Background: Fonts, Licensing, and Marketplaces Fonts are protected as software and/or artistic works in many jurisdictions. Licenses govern distribution, modification, embedding, and commercial use. Major legitimate channels for acquiring fonts include foundry websites, licensed aggregators (e.g., MyFonts, Fontspring), subscription services (e.g., Adobe Fonts), and open-license repositories (e.g., Google Fonts). Conversely, numerous websites offer “free” downloads of proprietary fonts — often infringing copies or repackaged files — which may carry legal risk and malware.