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kohler / lcdf-typetools

Utilities for manipulating OpenType, PostScript Type 1, and Multiple Master fonts.
GNU General Public License v2.0
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lcdf-typetools include non free adobe code for hinting (forwarded from Debian BTS) #10

Closed copyninja closed 8 years ago

copyninja commented 9 years ago

Hi, This bug was reported in Debian BTS. Which says the file libefont/t1fontskel.cc contains non free adobe code for hinting. I verified and found it as a variable assigned with non free adobe hinting lines / license. But my friend and co-maintainer of package @jonassmedegaard says

tool distributes non-DFSG code embedded as template code for others to compile
 when creating fonts with this tool
 ...and distributing non-DFSG code is forbidden, no matter if compiled or not

So I'm unsure how to deal with this bug, so can you please provide your views on this?.

Cheers,

jonassmedegaard commented 9 years ago

issue is better described at https://bugs.debian.org/694308#15

Long-term solution is for Adobe to re-license that code, as mentioned at https://bugs.debian.org/665334#133 but that apparently hasn't happened yet (see bottom of bug#665334)

kohler commented 9 years ago

The long-term solution is the right one.

jonassmedegaard commented 9 years ago

Quoting Eddie Kohler (2015-10-02 16:53:01)

The long-term solution is the right one.

Sure, we can all agree on that.

What is, in your opinion, the interim workaround?

Just waiting for the long-term solution to happen may mean not distributing LCDF Typetools in Debian at all until then.

kohler commented 9 years ago

It seems pretty clear to everyone what the right answer is, and everyone agrees on that answer. The chance Adobe sues Debian over this is zero. If Debian wants to be legalistically correct, Debian maintainers could try to put more pressure on Adobe.

But adc33830f5ae93871af856f7d88abf68b8ec2e76 contains a possible workaround. If configured with --disable-adobe-code, lcdf-typetools output will not include the Adobe OtherSubrs. Instead it'll include some shit I wrote. This shit will (?) work OK on modern PS interpreters, which all ignore those OtherSubrs entries in favor of direct interpretation anyway.

kohler commented 8 years ago

I consider this issue closed, not only by commit adc3383, but also by the release of ADFKO.