Here is what Cali Ruchala posted on
alt.binaries.fonts on June 9, 2000.
Article 204795 of alt.binaries.fonts:
From: Cali Ruchala
Newsgroups: alt.binaries.fonts
Subject: Defending typographers -- please read
Date: Fri, 09 Jun 2000 18:19:54 -0600
I'd like to comment on the recent posts by Graham Meade, Apostrophe and
others, and suggest a proposal towards counteracting what I see as a
real threat towards free- and shareware typography. Sorry if this is
lengthy or disorganized, but it's fresh from my mind to yours.
First off, the attack on Graham's site was not an isolated incident, as
Apostrophe pointed out. Shareware sites have been getting hit for as
long as they've existed. Many of these attacks are coming from
professional typographers (or, more properly, from the legal departments
of major foundries); I believe Graham himself was previously pinched
by a lawyer from a large foundry.
Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I don't think the attacks on
shareware and freeware sites are being done in a haphazard manner.
Anyone who's sat in on type groups or bothered to read a few
publications knows that many of the typographers at the top of the
foodchain have an absolutely horrible attitude towards shareware fonts
(or, as one not-so-illustrious shill in these newsgroups called them,
hobby fonts). They consider them defective, gimmicky, of poor quality
and essentially uninspired design.
Why then, are they so incredibly worried about them? The more I read,
the more I'm convinced that foundries such as Gem Fonts or the L'ab that
offer marvelous fonts on a shareware or freeware basis are being seen as
a threat by the pack of lawyers at the monolithic foundries, if not by
type designers themselves.
I probably spend more money every month on type than I do on food --
several thousand dollars per year, in fact. For someone whose company
isn't paying for it, I consider that one hell of an investment. I for
one would like to know if my money is being given to companies who are
pursuing this ludicrous agenda against shareware and freeware
typographers and archive sites. Obviously, publications which live by
the support of major design houses (or whose editors look with a
jaundiced eye on anything that isn't being sold for the price of a
blue-eyed child on the black market) aren't going to give me an honest
assessment. Instead, I have to pick through various notices posted on
designers' sites about being contacted by this or that foundry or
corporation and threatened with legal action, or read about it here
second- or third-hand, if at all.
In almost every incident I can think of, in fact, the typographers have
relented before the form letters of attorneys, or never had a chance to
reply (having your site taken down is a case in point). People designing
fonts for the love obviously don't want to spend thousands of
dollars to defend themselves against ludicrous legal actions. The only
thing that can be done to get the lawyers to back off is to circulate
the information amongst ourselves, and make it clear that there's a
large body of people who aren't going to stand for this anymore.
Towards that end, I'd like to make a proposal. I can devote a few hours
per week towards collecting this information and organizing it into a
bulletin, to be distributed via e-mail, posted on a website(s), posted
here and so on. This would serve two purposes: to alert consumers of
which foundries are pursing this agenda of intimidation, and to give
some kind of voice to the little guy being shoved around. Also,
legalistic transgressions would be preserved, recorded and noted, so new
type enthusiasts (or those out of the loop) would have some place to
check before they make their purchases. As it is, someone who just got
online two years ago has no concept of who or what was done four years
ago. And it's a big net, and sometimes impossible to find out what's
happening on the other side of it. (The value for typographers to share
the information amongst themselves is obvious; these little 'campaigns'
in the past have gone in cycles, and would send a head's-up to others
receiving similar threats.)
Now, the only way this will work is if typographers send me their
information when this happens, or others drop me a tip when yet another
typographer has been smacked around. Towards that end, I'd like to open
this up to discussion. Do you think it's a good idea? Bad idea? One that
can be improved upon? I'm completely open to everything, including being
told to go to hell. I'm just tired of hearing second-hand that my
favorite fonts have now been outlawed, and that my favorite designers
are being bullied. I repeat that I don't have some hysterical phobia
against major foundries; to the contrary, I'm a customer. This is by
no means a jihad against people who sell their fonts for a living (or
something close to it), but against the people who are abusing the
wealth and power of their employers in order to make life a
hassle for those who choose to distribute their creations in another
manner. I *know* that many well-known typographers lurk here; don't
consider yourself a target unless you've behaved in a manner that
would make you one.
Maybe there's a better way to go about this; let's hear about it! I for
one am tired of being passive about this.
Cheers --
Cali Ruchala
Diacritica Press
100 E Walton * Chicago, IL * 60611
http://www.mindspring.com/~macvaya
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