Anti-Piracy Campaign May Have Used Pirated Font

The iconic 'You Wouldn’t Steal a Car' anti-piracy campaign, widely shown in cinemas and on DVDs since 2004, is now under scrutiny after revelations it may have used a pirated font. Investigations by social media users and Sky News found that the campaign employed 'XBand-Rough,' a clone of the licensed 'FF Confidential' font created by Just van Rossum, rather than the official version. Archived campaign PDFs were analyzed and confirmed to have used the pirated font, though there is no evidence the campaign's creators knowingly used an unlicensed typeface, as pirated copies were widespread at the time. Van Rossum, the font designer, expressed amusement at the irony but has no plans to pursue the matter further. The organizations behind the campaign have declined to comment, citing the campaign’s age and staff turnover. This incident highlights the importance of proper licensing in creative industries, especially when the message centers on respecting intellectual property.