Microsoft sued for using Hebrew font

Unless you're a professional print editor, you probably don't give fonts a lot of thought. However, many business owners don't have this luxury. They must make sure they are not violating anyone's intellectual property when using a particular font, or they will risk a costly legal battle.

Microsoft recently found itself in this situation. In this case, the font wasn't even in English—it was in Hebrew.

Known as "Hadassah," the Hebrew font in question was developed 70 years ago by Henry Friedlander, who finished it while on the run from the Nazis during World War II. According to a post on WinBeta, which specializes in Microsoft news, Friedlander's daughter, Hannah is suing the corporation for using two versions of the font—Guttman Hodes and Monotype Hadassah—without permission.

"Hadassah is a special, precious, and festive font, an original work of art, praised by experts as groundbreaking in terms of design and style," wrote Hannah Friedlander in the lawsuit. "The Hadassah font is based on extensive historical research into the shapes and development of Hebrew letters."

In response, Microsoft argued that Henry Friedlander actually transferred the rights to Hadassah to a foundry in the Netherlands in the 1950s. The foundry supposedly transferred the rights to Microsoft decades later.

"Friedlander never made any claims during his life about the widespread use of the Hadassah font," claimed a statement from Microsoft. "On the contrary, he expressed satisfaction that the font was so widely spread by the Dutch printing house."

Since businesses use different fonts in their materials all the time, it is important for them to respond to intellectual property lawsuits with help from a Phoenix business attorney.

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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