ITC has developed more than 1,650 typeface designs available through the ITC® Library which can be licensed by individual end users, corporate customers, developers and hardware and software manufacturers. ITC also offers thousands of designs from partner foundries. We offer a variety of licensing options, a few of which are outlined below. If you require more information, please review our Licensing FAQ page. If you have specific licensing questions, please contact us. If you know which license is applicable to your needs and would like a quote please click here.
What is font licensing?
When you purchase a typeface, you are really purchasing a license to install and use font software for that typeface on up to five (5) computers – also known as CPUs – at a single location. What many companies and individuals don’t realize is that when they purchase typefaces, they cannot freely copy and distribute the typefaces among employees or outside resources such as a service bureau. Even if a company purchased a typeface for use by an entire department, the typeface is licensed for only five computers. If you plan on using a typeface on more than five computers, you need to purchase an additional license – either a site license for a specific number of CPUs and locations or a corporate license for an unlimited number of CPUs worldwide, where you don’t have to count CPUs or printers. By purchasing site licenses and corporate licenses, a company can cover all of its typeface requirements for a fraction of what it would cost to purchase multiple individual licenses.
Why should I license typefaces?
From a legal standpoint, companies that comply with licensing are protecting themselves from legal liability. From an ethical standpoint, they’re protecting the rights of typeface designers. Licensing fees enable ITC to create and release new typefaces, and these fees also enable typeface designers to continue to create new designs. If your company allows the designers in the art department to purchase typefaces and then provide them to other departments throughout the company, purchasing a site license or a corporate license is a cost-effective alternative to purchasing individual licenses. In addition to the bottom-line advantage, purchasing a site or corporate license ensures that your company’s designs, documents and publications all share a similar appearance – as every department will be using the same fonts.
Monotype Imaging’s standard end user license agreement
Rather than license each typeface by printer, Monotype Imaging licenses typefaces by computer. Monotype Imaging’s standard end user license agreement allows for the installation of any typeface, regardless of format, on up to five computers at one location. ITC typefaces and other fonts available through the Monotype Imaging end user license agreement can be printed to any number of printers that are accessed by these five computers, but the typeface may only be permanently downloaded to the hard disk or other non-volatile memory of only one printer. A copy of the complete standard license agreement is displayed during the online ordering process and is included with every font downloaded from our Web site.
Multi-CPU, corporate site and embedding licensing
If you are in a small, medium or large corporate design department, design studio, ad agency or multimedia production company and would like to increase the number of computers covered under your license agreement, ITC offers several enhanced licenses. Among these options:
1. An upgrade license that allows you to add a specific number of computers to your license. Click here for a quote request.
2. A site license for one location with many computers and printers, usually in a networked environment. This license allows installation up to a specific number of computers. Click here for a quote request.
3. A library license for the installation and use of a specific set of fonts, such as the complete ITC® Library, on up to 20 computers. Click here for a quote request.
4. A font embedding, streaming and Web server license is for commercial publishers or Web designers who wish to use fonts in ways beyond the scope of the standard user license. Examples include embedding fonts into e-books or other commercial products, embedding fonts in Web sites that allow for content editing, or embedding fonts on Web servers that use fonts in their end-user applications. For complete information on these Licenses, go here.
Please make sure you are properly licensed for every computer in your department, studio or company. Our sales staff will be glad to assist you in determining the appropriate license to meet your needs. Please contact ITC for more information on any corporate licensing option. If you know which license is applicable to your needs and woudl like a quote please click here.
OEM/ISV Licensing Overview
Do you sell computer hardware or software to graphic artists, ad agencies, Web publishers or corporate art departments? Does your market include large corporations, small office/home office (SOHO) users, or families with home computers? Chances are if you’re a manufacturer of computer hardware (OEM) or a software developer (ISV), these are some of your key customers. What do they all have in common? They use typefaces every day.
How can you set your products apart from the competition? You can include high-quality typefaces from ITC. Our typefaces help make your customers’ creations – and your products –look great. OEMs and software developers who bundle ITC typefaces with their products are providing customers with some of the highest quality typefaces available.
OEM Licensing Terms and Options
With flexible licensing terms, ITC can create a licensing program tailored to your needs. When preparing a comprehensive quote, we consider several variables, such as the number of fonts licensed, the terms and length of an agreement, development requirements, the projected volumes of product shipments and the type of product. For assistance in determining your font needs, please contact ITC.
Custom type development
In addition to the ITC Library of more than 1,650 typefaces, we can customize fonts for a specific environment or use. Whether you need a unique character set, a modified or custom font design or the fine-tuning of characters to achieve optimal screen viewing, we can work with you to meet your requirements. We can customize both TrueType® and PostScript® Type 1 typefaces for Macintosh® and Windows® platforms. We can also create custom solutions based on the flexible OpenType® font format.
For assistance with your custom type development needs, please contact us.
Typeface fidelity and legal compliance
Typeface designs are made up of digital data – data that is protected by U.S. copyright law. Court rulings have made it clear that it’s illegal to modify or copy the digital data of typefaces and resell them. What does this mean to hardware and software vendors? It means you need to be very sure of your sources. Bundling illegally copied typefaces knowingly or unknowingly can put you at risk of legal action. Ultimately, you could be required to pull your product and remove the offending typefaces.
Your company’s reputation and success depend on the quality of your products. Bundling products is a great way to add value – but only if the products you include are legally sourced and as reliable as your own. The ITC typefaces you license from ITC are always legitimate and legal.