Once more illegal font resource

[tourdeforce]

This topic was imported from the Typophile platform

To who and where to report one really big illegal sharing website with huge number of foundries?

One hint – it's an forum.

(since I believe it's not good suggestion to announce the URL of that website publicly here)

[tourdeforce]

(sorry for typos, no damn "edit post" option)

[Frode Bo Helland]

To Typesnitch? I also believe there is (or was plans of) a business talk sub forum on Typedrawers that is only available to people active in the industry.

[Ryan Maelhorn]

the FBI? INTERPOL?

[George Thomas]

The best thing to do is to report it to the individual larger foundries. They have the resources to do something about it if they want to. Reporting it to the FBI and/or Interpol as an individual is fruitless; they have much bigger fish to fry.

[tourdeforce]

For a start, I started sending emails requesting from data sharing services (Mediafire, Depositfile, Rapidshare...) to remove content from their servers. So far, from one of them did what I asked. We'll see in few days will the others do the same.

It's not solution to this problem, since they can upload it again, under another link, but it's one small battle won.

@frode – If I understood what they wrote on their website, they will start doing it after they raise some planned amount of money and after you make donation to them, according to donation level scheme they have offered on website. Which is all OK, but I understood that they still haven't started fully their services.

@ Ryan – I won't comment this, sorry.

@ majus – That sounds like a good idea! Actually, that gave me an idea (which may sound ridiculous to some). What about making an organization of foundries, type designers, distributions... with one aim – to fight on legal ways against such websites who share font files illegally. Organization that will have lawyers, membership fee. Since individual fight is pretty useless and rarely succeeds. I don't know how all this sounds nor would it be possible to make something like this, but I'd say sooner or later, something must be done on some serious level by font market.

[hrant]

Many years ago we had TypeRight, which was promising to become the "ethical hub" of the typeface world. Except the guy disappeared with some money. :-/

hhp

[Stephen Coles]

What about making an organization of foundries, type designers, distributions... with one aim – to fight on legal ways against such websites who share font files illegally.

Wasn't that a mission of ATypI at one point? Otherwise Typesnitch is the most appropriate active effort.

[tourdeforce]

Managed to remove files from Depositfiles.com also.

This is what they advised:

"Consider adding your Content fingerprint Vobile DNA Database, thus enabling recognition and filtering at DepositFiles, as well as other leading user generated content sites, cyberlockers, ISPs, advertising networks, trade organizations, and analytics companies worldwide. For further information see http://vobileinc.com ."

Anyone have experience with them maybe?

BTW, administrator of the forum removed topic with our fonts, as I nicely requested & been polite to him in message. So that might be a key to/for others as well.

If anyone is interested to check the forum and see if they are maybe sharing their fonts, please PM me and I'll send you the link.

[idiotcountry]

If you can simply send a link and anyone can check the 'forum', then you are missing a primary source for font data on the web. :)

BTW, I know there is a debate on this topic that will go on Ad nauseam, but within the design group, exposure and use of a commercial font (prior to payment for said font) is likely more helpful than not. Since the designers get the clients to pay for the font, and anyone not interested in buying a license would have never paid for one anyway.

Any type designer that actually makes money off their creations is probably making good fonts. Everyone else... I still see no evidence that any font designer can make a living off fonts - except for those few who license their fonts to HP, Microsoft, Apple, or another entity of similar stature. Even commissions for custom corporate fonts are usually subsidized with additional design work, yes?

[hrant]

No, there are people who can make a living just with type design, without even having to live in a barrel.

hhp

[tourdeforce]

Surely I won't share the link without checking senders background or some introduction first.

About what you said... your right is to protect what's your ownership and that's starting point. What comes after that is just a collection of other relative things (luck, verbal skills, realistic view, contacts, will...).

I don't agree with you about second part – "Any type designer that actually makes money off their creations is probably making good fonts. Everyone else..." That is very relative statement. Mostly, the number of those who recognize what's good and what's not is on the side of the NOTs. Very often, font sale is dictated by customers opinion, those who buy it make something good, "good", bad or "bad". So when some type designer makes something, he might can predict how it will show up on market, but much more often it's hit or miss situation, just like with other things that are designed – different types of templates, themes, stock materials...

[idiotcountry]

Hrant - surely you jest! Perhaps you can count that number on one hand - possibly two. Beyond that... Even our good friend Mr. OldNick has shown that his revenues (and he has a sh*t ton of fonts) equates to less that US$50,000 per year BEFORE TAX, on average over the course of 11 years.

The smaller font aggregators are pulling in a little from everybody, but they have the overhead of a digital storefront, payment processing, etc. I would estimate they clear a few times that amount? Monotype seemingly owns the rest of the market (commercial licensing and embedded products). Eh, just my opinions.

Mr. tourdeforce: I was not asking for, nor wanting a link to the site you reference. I just note that there are at least two *private* forums that provide access to just about all fonts & foundries. Any site you could send someone to, without providing your login details will be inconsequential. I do agree that type designers never know what will be popular (i.e., actually sell), but more often than not, the good designers sell, and the not-so-good ones do not. 'Good' being the relative descriptor. Price point helps too :)

[hrant]

Sorry, you're wrong. I know because I've been paying attention.

hhp

[tourdeforce]

@idiotcountry – OK, can you send me the links to those 2 private forums, so I could check them for the same reason why I started this topic?

About second part... if you read carefully what you wrote, I think you just wrote what I did above – it's relative :)

[Ryan Maelhorn]

Paying attention is so 2000-late..

[Stephen Coles]

I still see no evidence that any font designer can make a living off fonts - except for those few who license their fonts to HP, Microsoft, Apple, or another entity of similar stature

Commissioned work or large license deals can be a type designer’s cash cow, sure. But there are dozens of professionals, maybe hundreds, who earn a decent living from regular ol’ retail font sales. Take some time to familiarize yourself with today’s independent designers.

[Bendy]

Or look at the massive expansion of the type design team at Dalton Maag, now more than 20 full-time designers on board AFAIK, and not all their work is custom.

[Thomas Phinney]

What Stewf said. There are at least dozens of people making a living at type design, besides those who are licensing fonts to major vendors for bundling with OSes and apps.