Re: Aqua icons from system fonts

FROM : glenn andreas
DATE : Fri Dec 10 23:06:04 2004

On Dec 10, 2004, at 12:24 PM, Andrew Merenbach wrote:

>
> My logic, though, would be--and correct me if I'm wrong--that it would
> be perfectly legal for me to display the characters _as text_ in my
> toolbar by referencing the font.  It's a small step to draw the font
> at runtime into an NSImage and then stylise it slightly, *then*
> on-the-fly insert it into the toolbar.  And from there it's a short
> step to enhancing the glyph in an image editor and bundling it with
> the program, since it's only a couple of characters, rather than a
> usable representation of the entire font.
>
> But if it's the bundling that's the copyright issue, this means, then,
> that I can indeed generate the glyph as an image on-the-fly (at
> runtime) and insert it (after applying whatever code-based
> transformations and enhancements I desire) into my toolbar, since it
> would be identical in effect to using the text in the toolbar itself?
> (And if I am wrong, that very last one--using the text characters
> themselves--is still unquestionably _legal_, isn't it?)
>


I would seem to think that "render on the fly" (and provide
enhancements as appropriate) would be "fair use", but bundling would be
the step across the line (of course, IANAL).  After all, in the first
case, you aren't including any of their assets in your program (and
could apply this imagine & enhancing algorithm to any glyph in any
font), while the latter case your are (a derived work of from theirs).

<subtle hint>Plus, sample code to "aquify" a glyph for a toolbar item
might be pretty useful for lots of people...</subtle hint>