Bug#1091771: Follow-up on Y14.5 font license for Debian and FreeCAD packaging

[Peter Kanold]

I am Peter Kanold, the author of the Y14.5-2018 font that's used by
FreeCAD. I have dedicated the Y14.5-2018 font to the public domain using
the CC0 1.0 mark.

My intent is that this font should be free to use, modify, and redistribute
for all personal and commercial uses.

Peter Kanold
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada

On Sun, Aug 17, 2025 at 11:25 AM Joseph Spiros <joseph at josephspiros.com>
wrote:

> Hi Peter,
>
> My apologies, after all of that, I made an error in the e-mail address
> for the Debian bug, as the original bug was archived, so it may reject
> any replies. If you do want to e-mail a declaration (I've included this
> suggestion thinking it would be easiest for you), you can use
> "1091771 at bugs.debian.org" as the e-mail address, as that is the current
> most relevant bug in question.
>
> https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1091771
>
> ---
> Joseph Spiros
> joseph at josephspiros.com
>
> On 2025-08-17 9:59 am, Joseph Spiros wrote:
> > Hi Peter,
> >
> > I hope this message finds you well. I'm reaching out regarding your
> > Y14.5-2018 font, as used in FreeCAD. First, and above all, I'd like to
> > thank you for sharing your work so generously.
> >
> > Here's a summary of the situation:
> >
> > Debian <https://www.debian.org/> can't include your Y14.5-2018 font
> > with its distribution of FreeCAD without either (a) an explicit and
> > unlimited license that grants everyone the right to both modify and
> > redistribute it, or (b) an unambiguous dedication of the font to the
> > public domain.
> >
> > A perceived ambiguity regarding the font's license has caused Debian
> > to exclude it from their FreeCAD package until that ambiguity can be
> > resolved.
> >
> > As best as I can tell, it seems you may have intended to dedicate your
> > font to the public domain. If so, you might be able to definitively
> > resolve this issue with a simple restatement using the CC0 1.0 mark
> > <https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/>.
> >
> > The easiest solution could be to reply to this message (or write a new
> > one), include "1090833 at bugs.debian.org" as a recipient (in "To" or
> > "Cc"), and say something like:
> >
> > "I'm (your name here), the author of the Y14.5-2018 font that's used
> > by FreeCAD. I have dedicated the Y14.5-2018 font to the public domain
> > using the CC0 1.0 mark. To view a copy of this mark, visit
> > https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/."
> >
> > That should go directly into Debian’s bug tracker, and might suffice
> > to allow Y14.5-2018 to be included.
> >
> > ====
> > (More elaborate details follow)
> > ====
> >
> > I know you have already been contacted about licensing your font to
> > FreeCAD, so I'm sorry to be raising the matter again. And, to be
> > clear, I am not personally affiliated with either FreeCAD or Debian,
> > other than being a happy user of both. But, I've been monitoring this
> > issue, and I have some familiarity with free software licensing, so I
> > volunteered to contact you to see if this can be resolved.
> >
> > Debian’s Free Software Guidelines (the "DFSG")
> > <https://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines> require that all
> > users have the freedom to use, modify, and redistribute both the
> > original and modified versions of the works included in Debian. Your
> > website’s statement ("free to use for all personal and commercial
> > applications... copying and redistribution... credit appreciated but
> > not necessary") is generous and clear in spirit, but it doesn't
> > explicitly mention modification.
> >
> > When you corresponded with Chris (WandererFan) from the FreeCAD
> > project, you kindly granted them permission to modify and
> > redistribute. However, that grant was limited to them and related
> > entities, not everyone as required by the DFSG.
> >
> > Although I did notice the font file's metadata refers to the public
> > domain, the reference to the public domain is shortly followed by a
> > copyright statement, which can potentially contradict a public domain
> > dedication, as works in the public domain are by definition those that
> > have no copyright associated with them. As well, your
> > website--apparently the primary distribution source of the
> > font--doesn't make reference to the public domain itself--only the
> > aforementioned permissions--and otherwise specifies "all rights
> > reserved" in the footer.
> >
> > The public domain is, unfortunately, complicated by the fact that not
> > all copyright regimes around the world recognize the concept or allow
> > copyright holders to relinquish their rights in that way. The CC0 mark
> > is a helpful aid, as it provides a contingency for those situations.
> > That contingency gives organizations like Debian more confidence in
> > public domain dedications that include the CC0 mark than those that
> > don't. If you'd like to know more, Creative Commons' website goes into
> > more detail: <https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/CC0_FAQ>.
> >
> > If my understanding of your intent is in error, and you'd prefer to
> > license the font liberally rather than dedicating it to the public
> > domain and relinquishing your copyright entirely, another simple
> > solution would be to license your font under a license Debian is
> > already familiar with and has confirmed to be DFSG-compliant.
> >
> > One example is the SIL Open Font License (OFL-1.1)
> > <https://openfontlicense.org/>, a short, font-specific license that
> > allows use, modification, and redistribution, commercially or
> > otherwise, which would seem (other than the addition of modification)
> > to be consistent with your website's stated permissions.
> >
> > I would also be happy to look into whether other popular
> > DFSG-compliant licenses could address any concerns you might share
> > with me, and suggest options for you to consider, if neither a public
> > domain dedication nor the OFL are satisfactory.
> >
> > I must disclaim, however, that while I am familiar enough with many of
> > these concepts to feel comfortable licensing my own work, or to share
> > my informal understanding with others, I am not a lawyer. If you
> > aren't comfortable licensing, or making public domain declarations, on
> > your own behalf without legal advice, you should consult with a
> > lawyer, because I am not one, and this isn't legal advice. :-)
> >
> > If you are willing to help solve this issue, you might want to update
> > your website and the font metadata to reflect any potential changes
> > for clarity. But, even if you don't want to deal with that, a simple
> > e-mail to the Debian issue with a clear declaration should be
> > sufficient. Whatever works best for you.
> >
> > Thank you for your time, and again for your generosity.
> >
> > Best wishes,
> > Joseph Spiros
> >
> > P.S. - This situation is currently being tracked in Debian's bug
> > tracking database:
> > https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1090833 as well as
> > FreeCAD's GitHub issue tracker:
> > https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/issues/18622
>
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