So I recently got set a Typographic based University project to do over Christmas so like I always do I looked around, checked out my usual inspiration sites, saw what there was and wanted to try out some designs and see how I could get them to fit in with my work.

The first thing I wanted to try out was the bold, geometric based style typefaces such as Neutrino and BAQ Rounded. Now just to try out these fonts in a quick poster layout would have cost me $70, I’m a bit of a broke student and just to mess around I thought I’d try to find free alternatives on dafont​.com.

This is what prompted me to post about this. I found practically exact replicas.

Neutrino

Now there are obvious differences, Plastic Pill doesn’t do numbers, the E and F has curves instead of steps, the J and the indents on the H, M, N, U and V. But when combined with similar fonts I found on dafont such as RNS Bobo Dylan and Bifurk. The latter even fills in the missing numbers.

BAQ Rounded

Again there are differences but to me it looks like you could imitate BAQ Rounded with Baruta and a bit of stroke. I also notice that it’s RNS Baruta, same as the RNS Bobo Dylan, do RNS just closely imitate other popular fonts for free?

So what's your point?

No it’s not what’s the point of buying fonts, I’m not a cheapskate I know a lot more care goes into the fonts you buy, that and the complete letter sets and OpenType that comes with them. My point is how is this not breaking some more of copyright? I’ve read the licenses of other fonts and there’s usually something about no reverse engineering or the like and yet here are these very similiar fonts. It just seemed so odd.