Q: I was sent an email requiring proof of a web font license. The font was removed but do I still need a license?
I have a small freelance business, with a website that gets <25 pageviews a month. A friend helped design the website and used 3 fonts (The two main ones 99% of the content was from the self-hosted platform [WIX] and the 3rd (only used for a couple of buttons) was unlicensed. I was unaware this entire time until I received an email from a font company saying there was a font on my website that required a commercial license. I was surprised and remove all remnants of the font immediately. The company is asking for a copy of the license but I unfortunately don't have one. Since the font has been removed from the website and the host, do I still have to purchase the font?
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A:
Even though the font has been removed from your website, if it was used without a proper license, you may still be liable for copyright infringement during the time it was present. To avoid potential legal issues, I recommend reaching out to the font company and explaining the situation. It may be possible to negotiate a resolution or purchase the necessary license retroactively to comply with copyright laws.
James L. Arrasmith
Founder and Chief Legal Counsel of The Law Offices of James L. Arrasmith
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