[Bug 472635] New: Google Droid fonts specification

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Summary: Google Droid fonts specification

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=472635

           Summary: Google Droid fonts specification
           Product: Fedora
           Version: rawhide
          Platform: All
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: NEW
          Severity: medium
          Priority: medium
         Component: distribution
        AssignedTo: tcallawa at redhat.com
        ReportedBy: nicolas.mailhot at laposte.net
         QAContact: notting at redhat.com
                CC: katzj at redhat.com, jkeating at redhat.com,
                    fedora-fonts-bugs-list at redhat.com
            Blocks: 182235,446451
    Classification: Fedora


Google has released for quite a long time a high-quality set of "Droid" fonts
as part of the Android platform. They have a high-visibility for average users
because of all the Google press barrage. The-Eula-protected Android SDK has
been superseded lately by a public source repository.

http://android.git.kernel.org/?p=platform/frameworks/base.git;a=tree;f=data/fonts

The NOTICE file in this directory is a Fedora-friendly Apache License. However
the font metadata embedded in the files claims:

« This font software is the valuable property of Ascender Corporation and/or
its suppliers and its use by you is covered under the terms of a license
agreement. This font software is licensed to you by Ascender Corporation for
your personal or business use on up to five personal computers. You may not use
this font software on more than five personal computers unless you have
obtained a license from Ascender to do so. Except as specifically permitted by
the license, you may not copy this font software.

If you have any questions, please review the license agreement you received
with this font software, and/or contact Ascender Corporation.

Contact Information:
Ascender Corporation
Web http://www.ascendercorp.com/ »

But Ascender will redirect you to Google, which is as usual silent.

To check it,
1. download a raw TTF file
2. open it in Fontforge
3. -> Elements
4. -> Font Info
5. -> TTF Name
6. -> License (License URL is fun too)

This has so far discouraged Fedora and Debian packaging, even though wild Droid
packages have started to appear, people are incorporating Droid material in
derivatives, and one of those may eventually make it in the repo without
raising Legal bells.

Thus I have two questions:
1. is the legal situation clear enough to allow Fedora packaging as is
2. since Google won't step down to replying to solicitations by mere mortals,
can an official Fedora or Red Hat enquiry be made to clarify the situation?

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