You may not trademark any unmodified icons you have downloaded from the Noun Project. The designer of the original icon holds all legal rights to his or her own work.
The Noun Project can not provide legal advice on trademark or copyright, however it is our understanding that if the icon you've chosen for your logo is modified enough to serve as part of the final design, you may be able to trademark the logo itself. We suggest that you reach out to your attorney for specific legal advice.
Comments
4 comments
It is my understanding that any derivative works created under the Creative Commons license, which is what a logo created with a CC-licensed icon would be, must also be licensed under the same CC license. How could a logo adhere to both the CC license derivative works requirements and be trademarkable? This creates conflicting claims of ownership.
NOTE: Any posts by Scott Lewis (me) are on my own behalf and in no way in an official capacity as a representative of any company or any other entity.
I Like it
If I pay for the icon can I use it to represent a business in a logo if the logo isn't trademarked?
Personally I don't approve of the practice but I am in the extreme minority in the design industry. Most people think the practice is fine and it is perfectly legal. Noun Project sells icons for exactly this use through various partners. If you go this route, you should be perfectly fine but just be sure to read Noun Project's Terms of Use to be certain. Don't listen to idiots like on the internet - ha ha ha.
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