When developing a new brand or product, creative teams and legal advisors often pay significant attention to avoiding intellectual property infringement, especially in terms of trademark violations. Trademark lawyers are similarly meticulous to avoid infringing another company’s mark. However, a frequently overlooked aspect of intellectual property protection within corporate branding is something seemingly innocuous – font selection.
It can be surprising to many that the fonts used to create a company’s marketing materials, website design, print advertisements, as well as product labelling and packaging, may be protected by copyright law. Broadly speaking, a company’s chosen typography can fall under the protections of copyright law, potentially leading to unexpected legal pitfalls if these fonts are unlicensed.
Taking the example of a beverage company, any fonts deployed in their packaging, labelling, marketing materials, or the company website, could potentially be protected under intellectual property law. This protection means that use of these fonts without the appropriate licensing could lead to legal actions against the company.
To avoid these potential hitches, it is important for companies and their legal teams to ensure they are using licensed fonts or create their own proprietary ones. This might include reaching out to font creators for licensing agreements or investing time and resources into creating bespoke typography that will not infringe on any existing copyrights.
Ignoring the potential legal complications around the use of fonts could result in significant financial penalties, damage to the corporate brand, and a potential pause in the business operations while the legal issues are resolved. These are all factors that could seriously impact a company’s bottom line in the long run.
Even though this aspect of intellectual property law may seem minor compared to issues like patent infringement or trademark violation, it is critical enough that it demands thorough consideration in any comprehensive branding strategy. After all, intellectual property is a significant part of a company’s valuation. Neglecting any component of it could lead to unforeseen consequences and financial losses.