From: oneil@cwis.unomaha.edu (Sharon O'Neil)
Subject: Re: TrueType Fonts for Sale.
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 14:43:03 GMT

Bob Kane <bob@WORMS-EMH2.ARMY.MIL> writes:

>>Date: 07 Oct 1992 10:29:07 -0400
>>From: Louis Jezsik <jezsik%PX2.STFX.CA@ncsuvm.cc.ncsu.edu>
>>
>>> To heck with buying TT fonts ... are there any FTP sites with
>>> TT fonts for downloading?  After checking the usual places, I
>>> found that the TT font directories were locked up due to some
>>> non-shareware fonts being in the system.  Should I be looking
>>> elsewhere, or be patient?

>>I seem to remember a message from a few days ago stating that they
>>suspected (Cica) had some illegal/unauthorized files in the TT fonts
>>directory.  They said it will take some time to sort it out and
>>apologized for and inconveince it may cause.  Check the archives
>>for details.

If you download a copy of the cica index, it will tell you which files are
locked due to the fact that they are illegally converted.  I think that the
folks at cica are really endeavouring to be responsible.  They say clearly
that illegally converted fonts are not to be uploaded, but people are still
doing it.  I wish they'd stop because it really does jeopardize everyone's
opportunity to get legitimate shareware and freeware truetype fonts.  

>The problem that CICA is having is that a siginificant portion of the TrueType
>fonts that were uploaded were converted from registered ATM typefaces.  I think
>that Adobe takes rather a dim view of this process.  Also, many of the fonts
>were converted with AllType from Atech Software.  It specifically states in the
>AllType manual that the converted fonts are considered copywrited by Atech and
>not to be shared or sold.  Perhaps Harry Kriz can tell us if this is also true
>of FontMonger.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but most font designers aren't going to take too
kindly to their fonts being converted.  Alltype is probably trying to protect
itself by copyrighting the conversions since one has no doubt that people 
are going to use alltype to convert fonts they've already invested money in

>I like loads of fonts as much as the next guy, and if you look
>around you may find some really good prices on font collection.  I recently
>bought 100 nice type faces for $100.  As to our friend the font salesman, the
>only questions I have is where did the fonts come from?  Are they legit?  If
>so, what type faces does he have for sale?  When looking for fonts, I always
>request a speciman sheet so I can see what the typefaces look like in a variety
>of sizes and weights.

You can get some very nice truetype fonts commercially for not a whole lot of
money if you look hard enough.  I have purchased Typecase I and Typecase II.
Both were about thirty to thirty-five dollars.  The screen hinting isn't so
hot, but the fonts look great on paper which is where I want them to look 
great.  There's also the Microsoft Truetype font pack which is running between
forty and fifty dollars.

I've gotten to the point where I like to have a lot of fonts, but I'd rather
purchase them because they tend to be of better quality.  I like to have a
full character set (which most of the shareware and freeware sets seem to 
lack.)  

Typecase I includes a font manager, although I have to tell you it does run
a bit slowly: fonts are memory intensive.  I've found that the program runs
faster if I leave the font sample window blank because then memory is freed
for installing and removing fonts.  (They've included sample pages for all
the fonts, so I know what all the fonts look like.  I don't needs samples on
my screen.)

There are some font information programs that you can download (freeware and
shareware) on cica which will let you determine whether you are using a 
legitimate font or not.  Some of these programs will tell you who copyrighted
the font.  And they will tell you what families are included as well.

Sharon O'Neil
oneil@cwis.unomaha.edu