Trying to get License for old bitmap (.BMP) fonts or modern .FON versions

Question

couldn't really find a tag that exactly fit this (sorry about that ) so I tried as best as I could

I'm trying to find out about the license for a certain Microsoft font, specifically the windows 3.0 system font, either in it's original form or the more modern .fon version of it now called "System Bold" in the windows 11 font folder for use in a short film I plan to show at local festivals. I couldn't find any information on obtaining a license for the modern version or if you're even allowed to use old .bmp fonts like it's original form in projects

Answer 1

Hi Krossy,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum

If "System Bold" is an installed as a system-wide resource, you can use Windows fonts for captions/text in videos as long as the text is rendered as a bitmap image and the font files are not embedded in the video.

However, you may not redistribute Windows fonts and convert them to other formats or modify them. In particular, converting a Windows font into a bitmap font does not grant rights to include it in an app/game, and format conversion itself is not allowed.

If you need extended rights, I'd highly recommend checking the font's properties to find the owner/foundry as many fonts can be licensed with extended rights via Monotype, while other fonts must be licensed from the listed foundry.

For your reference: Microsoft Typography - Font redistribution FAQ

I hope my answer helps, please feel free to let me know if you need any further assistance.

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