Licences: fonts, images, plugins and what you are allowed to use
How licensing works for the fonts, images, themes, plugins and libraries a website is built from, and the records to keep so you can prove it.
The short answer
A website is assembled from licensed material: fonts, photographs, illustrations, icons, themes, plugins, code libraries and sometimes data. Each licence defines a scope, what you may do with the asset, in which media, in which territory, for how long, at what volume and with what attribution, and using an asset outside that scope is a breach regardless of good faith. Fonts are the most commonly breached, because a licence bought for documents does not cover embedding on a website and web licences are often capped by page views. Images come second, usually through stock assets used beyond their licence or images taken from search results. Open source components are free to use under conditions that are mild for a typical website, but you need to know which ones you depend on. The practical requirement in all cases is the same: a record per asset of what you hold and what it permits, kept with the project, so that a rebrand, a new market, an acquisition or a demand letter can be answered in minutes rather than reconstructed from memory.
The licence types you will meet
| Asset | Typical licence model | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Fonts | Separate desktop, web, app and ePub entitlements; web often capped by page views | Which entitlement you hold; the traffic cap; self-hosting permitted |
| Open fonts | Permissive open licences allowing self-hosting | Attribution or reserved name conditions |
| Stock photography | Royalty-free or rights-managed, per use or subscription | Media, territory, duration, print runs, modification, sensitive-use restrictions |
| Illustrations and icons | Similar to stock; sometimes attribution required | Attribution wording and placement |
| Themes and templates | Per-site or developer licences, often annual | Number of sites; whether updates require renewal |
| Plugins and extensions | Per-site annual licences | What lapses on non-renewal: updates, support or function |
| Open source libraries | Permissive or copyleft | Notice preservation; distribution implications |
| Music and video | Per use, per platform | Synchronisation and platform scope |
| Data and maps | Per use, sometimes per view | Attribution and caching limits |
Keeping records you can rely on
- Create an asset register in the repository: asset, source, licence, scope, attribution, purchase record, expiry.
- Capture the licence text at the time of purchase; vendor terms change.
- Check fonts specifically: entitlement type, traffic cap, self-hosting permission.
- Record attribution requirements and implement them where required.
- Generate the open source inventory from your build tooling and keep it with each release.
- Put licences in the business’s name rather than an agency’s, where the vendor allows.
- Review at renewal for anything annual, and before any rebrand or expansion.
- Replace, do not hope, when an asset’s licence does not cover a new use.
The font trap in particular
Web font licences often cap monthly page views, and a site that grows past its tier is in breach without anyone noticing, because nothing technically stops working. Self-hosting may or may not be permitted depending on the foundry. And a font bought for a brochure and handed to the web team is a licence breach we find on inherited sites. Check the entitlement, check the cap, and prefer open licensed fonts for business sites unless the brand genuinely requires otherwise.
What this means for you
Everything your site is built from is licensed with a scope, and the obligations are manageable only if you record them. Keep an asset register with source, licence, scope, attribution and expiry; check font entitlements and traffic caps specifically; keep licences in the business’s name; generate an open source inventory from your build; and review before any rebrand or expansion. This is general information rather than legal advice; a specific claim deserves a specific opinion.
Frequently asked questions
Can we use a font we bought for print on our website?
Usually not. Font licences are typically split by use: desktop for documents, web for embedding in a site, app for applications, with separate terms and often separate fees. Web licences frequently cap monthly page views or require a specific hosting method. Using a desktop licence on a website is a common breach, and foundries do check. Read the licence you hold and buy the web entitlement if it is missing.
What records should we keep for images?
Per image: the source, the licence type, what it permits, any attribution requirement, territory and duration if limited, and the invoice or download record. Keep them with the asset in your repository or asset store. The moments this matters are a rebrand, a new market, a franchise, an acquisition or a demand letter, and reconstructing it after the fact is usually impossible.
Are open source components a legal risk?
Not if you know what you use. Most web libraries carry permissive licences that require little beyond preserving a notice. Some licences carry stronger conditions that matter more for distributed software than for a website. The risk comes from not knowing: an inventory generated by your build tooling, kept with the project, answers the question in seconds when a client or an acquirer asks.
Sources
- Open Source Initiative: Licenses (accessed 2026-09-12)
- EUIPO: Intellectual property for businesses (accessed 2026-09-12)