Can included fonts be used commercially?

I don't see why not. Fonts are just a way of portraying ideas/thoughts/words. As long as you're not re-selling the fonts themselves, I don't see it being a problem.

Congrats on reading the Software License, though 😉

-Ryan

You can use the fonts to print a document, either a hard copy or a soft copy but you cannot include the font itself (the font file) to be used b other users in their programs.

Hi, Matt.

I'm not an attorney, but this should answer your question.

You wrote:

" if I could use the included fonts legally to produce something for sale."

Depends on what you are "producing" with the fonts. For example:

• If you want to write a document with TextEdit using the fonts included with Mac OS X, save that document as PDF, and then sell the PDF, that's perfectly acceptable use of the fonts.

• If you wanted to use a font-authoring application to modify an existing font included with Mac OS X, then resell the modified font, that would violate the terms of the license, under the provisions prohibiting the creation of "derivative works of the Apple Software."

Basically, the fonts that come with Mac OS X can be used for commercial purposes, such as producing documents you will sell. But you can't resell the fonts or sell fonts derived from modifying the fonts.

The copyright prohibitions you cited mean that you cannot use the software for purposes such as producing pirated DVDs, making tunes from CDs you've ripped (and where you are not the artist) available to other via P2P services, etc. In other words, using the software to violate the intellectual property rights of others is a violation of the license.

If you buy additional fonts, some fonts are sold under either "personal use" or "commercial use" licenses. If you buy a font and intend to use it in a work that you will sell, then that's a commercial use and you'd need to hold a commercial-use license to the font. That's an issue one would address with the firm selling the font.

Good luck!

😉 Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

Hi new_switcher,

Dr. Smoke covered the specifics very well. I just want to pass on the okee dokee from Apple. I had asked the moderators to check on your question, and yes, they are completely legal to use to create your documents. As Dr. Smoke and Ryan M. mentioned, you are not allowed to resell them, modified or not. But you may use them any way you want royalty free.