Comments on: Really Good Ideas from April Fools’ Pranks on the Web http://www.wisdump.com/design/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web Dumping wisdom on the masses Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:03:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: unwesen http://www.wisdump.com/design/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-142914 unwesen Thu, 01 May 2008 08:42:48 +0000 http://wisdump.com/web/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/#comment-142914 "Linotype owns the rights to Helvetica" -- it's not that simple. You can't own rights to shapes (dibs on the circle!) under copyright law, so nobody can own the shape of each individual Helvetica glyph. You may be able to trademark one or more glyphs in a font, but that would be hard for letters, digits and punctuation. A dingbats font may well contain trademarked shapes, though. What you can own is software, though, and most font files contain small scripts that govern hinting (how to display a glyph in low resolutions), for example. So the helvetica font files are certainly owned by Linotype. I know there have been companies that (quite legally) recreated Helvetica-like fonts with the same glyph shapes but without hinting. Can't find the website right now, though. “Linotype owns the rights to Helvetica” — it’s not that simple. You can’t own rights to shapes (dibs on the circle!) under copyright law, so nobody can own the shape of each individual Helvetica glyph. You may be able to trademark one or more glyphs in a font, but that would be hard for letters, digits and punctuation. A dingbats font may well contain trademarked shapes, though.

What you can own is software, though, and most font files contain small scripts that govern hinting (how to display a glyph in low resolutions), for example. So the helvetica font files are certainly owned by Linotype.

I know there have been companies that (quite legally) recreated Helvetica-like fonts with the same glyph shapes but without hinting. Can’t find the website right now, though.

]]> By: Blog Network Watch » Blog Herald, Wisdump Welcome New Editors http://www.wisdump.com/design/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-135488 Blog Network Watch » Blog Herald, Wisdump Welcome New Editors Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:28:43 +0000 http://wisdump.com/web/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/#comment-135488 [...] Splashpress Media sister sites Blog Herald and Wisdump both got new leadership these past few days. First up was Thord Daniel Hedengren’s taking over of BH: Thord has been with the Blog Herald for the longest time I can remember. He has been contributing since 2006, and has been responsible for some subtle (but important) design changes on the site. Thord has also reworked the design of various blogs in Splashpress Media’s network, including 901am, Blogger Jobs, Blog Network Watch, Jack of All Blogs, and several others, with the most recent being Wisdump where he served as editor until this move. Taking up the cudgels over at Wisdump is Ia Lucero, who greeted the blog’s readers with a post on great April Fools’ pranks on the Web. [...] [...] Splashpress Media sister sites Blog Herald and Wisdump both got new leadership these past few days. First up was Thord Daniel Hedengren’s taking over of BH: Thord has been with the Blog Herald for the longest time I can remember. He has been contributing since 2006, and has been responsible for some subtle (but important) design changes on the site. Thord has also reworked the design of various blogs in Splashpress Media’s network, including 901am, Blogger Jobs, Blog Network Watch, Jack of All Blogs, and several others, with the most recent being Wisdump where he served as editor until this move. Taking up the cudgels over at Wisdump is Ia Lucero, who greeted the blog’s readers with a post on great April Fools’ pranks on the Web. [...]

]]> By: Stephen Coles http://www.wisdump.com/design/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-124929 Stephen Coles Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:07:41 +0000 http://wisdump.com/web/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/#comment-124929 Yeah, like many of Martin's designs, Helserif certainly isn't "authorized". Linotype owns the rights to Helvetica so they certainly could expand the family. In the unlikely event that they decide to do it, their director <a href="http://www.fontshop.com/features/newsletters/jan2007_a/" rel="nofollow">Akira Kobayashi</a> would be the best man for the job. Yeah, like many of Martin’s designs, Helserif certainly isn’t “authorized”. Linotype owns the rights to Helvetica so they certainly could expand the family. In the unlikely event that they decide to do it, their director Akira Kobayashi would be the best man for the job.

]]> By: Sophia Lucero http://www.wisdump.com/design/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-124926 Sophia Lucero Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:56:43 +0000 http://wisdump.com/web/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/#comment-124926 JAngelo, thanks very much! Stephen, a thousand pardons. I've corrected the post and linked to your Phil Martin interview as well. Never claimed to be a typographic expert. Though I have a question: since it's by somebody other than the creator of Helvetica, can I say it still it isn't an official serif counterpart? Would Helvetica Serif be any more official than Helserif since it was created by Miedinger's grandchild? :D JAngelo, thanks very much!

Stephen, a thousand pardons. I’ve corrected the post and linked to your Phil Martin interview as well. Never claimed to be a typographic expert. Though I have a question: since it’s by somebody other than the creator of Helvetica, can I say it still it isn’t an official serif counterpart? Would Helvetica Serif be any more official than Helserif since it was created by Miedinger’s grandchild? :D

]]> By: Stephen Coles http://www.wisdump.com/design/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-124921 Stephen Coles Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:45:36 +0000 http://wisdump.com/web/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/#comment-124921 Ahh, but there already is a Helvetica Serif: Phil Martin's <a href="http://www.fontshop.com/search/?q=Helserif" rel="nofollow">Helserif</a>. Ahh, but there already is a Helvetica Serif: Phil Martin’s Helserif.

]]> By: jangelo http://www.wisdump.com/design/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-124908 jangelo Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:24:12 +0000 http://wisdump.com/web/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/#comment-124908 Welcome to Wisdump, Ia! Welcome to Wisdump, Ia!

]]> By: Could It Be? April Fools’ Day 2008 | QuickNews http://www.wisdump.com/design/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-124828 Could It Be? April Fools’ Day 2008 | QuickNews Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:41:37 +0000 http://wisdump.com/web/really-good-ideas-from-april-fools-pranks-on-the-web/#comment-124828 [...] wisdump.com [...] [...] wisdump.com [...]

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