Digital Font Theft: A Crisis Shaking Designers' Trust

In the field of Arabic digital font design, where I have worked for over 20 years, a serious misunderstanding continues to threaten the core of our creativity. Some view the sharing of paid fonts as a normal act, perhaps because they see them as merely a "digital file" rather than a real product. But the stark reality is: "Font theft is not sharing, it's stealing!" And behind every font lies a story of hard work and months of dedication.

The crisis of intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement for font designers takes multiple forms, causing us significant harm. The most common form is using fonts without a license, a practice adopted by TV channels, printing houses, advertising agencies, websites, applications, and even individuals. Furthermore, some exploit designers' efforts by making modifications to the designed fonts without permission, then using or selling them as new fonts. Also prevalent is the act of some websites and stores copying and selling fonts at low prices without the designer's authorization.

These transgressions not only hurt the designer financially but also extend their impact to inflict great damage upon our entire profession. IPR infringement deprives font designers of the fruits of their labor and effort, preventing them from receiving the rightful financial return for their work. More dangerously, this reality can hinder their creativity, discouraging them from continuing to design and develop new fonts for fear of them being stolen again. Ultimately, this infringement harms the reputation of font designers as a whole, leading to a loss of trust in the profession.

Therefore, the responsibility rests with everyone. TV channels, printing houses, advertising agencies, websites, applications, and individuals must ensure they obtain a license before using any font. The intellectual property rights of font designers must be respected, and the use of their fonts without permission must be refrained from. Respecting IPR is not merely a legal procedure; it is an acknowledgment of the value of creativity and the effort that takes months to transform into a tangible digital product.

Imagine a font is like a painting that the artist spent months drawing; obtaining a cheap or modified copy of it without paying the real price is not "sharing" the painting—it is stripping the artist's effort and work history of its value.