Can we use Apple artwork?

[Christiaan Hofman]

Some icons are programmatically available using Icon Services (search  
the Carbon docs). The other artwork is copyrighted by Apple. Some  
artwork is freely available after registering using a form (mostly  
artwork associated to certain Apple technology, such as Bonjour and  
MacUniversal).

As for the rest, like icons from Apple bundles, legally you're not  
allowed to use them. But there are a lot of 3rd party apps that use  
them, and AFAIK Apple doesn't take action (though perhaps for  
commercial apps they do?). I guess that it is in particular OK to use  
for artwork that is becoming standard and probably will make it into  
Cocoa in the next version. So it's on your own risk. I am actually  
also curious what Apple's official and non-official position is on this.

Christiaan

On 25 May 2007, at 2:40 AM, Matthew James wrote:

> Are we allowed to use Apple artwork in our apps?  The application I'm
> designing makes heavy use of standard Apple icons, but the only place
> I've found full-quality versions is within the "Contents/Resources"
> directories of many of their apps like Preview, iTunes, iPhoto,
> Finder, etc.
>
> In order to include these icons in my app, is there a way to
> programmatically call them or do I have to include in the actual .app
> file.  I feel as though the latter probably goes against some IP
> issue, so I'm hoping that the former is technically achievable.
>
> What about other graphics found in Apple's applications (outside of
> icons)?  For instance, the graphics that drive their custom buttons,
> checkboxes, scrollbars, etc found in many of the iLife applications?
> Since these aren't directly available "for free" from Cocoa, I assume
> we have to re-make our own to be in-line with the new "standard" GUI
> (though I'm sure this will change a bit when Leopard is fully revealed
> next month).  I also assume that using the exact images found within
> Apples apps would be asking for IP issues.  In this case, how do indie
> Mac developers keep up with the latest Apple UI without getting into
> trouble?  Is it all just Photoshop "best-you-can-get" duplication?
>
> Thanks for any thoughts on the subject!
>
> -Matt James
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