Royality Free Clip Art from Micorsoft online

Apr 11, 2014

Hi there

I am building a course with lots of images and am wanting to use some from microsoft clip art.  I have read on the internet that the Microsoft license should cover the stock images that are purchased with Microsoft office but some of the images that I wish to use have been sourced through the online search bit of clipart.

Does anyone know whether all images that are available through the online Microsoft clipart search can be used royality free?  I am not building a course for commercial purposes.   I know that I can use images under creative commons etc but the images I have selected are from clip art.

I appreciate that this might be a somewhat naive question but worth checking.

Thanks, Ruth

9 Replies
Jackie Van Nice

Hi Ruth,

Not a naive question at all! Image rights always seem to be a tricky area.

I was under the impression that for the purposes you're describing we can use Microsoft Clipart images with no problem. However, since their online search, as you mention, may also bring up images from iStock, etc., I think it gets trickier. I avoid using those images for that reason.

Here's an article that discusses MS Clipart rights. Though hardly definitive, you'll notice at the end he pretty much says the same thing: http://www.labnol.org/internet/office-images-usage/27823/

Rev Michelle

Hello Ms. O'Brien,

My disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and this is not intended to be legal advice, but for informational purposes only. 

What I believe...

With that said. I was always under the impression that Microsoft Office clipart and images could be use for commercial purposes, but could not be sold as a stand alone product. 

For example...

I can use it in my design projects, website etc (I have even seen them in local TV commercials), but I can not put together a package of clipart/images from Microsoft and sell them as my own or sell them on my website.

Further info...

Here is a link to two sites that might help you http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2013/01/25/microsoft-clip-art-on-your-blog/     http://www.labnol.org/internet/office-images-usage/27823/

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