Day, you gotta believe I’m gonna double down on it.

Oh, and a comp’d sub to the Bonus Drops for the first reply here, in email, or on socmed (that I read) for who said “I can’t fight pirates without coffee…!” (no fair pirating the answer from Google or Kagi).

TL;DARRRRRRRR

This is an AI-generated summary of today’s Drop.

Perplexity oddly avoided including links for sections two and three. Please tap down to those two sections for the links.

1. Raidin’ the Pirate Fonts of typOasis: typOasis is an online treasure trove of unique and creative fonts, offering a wide variety of typefaces for designers and typography enthusiasts. Visit their extensive collection at moorstation.org/typoasis .

2. Font Piracy Is Real: Font piracy undermines the hard work and creativity of typeface designers. To avoid font piracy, always use licensed fonts, keep records of your font licensing, and do not share fonts with others. Read more about the issue in the links provided in this section.

3. Treasuring Types: This section ecommends three fonts perfect for creating an authentic and captivating treasure map: Treasure Map Deadhand, Backshore, and Treasurehunt.

☠️ Raidin’ the Pirate Fonts of typOasis

Ahoy, me hearties! typOasis be a captivatin’ online trove o’ unique an’ creative fonts, offerin’ a wide variety o’ typefaces fer designers an’ typography enthusiasts alike. Anchored at moorstation.org/typoasis, the website boasts an extensive collection o’ fonts, rangin’ from abstract designs to more traditional styles.

The typOasis collection be brimmin’ with a vast array o’ fonts, with somethin’ to suit every design need. Some examples o’ the typefaces available on the website include Abstract Type Design, Ace Fonts, Alphabeticum, an’ many more, includin’ — of course — a fine selection of glyphs for all ye scurvy dogs out there. The site also features a dedicated section fer designer Dieter Steffmann, who decided to host his fonts on typOasis due to increasin’ bandwidth charges on his own website.

In addition to its extensive collection o’ fonts, typOasis also serves as a preservation site fer the now-defunct TarmSaft Fonts. Visitors can still download TarmSaft Fonts’ typefaces by clickin’ on the font samples provided on the website.

Font Piracy Is Real

Font piracy has been and still is a significant issue for typeface designers and foundries. With the ease of sharing files online, plagiarism and outright piracy have become rampant, causing harm to the industry and its customers. The core issue with font piracy is that it undermines the hard work and creativity of typeface designers. Creating a typeface requires significant skill, time, and effort, and designers deserve to be compensated for their work. However, the lack of specific copyright laws protecting the design of any given letter, style, shape, or brushstroke makes it easy for individuals to steal fonts and distribute them without permission.

Using unlicensed fonts can lead to legal action from the copyright holder. In some cases, the copyright holder may demand that the work may not be used or send a DMCA takedown notice. Additionally, companies that create fonts and their lawyers have long acted as if fonts are protected by copyright, even though the details are complicated. As a result, it’s essential to keep records of your font licensing and be aware of who you hire for outside design work.

To avoid font piracy, follow these (fairly obvious) guidelines:

1. Always use licensed fonts for your projects. If you’re unsure about a font’s licensing status, check with the foundry or designer.

2. Keep records of your font licensing and any agreements you have with outside designers.

3. Do not share fonts with others, as this can lead to piracy and legal consequences.

4. If you come across a pirated font, report it to the foundry or designer so they can take appropriate action.

5. Consider using open-source/licensed fonts, which are free to use and often of high quality.

Some popular modern open font licenses include the [SIL Open Font License (OFL)](SIL Open Font License), the Apache License, and the MIT License. These licenses allow for the use, modification, and distribution of fonts, making them accessible and adaptable for various purposes.

1. SIL Open Font License (OFL): The OFL is a free, libre, and open-source license specifically designed for fonts and related software. It allows for the use, modification, and redistribution of the licensed font software, as long as certain conditions are met. The OFL is compatible with a broad range of open-source licenses and is both Free Software Foundation (FSF) and Open Source Initiative (OSI) approved.

2. Apache License: The Apache License is a permissive free software license that allows for the use, modification, and distribution of the licensed font software. It is less restrictive than the OFL and does not require that derivative works be distributed under the same license. The Apache License is commonly used for open-source projects and is compatible with many other licenses.

3. MIT License: The MIT License is another permissive free software license that allows for the use, modification, and distribution of the licensed font software. Like the Apache License, it does not require that derivative works be distributed under the same license. The MIT License is widely used in open-source projects and is compatible with many other licenses.

By using fonts licensed under these open font licenses, you can ensure that you are using fonts that are free to use, modify, and distribute, supporting a thriving and innovative design community.

Three articles worth at least skimming to see the pervasiveness of this problem and some consequences of being the one who pirates fonts are:

• The Font Files: When Piracy and Noncompliance Lead to Font Lawsuits

• Font Piracy: A Deep Dive into Copyright Infringement and Legal Challenges

• How Github became the web’s largest font piracy site (and how to fix it)

Treasuring Types

Whether you’re designing a treasure map for a game or a party, the right font can make all the difference in setting the mood and capturing the imagination of your fellow travelers. Here are three fonts that would be perfect for creating an authentic and captivating treasure map.

• Treasure Map Deadhand is a high-quality Disney-esque font designed by GemFonts. This pirate-inspired font is perfect for creating a sense of adventure and intrigue. It is free for personal use, but for commercial use, you can visit here.

• Backshore is a hand-lettered treasure map style display font inspired by the fantastic worlds of pirates and adventurers. This versatile and (dare I say) whimsical font is perfect for map making in your D&D campaign, invitations for your themed party, or sending a thank-you letter to your shipmates. You can use this font for both personal and commercial projects.

• Treasurehunt is a froody, retro, pirate-inspired font designed to mimic ink on parchment. This font is suitable for various formal forms such as invitations, labels, logos, (etc.); but, it’s far more fun to just play with it. The demo version of Treasurehunt is free for personal use only, and you can purchase the full version and commercial license here.

FIN

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