What is SpaceFN and why you should give it a try
The SpaceFN concept - setting up your space key as a layer switch when held - is probably one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby. Let me explain how it works. My SpaceFN article on kbd.news made some rounds recently - quite surprisingly given the age of this concept. This piece you're reading is a condensed version of the full post. If you're left with unanswered questions, you'll most likely find the info you're looking for in the original write-up. On my imaginary top list of the most useful keyboard features, tweaks and hacks, SpaceFN would deserve a podium finish for sure. But what makes it so special? In short: SpaceFN is easy to implement, easy to learn, costs nothing, can be used with any keyboard, and can improve your productivity instantly. I will list its benefits below, but can state right at this point that the SpaceFN concept, setting up your space key as a layer switch when held, is clearly one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby....
Apr 30, 2024
In our case the color is part of the useful design; without it, we have no color differentiation for the text on the caps themselves.
As a reference, here's the bit from US copyright law talking about color on useful articles:
906.8 Functional and Useful Elements
The copyright law does not protect useful articles, utilitarian designs, or any functional portion of a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work. However, the decorative ornamentation on a useful article may be registrable if it is separable from the functional aspects of that article. For example, a lamp is a considered a useful article, because it has an intrinsic utilitarian function, namely, to provide lighting. By contrast, a three-dimensional floral design affixed to the base of a lamp or a two-dimensional garden design painted on a lamp shade does not have a useful purpose. The U.S. Copyright Office may register those design elements if they are separable from the functional aspects of the lamp and if they are sufficiently original and creative. Fabrica, Inc. v. El Dorado Corp., 697 F.2d 890, 893 (9th Cir. 1983) (“if an article has any intrinsic utilitarian function, it can be denied copyright protection except to the extent that its artistic features can be identified separately and are capable of existing independently as a work of art”).
For a general discussion of the legal standard for evaluating useful articles, see Section 924.