Embedding Microsoft Supplied Fonts in a PDF document

Question

Embedding Microsoft Supplied Fonts in a PDF document

Darby-8618 0

Hi!

I have a license for Office Home & Student am currently working on my bachelor thesis and would like to use the Georgia font. I use Microsoft Word and will eventually save the document as a PDF-file. Is it legally permissible to embed this font in a PDF-file and publish it online at the university website? This is an entirely non-commercial publication.

I have tried to do some research and found out from the font file itself that Georgia is a Microsoft supplied font and that it has a license of editable embedding (which appears to be the same as Arial, Calibri, Symbol, Times New Roman etc.)

"Editable embedding: the font may be embedded, and may be temporarily loaded on other systems. As with Preview & Print embedding, documents containing Editable fonts may be opened for reading. In addition, editing is permitted, including ability to format new text using the embedded font, and changes may be saved." (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/spec/os2#fstype)

On the Font Redistribution FAQ page is says that "If an application follows the rules and restrictions defined in the OpenType or TrueType specification, you can use it to embed Windows supplied fonts in any document file it creates. For example, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint follow the rules and restrictions, so you can use these applications to create documents (such as Word documents, PowerPoint decks and PDFs) that include embedded fonts."

Further down the same page it says:

"If I use software that follows the rules and I output document files that include embedded Windows fonts, are there any restrictions around redistributing the documents?

The applications you use to create the documents may limit commercial use, but in general, there are no special restrictions around the distribution of documents that contain embedded Windows’ fonts (unless you are using an application that is specifically licensed for home, student, or non-commercial use)." (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/fonts/font-faq)

The Software license terms for Microsoft Office Desktop states that "While the software is running, you may use its fonts to display and print content. You may temporarily download the fonts to a printer or other output device to print content, and you may embed fonts in content only as permitted by the embedding restrictions in the fonts."

Does this mean that I am allowed to embed the Georgia font in a PDF-file and publish it non-commercially through the university website? Could anyone please clarify if I have correctly understood the terms of use?

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Answer 1

Dear @Darby-8618,

Good day! Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum!

Thank you for reaching out and for providing the detailed information you've gathered.

Based on the documentation you referenced, Microsoft fonts have specific embedding permissions that are defined within each font, and Microsoft Office generally respects those permissions when creating documents such as PDFs. However, I am not able to provide legal or licensing interpretations or confirm whether a particular use case is compliant with Microsoft's licensing terms.

For questions regarding font licensing, embedding rights, and redistribution permissions for your specific scenario, I recommend contacting Microsoft directly through the Contact Us page, where the appropriate team can provide guidance on licensing-related inquiries: https://support.microsoft.com/contactus

When contacting them, it may be helpful to include:

The font name (Georgia)
Your Microsoft Office edition (Office Home & Student)
The intended use (embedding the font in a PDF thesis)
The distribution method (publication on a university website)
The Microsoft documentation and license terms you have already reviewed

From a general information standpoint, Microsoft documentation indicates that font embedding behavior is governed by the embedding permissions contained within the font and by the application used to create the document.

For definitive clarification on whether your specific publication scenario is permitted under the applicable license terms, Microsoft's licensing support team would be the best resource.

I appreciate your understanding and encourage you to reach out through the Contact Us channel for an authoritative answer regarding licensing and redistribution rights.

Thank you for your patience and understanding!

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