FONT LICENSE VETTING
Need to license a new font?
After initial consultation with you to find out exactly how the font will be used, Font Shield will review the EULA (end user license agreement) of the prospective font. If the licensing of the font is deemed to be “generous” and “simple”, we’ll advise you to proceed with the purchase and tell you exactly which licensing models you require.
If the font is deemed to be “restrictive” (and often expensive in order to lift restrictions) we will secure a price based on your requirements. We will also source and recommend alternate fonts that will honor the same look, feel, and integrity of the prospective font and have licensing terms and conditions that are more generous and simple – as well as cost-effective.
FONT LICENSE VETTING
Need to license a new font?
After initial consultation with you to find out exactly how the font will be used, Font Shield will review the EULA (end user license agreement) of the prospective font. If the licensing of the font is deemed to be “generous” and “simple”, we’ll advise you to proceed with the purchase and tell you exactly which licensing models you require.
If the font is deemed to be “restrictive” (and often expensive in order to lift restrictions) we will secure a price based on your requirements. We will also source and recommend alternate fonts that will honor the same look, feel, and integrity of the prospective font and have licensing terms and conditions that are more generous and simple – as well as cost-effective.
FONT LICENSE VETTING
Need to license a new font?
After initial consultation with you to find out exactly how the font will be used, Font Shield will review the EULA (end user license agreement) of the prospective font. If the licensing of the font is deemed to be “generous” and “simple”, we’ll advise you to proceed with the purchase and tell you exactly which licensing models you require.
If the font is deemed to be “restrictive” (and often expensive in order to lift restrictions) we will secure a price based on your requirements. We will also source and recommend alternate fonts that will honor the same look, feel, and integrity of the prospective font and have licensing terms and conditions that are more generous and simple – as well as cost-effective.
Greg Mitchell, Founder & CEO
Well-respected in the advertising industry, Greg has a vast depth of knowledge in – and passion for – typography. He has mentored art directors, designers, developers, production and QC staff, and countless others on the delivery of a quality typographic product.
As a typographer for over 40 years, Greg has witnessed many changes in the world of typefaces, fonts and the technologies that use them. Significant changes have also occurred in font licensing terms and conditions.
Greg graduated from The George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto in their three-year Graphic Arts Printing Technologist Program, specializing in Typography.
His first job was with two traditional typographers who taught him the craft of typesetting for the next seven years. Following that, he freelanced around Toronto in various type houses.
In 1990, Greg joined Ogilvy & Mather Advertising as a typesetter/production artist and shortly after moved into the role of Type Director until 2012.
After a few years of developing and implementing a font management and licensing policy for Ogilvy & Mather North America, Greg became Type Director with Ogilvy’s Global Creative Technologies Group in June 2014.
In March 2015, Greg moved to IBM Global as Type Director, working on font management and licensing for the WPP account.
Having worked with fonts in an advertising environment for most of his career, Greg is acutely aware how convoluted font licensing can be. This can put brands and agencies at risk by misunderstanding their licensing requirements.
Realizing the need for font licensing expertise in the advertising industry, Greg launched Font Shield Inc.
Greg Mitchell, Founder & CEO
Well-respected in the advertising industry, Greg has a vast depth of knowledge in – and passion for – typography. He has mentored art directors, designers, developers, production and QC staff, and countless others on the delivery of a quality typographic product.
As a typographer for over 40 years, Greg has witnessed many changes in the world of typefaces, fonts and the technologies that use them. Significant changes have also occurred in font licensing terms and conditions.
Greg graduated from The George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto in their three-year Graphic Arts Printing Technologist Program, specializing in Typography.
His first job was with two traditional typographers who taught him the craft of typesetting for the next seven years. Following that, he freelanced around Toronto in various type houses.
In 1990, Greg joined Ogilvy & Mather Advertising as a typesetter/production artist and shortly after moved into the role of Type Director until 2012.
After a few years of developing and implementing a font management and licensing policy for Ogilvy & Mather North America, Greg became Type Director with Ogilvy’s Global Creative Technologies Group in June 2014.
In March 2015, Greg moved to IBM Global as Type Director, working on font management and licensing for the WPP account.
Having worked with fonts in an advertising environment for most of his career, Greg is acutely aware how convoluted font licensing can be. This can put brands and agencies at risk by misunderstanding their licensing requirements.
Realizing the need for font licensing expertise in the advertising industry, Greg launched Font Shield Inc.
Greg Mitchell, Founder & CEO
Well-respected in the advertising industry, Greg has a vast depth of knowledge in – and passion for – typography. He has mentored art directors, designers, developers, production and QC staff, and countless others on the delivery of a quality typographic product.
As a typographer for over 40 years, Greg has witnessed many changes in the world of typefaces, fonts and the technologies that use them. Significant changes have also occurred in font licensing terms and conditions.
Greg graduated from The George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto in their three-year Graphic Arts Printing Technologist Program, specializing in Typography.
His first job was with two traditional typographers who taught him the craft of typesetting for the next seven years. Following that, he freelanced around Toronto in various type houses.
In 1990, Greg joined Ogilvy & Mather Advertising as a typesetter/production artist and shortly after moved into the role of Type Director until 2012.
After a few years of developing and implementing a font management and licensing policy for Ogilvy & Mather North America, Greg became Type Director with Ogilvy’s Global Creative Technologies Group in June 2014.
In March 2015, Greg moved to IBM Global as Type Director, working on font management and licensing for the WPP account.
Having worked with fonts in an advertising environment for most of his career, Greg is acutely aware how convoluted font licensing can be. This can put brands and agencies at risk by misunderstanding their licensing requirements.
Realizing the need for font licensing expertise in the advertising industry, Greg launched Font Shield Inc.
ADVERTISING AGENCIES & FONTS
If you’re an advertising agency you use fonts to design and produce various marketing materials for your brand clients.
Fonts are software and intellectual property belonging to the type designer who created the font. Purchasing the necessary licensing to use any font is not only the right thing to do, it is a legal obligation. While that may sound logical and straightforward, the actual licensing of a font is anything but. There are a plethora of confusing variables and options in a font licensing maze that must be considered for each and every font licensed.
FONT CHOICE IS A BIG RESPONSIBILITY
As an agency who chooses (and uses) fonts on your client’s brand materials, any ill-informed font licensing decisions you make, misuse of the fonts by your agency, or failure to adequately advise your brand client of their own font licensing obligations can have costly negative legal implications on your agency and your client due to copyright infringement.
Clients rightfully have every expectation that their agencies have the requisite knowledge in the font licensing space and be qualified to vet fonts used on their brand materials wisely. Font licensing and governance requires a very specialized set of skills which is not a core competency found in agencies. Agencies who attempt to license fonts without adequate knowledge are risking much more than they think.
CALL ON THE EXPERTS
Make Font Shield your agency’s partner for any and all font licensing related matters. We’ll liaise with you and your brand clients to give you both the confidence that there are no licensing gaps in the materials you produce together. Agencies must have a solid font governance program in place to fully ensure that only properly licensed fonts are being used in the materials they produce for their clients.