Website Font Licensing: What to Check Before a Bilingual Launch
Short Answer
A bilingual website needs a webfont licence, or an open licence such as the OFL, for every Arabic and Latin font file it serves. A desktop licence bought for design mock-ups may not cover embedding, as MyFonts' terms show.
A designer picks a beautiful Arabic typeface for the mock-ups, and everyone signs off the look. Later on, the developer embeds the same font files on the live site. Nobody checks whether the licence bought for that design work actually allows use on websites. A gap like this may surface later, during a foundry compliance review or an agency handover.
This guide explains the font licensing checks a bilingual UAE website needs before launch. It covers desktop versus webfont licences, pageview-based pricing and open licences such as the SIL Open Font License. It also covers pairing Arabic and Latin families and deciding who should hold each licence. Start with a font inventory, and seek clarification wherever licence terms are unclear.
What does a web font licence actually allow?
A webfont licence permits embedding font files on a website, so browsers download them through CSS. A desktop licence instead covers installing the font on licensed computers for design work. Desktop and web rights may be sold separately or bundled; check the applicable licence.
MyFonts, the Monotype retail store, states that its desktop licence does not allow distribution or embedding of the font. So an Arabic font used legally in the design files may still be unlicensed on the live site. Check the licence type before the developer uploads anything.
Quick Answer
A web font licence allows embedding font files on a website, while MyFonts' desktop licence covers installation on computers. It forbids embedding, so check each font's licence before any upload.
Why do pageview caps catch growing sites out?
Some commercial webfont licences are priced by monthly pageviews rather than sold for unlimited use. Under MyFonts' annual webfont model, you choose a monthly pageview tier and buy a higher tier if views exceed it. Its webfont licence also covers a single domain.
Adobe Fonts web projects, by contrast, have no monthly pageview limit, so models differ. A licence sized at launch may no longer fit once traffic grows or the site splits into regional domains. Record the pageview tier and licensed domain beside each font, then review them yearly.
Quick Answer
Some commercial webfont licences, such as MyFonts' annual model, are priced by monthly pageviews on one domain. Record each font's tier and domain, then review when traffic or domains change.
How do open licences such as the OFL work?
The SIL Open Font License 1.1 allows fonts to be used, embedded, modified and redistributed, including commercially. Google Fonts says all its fonts are open source and usable commercially, mostly under the OFL. You still keep the copyright notice and licence text with the files.
The OFL also has two conditions worth knowing. The font may not be sold by itself, and modified versions cannot use a Reserved Font Name without permission. IBM Plex Sans Arabic on Google Fonts, for example, reserves the name "Plex" in its published licence file.
Quick Answer
The SIL Open Font License 1.1 permits commercial use, embedding and modification. It forbids selling the font alone and protects Reserved Font Names like "Plex" in IBM Plex Sans Arabic.
How should Arabic and Latin fonts be paired?
Audit both families, because their rights may come from separate licences or from one agreement. Pairing an OFL Arabic family with a commercial Latin family is one possible combination. Each font file then follows its own terms, so record which licence covers which file.
A simpler route is one family designed for both scripts. Google Fonts lists Arabic and Latin subsets for both IBM Plex Sans Arabic and Noto Sans Arabic. That gives one licence to track and consistent weights across English and Arabic pages, though the design choice narrows.
Quick Answer
Arabic and Latin fonts on a UAE bilingual site may carry separate licences or share one, so audit each family. Families covering both scripts, like Noto Sans Arabic, simplify tracking.
Who should hold the font licence?
Your company should be the named licensee; MyFonts tells agencies to enter the client's name at checkout. Agencies also may not share one webfont licence across several client websites. A licence held in the agency's name can leave your site exposed when that relationship ends.
Keep a simple shared register listing each font, its licence type, licensee, invoice, pageview tier and renewal terms. Also check website features beyond ordinary content pages. MyFonts requires a separate server licence where site visitors can create items such as PDF receipts using the font.
Quick Answer
A UAE business should hold its own font licences, recorded in a register with invoices and terms. MyFonts forbids web agencies sharing a single webfont licence across several client sites.
Main Takeaways
Every font your site serves needs web rights, whether sold separately, bundled or granted by an open licence. Some commercial webfont licences cap monthly pageviews and domains. Open licences such as the OFL allow commercial web use but restrict solo sales and reserved names. Hold licences in your company's name, track them in a register and audit both font families.
Getting your typefaces launch-ready
Checking font licensing before launch lets you switch typefaces before content is built around them. List every font file the site loads, including plugin fonts, and match each to a licence. Close any gaps by buying the right licence type or switching to an openly licensed family. Then file every licence under your company name, together with the invoices.
Arabic type also affects layout, as our checklist of RTL problems on Arabic pages explains. Font licences sit beside domains and hosting in our guide to what your business should own. Auronix Web Studio handles bilingual typography within its company website design service in the UAE. Send us your brand fonts, and we will check their web licensing before design starts.
Sources & References
FAQs
Questions readers usually ask next
These FAQs are written to match the topic of this post and to help readers move from understanding to action.
Can I use a desktop font licence on my website?
Not under MyFonts' terms, because its desktop licence covers installation on computers rather than embedding. Other foundries and subscriptions differ, so check whether web rights are sold separately or bundled.
Are Google Fonts free for commercial websites?
Google says every font in its library is open source and can be used commercially. Still open each family's licence file, because the OFL, Apache and Ubuntu licences differ slightly.
Does the Arabic version of my site need its own font licence?
That depends on your existing licence covering the Arabic font files and every domain serving them. Each font family served on the site needs rights that permit web embedding there.
What happens if my site exceeds a webfont pageview limit?
Under MyFonts' annual model, you buy a higher pageview tier once monthly views exceed yours. Other foundries set their own rules, so read the specific licence before a high-traffic campaign.
Can I self-host Google Fonts instead of using Google's servers?
Yes, open licences such as the OFL permit redistribution, so hosting files yourself is allowed. Keep the licence text alongside the font files, as the licence requires for redistributed copies.
Does a web font licence also cover our mobile app?
Not under MyFonts' terms, because apps embed font files in their code. It sells a separate app licence for iOS and Android, so check before those fonts reach your app.
Can our logo use a font without a webfont licence?
It can, if the logo is a flat image rather than live text. MyFonts says a desktop licence is still the minimum needed to use a font in a logo.
Who owns the font licence after the agency hands over the site?
Check the named licensee and the foundry's transfer terms, because an agency contract alone may not transfer rights. Ask for licences in your company name, with invoices, before final payment.
How can I check which fonts my website uses?
Open browser developer tools, reload the page and filter the network requests by font files. Match every file found against your licence register, including fonts loaded by plugins or themes.
Can a subscription font service stop serving our site?
Yes, Adobe Fonts says cancelling the subscription stops its web fonts appearing on your websites. Visitors then see fallback fonts, so client sites should load fonts through their own subscription.
Related Resources
Need help choosing the right stack?
We help UAE businesses keep public pages fast, indexable, and conversion-friendly, then reserve heavier frameworks for the parts that actually need them.
Built for search-ready UAE websites that need clarity, speed, and trust.
