I'm a big fan of free. I use Open Office, Gimp, Inkspace, and Wilbur. Until last week, I wasn't aware that most fonts, even so-called "free" fonts, aren't licensed for all (or even most) possible uses. Although I haven't yet broken any copyrights or laws in the two commissions I've done, that's because I haven't been paid for them (with money, anyway; they were quid pro quo commissions), though some of the fonts that came with the software I have didn't include any licensing details, so there's no way for me to know for sure.

Of course, no-one's kicking down my door over using Hanzel Extended, Narkism, or Metamorphous. I doubt I'll ever be successful enough to warrant a cease-and-desist letter even if I use pirated fonts on purpose. These fonts MAY be totally free use, but I can't find any documentation to confirm this.

I'm not so much worried about the legalities as the principles. My conscience is uneasy with the possibility that I may have used someone else's work without their permission, because most of the free font sites out there are loaded with questionably-licensed fonts. I just honestly never gave it much thought before now.

How do I keep my ethical and legal font-ducks in a row? Where can I find credible information on what I can use a given font for? Should I delete all my fonts except for what I can find on Font Squirrel? What are some good practices?