SubscribeWindows icons aren’t used in just Windows. They’re everywhere: in software and on websites.
I haven’t been able to find any information on the Microsoft website that prohibits the use of these icons, so I guess that means it’s okay, right?
For Windows XP, maybe. But according to a screenshot of the “About Windows” dialog in Windows Vista Business posted on the SuperSite for Windows:
The Windows Vista™ Business operating system and its user interface are protected by trademark and other pending or existing intellectual property rights in the United States and other countries.
Of course, the OS name at the beginning of the sentance will vary if you’re using a different edition of Windows Vista.
But compare this to the legal info found in the “About Windows” dialog in Windows XP:
Copyright © 1981-2001 Microsoft Corporation
Yep, just a copyright notice.
Obviously, the legal information in the About Windows dialog has changed significantly from Windows XP to Windows Vista.
Does this mean that programmers and web developers will be unable to use elements of the Vista interface, including icons? If so, does this interface protection cover just Vista itself? Or does it also encompass programs included with Vista, such as Windows Media Player 11 and Windows Internet Explorer 7? If IE7 is protected with a “trademarked interface,” does that mean that usage of the IE7 feed icon is illegal? What other implications might this possibly have?
I have previously considered the use of Windows XP icons on websites to be okay. Many popular sites use them, and Microsoft hasn’t complained about it as far as I know. In addition, the usage of Windows icons presents a consistent user experience for new PC and Internet users.
But it looks like this might be changing. For me as a programmer and web developer, I would find it very helpful if Microsoft would make it clear what exactly they want to prohibit and what they want to allow.
What do you think?
Jeremy responded on 16 Jun 2006 at 6:10 am #
Actually, the IE7 feed icon originally came from Firefox! (ref)
If you use Firefox, you’ll notice that they’re very similar, but the main difference is that the IE one uses an ugly out of place diagonal gradient which makes it look like a sheet of metal that was bent and straightened back into position.
Also, famfamfam’s Silk icon set uses a design very similar, so I doubt use of the icon is illegal.
John Lamansky responded on 16 Jun 2006 at 11:06 am #
Yes, I realize that (see my article IE 7 To Adopt Firefox RSS Icon).
I also doubt that the use of the icon is illegal, and I certainly hope that it won’t be. I was just proposing a far-fetched “what if?” situation: “Based on the legal warnings in Vista, what if Microsoft decides that the feed icon is part of a ‘trademarked interface’?”
And I dunno, I think I like IE’s metallic-looking icon better.
Petar Smilajkov responded on 02 Feb 2007 at 3:40 am #
There are many of sites and applications using default Windows icons. I bet it is OK to use them and Microsoft will not make a too big of a fuss about it as Apple usually does.
If I recall it well, somewhere in the License or something like that for Visual Studio, I read that all of the resources found in windows, including the icons, ARE available for use in my own applications … Now, since most of applications these days are web connected - I guess you should be able to use them on the web as well - therefore … we can conclude it’s all rite
All best,
Petar
http://www.VistaJuice.com