[Pkg-fonts-devel] Bug#819723: ITP: fonts-ocr-b -- OCR-B font

[Lachlan Gunn]

Package: wnpp
Version: N/A; reported 2016-04-01
Severity: wishlist
X-Debbugs-CC: pkg-fonts-devel at lists.alioth.debian.org

Hello,

I would like to package the OCR-B font available here:

  http://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/fonts.php

It contains OpenType versions of the standard OCR-A and OCR-B fonts,
however as there is a pre-existing OCR-A package I would propose
packaging just the OCR-B component unless there is a desire for a
combined package to supersede the current one (see bug #818884).

OCR-B is the font used in passport machine-readable zones, as well as
with certain barcodes.

Regarding licensing:

The package is a conversion of a previous METAFONT font that appears to
already be distributed with Debian; all of the changes to this have been
dedicated to the public domain (see the link above).

The original METAFONT sources were from a digitisation by Norman
Schwarz.  These are older than the current CTAN sources, which state
that lift all previous restrictions on modification and distribution are
lifted:

[https://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/fonts/ocr-b/?lang=en]

  2. To my knowledge, the original typeface for OCR-B was developed by
     Adrian Frutiger.  In Germany there even exists an industrial
     standard - DIN ????? - that describes the typefaces.  Based on such
     material the input has been developed.  I cannot speak to the legal
     consequences of these.

     As far as the digitization in METAFONT input which I have
     developed, you may freely use, modify, and/or distribute any of
     these files or the resulting fonts, without limitation.  A previous
     release of ocr-b only granted rights for non-commercial use; that
     restriction is now lifted.

This was confirmed by an email from upstream, which I have been given
permission to reproduce here:

  [From: mskala at ansuz.sooke.bc.ca]

  > Is your OCR-B font completely based upon the "ocr-b" package on CTAN?

  I don't know what you mean by "completely based upon."  It is a
  combination of code from an earlier version of Norbert Schwarz's ocr-b
  package (prior to the current one on CTAN) and some original code from me.

  > at least a Debian package) for it, since it seems not to be available
  > for either Debian or RedHat, and want to be 100% sure of the licensing
  > situation.

  As always, I'm not a lawyer and authoritative legal advice can only
  come from one.

Does this seem okay for me to go ahead and package?

Thanks,
Lachlan

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