Microsoft Clipart Usage on Websites

[Guest]

I have found conflicting information on the ability to use Microsoft Clipart
Catalog items on an academic non commercial website. One eula said that
clipart used in a non commercial manor is acceptable and one said no clipart
may be used on the web as it is redistributing the image and since microsoft
licenses the images from 3rd parties they can not offer this option... So
does anyone know if sure which images if any are allowed to be used on an
academic website legally.

Thanks

 

[Andrew Murray]

I suppose it depends on your interpretation:

I take the meaning of "disallowing the use of the image on the internet"
in the context of supplying the images "as a collection for others to
download" (in the same way as the clipart gallery on microsoft.com) not, in
the sense of using it as part of your site design (which would be minimal
usage).

So if you set up a site like the Microsoft clipart gallery, and start
distrubiting the whole collection yourself (or distributing on CD for $$)
then THAT's against the EULA. For profit or gain - since you're not paying
to use the images yourself, so why should you profit from it?

Using Clipart in the way you describe is, I'm sure, in part the intended
usage the EULA allows for.

"Academic" is "non-commercial" so I'm sure you're safe to use the iamges in
the way you wish to.

If you want to know for sure, contact the third party supplier - or
Microsoft.

I agree there is conflicting statements; but then they do provide the
clipart to be used on the web or in print publications, so I assume that
they assume people will use them in those capacities.

Anyway the above is just guesswork and my opinion and may not really answer
your question.