Guwahati: Software engineer Bikram Rai has formally transferred the copyright of the Magar digital font to the All Sikkim Magar Association (ASMA), nearly 19 years after creating the software. The copyright assignment, signed on Saturday, gives ASMA full ownership and intellectual property rights over the font, including use, reproduction, modification, publication and distribution, securing community control of the resource.
Rai developed the Magar digital font in 2007 while working in software development in Gangtok, shortly after finishing his engineering studies. He recalled that his first project was digitising the Rai language script; following its success, former ASMA president Bishnu Rana Magar invited him to create a font for the Magar language. Rai later produced a similar font for the Tamang language, enabling both scripts to be used on computers for publications, educational materials and official documents.
The software maps indigenous script characters to computer keyboards, making it possible to produce books, newspapers and teaching resources in native languages. Over the years the Magar font has been widely used in textbooks, the community’s Herald publication and other Magar-language books, especially after the language received official recognition.
Although Rai retained legal copyright as the creator, he said he never intended to limit the community’s access to the technology; his aim was to support preservation and promotion of indigenous languages and keep the tool accessible. He expressed satisfaction at the formal handover and thanked the Magar community for recognising his contribution, saying he was pleased the software will continue to benefit future generations.
Rai described the technical challenges he faced nearly two decades ago when internet access and development resources were limited. The project took about six months and benefited from technical guidance by senior colleagues at IIT Powai, Mumbai. He acknowledged architect Jigme Dorji Bhutia for designing the script characters in AutoCAD before they were converted into digital fonts, and noted that the Tamang font required extra work because several characters absent from the Sambhota script had to be created from scratch.
ASMA president Reman Thapa called the copyright transfer a landmark achievement for the community. He said ASMA, its language committee, teachers and members have worked consistently since 2007 to promote the Magar language, and that owning the font will strengthen efforts to preserve literature, publications and research in digital form. Thapa also thanked Rai for allowing free community use of the font for nearly two decades and confirmed that the association paid an agreed amount to acquire the software.
The transfer is expected to boost digital initiatives aimed at safeguarding and promoting the Magar language, providing educators, researchers and future generations with an important and community-controlled digital resource.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/sikkim/sikkim-magar-community-gains-ownership-of-indigenous-digital-font-after-19-years.html
Category: Northeast News,Sikkim,Top News
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-07-18 23:31:00
