Adobe Systems, Inc. v. Southern Software, Inc.

Adobe Systems, Inc. v. Southern Software, Inc.
Court	United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Full case name	Adobe Systems, Inc. v. Southern Software, Inc.
Decided	January 30, 1998
Docket nos.	No. C-95-20710 RMW
Citation(s)	1998 WL 104303, 1998 U.S.Dist. LEXIS 1941, 45 U.S.P.Q. 2d 1827 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 2, 1998)
Holding
The court held that Adobe's font program was protectable expression, and Southern Software's font was substantially similar and infringing.
Court membership
Judge(s) sitting	Ronald M. Whyte
Keywords
Typeface, United States copyright law

Adobe Systems, Inc. v. Southern Software, Inc. was a case in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California regarding the copyrightability of digitized typefaces (computer fonts). The case is notable since typeface designs in general are not protected under United States copyright law, as determined in Eltra Corp. v. Ringer. Since that case, the United States Copyright Office has published policy decisions acknowledging the registration of computer programs that generate typefaces. In this case, the court held that Adobe's Utopia font was protectable under copyright and Southern Software, Inc.'s Veracity font was substantially similar and infringing.^[1]