> All SF Symbols shall be considered to be system-provided images as defined in the Xcode and Apple SDKs license agreements and are subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein. You may not use SF Symbols — or glyphs that are substantially or confusingly similar — in your app icons, logos, or any other trademark-related use. Apple reserves the right to review and, in its sole discretion, require modification or discontinuance of use of any Symbol used in violation of the foregoing restrictions, and you agree to promptly comply with any such request.
> Your use of Symbols obtained from Apple’s SF Font is limited to creating mock-ups of user interfaces for software products running on Apple’s iOS, iPadOS, macOS and tvOS operating systems and your use of Symbols obtained from Apple’s SF Compact Font is limited to creating mock-ups of user interfaces for software products running on Apple’s iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS operating systems. Such Apple operating systems are referred to as the “Apple Platforms”. Your use of individual Symbols shall also be subject to any specific use restrictions with respect thereto as set forth in the Apple Software or Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines.
(SF Symbol is embedded in current versions of macOS/iOS, so you don't need a special license to use it in applications which run on those platforms.)
> IMPORTANT NOTE: THE APPLE SOFTWARE IS TO BE USED SOLELY FOR CREATING USER INTERFACES TO BE USED IN SOFTWARE PRODUCTS RUNNING ON APPLE’S iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS OR watchOS OPERATING SYSTEMS, AS APPLICABLE, AND IS SUBJECT TO THE SPECIFIC USE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH HEREIN.
The installer's license agreement (yes the DMG contains an actual installer instead of just an "app") says the license for the icons is granted for use on Apple platforms. It's quite long and I haven't read it too much so there might be exceptions down the line but it's unlikely.
> All SF Symbols shall be considered to be system-provided images as defined in the Xcode and Apple SDKs license agreements and are subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein. You may not use SF Symbols — or glyphs that are substantially or confusingly similar — in your app icons, logos, or any other trademark-related use. Apple reserves the right to review and, in its sole discretion, require modification or discontinuance of use of any Symbol used in violation of the foregoing restrictions, and you agree to promptly comply with any such request.
All SF Symbols shall be considered to be system-provided images as defined in the Xcode and Apple SDKs license agreements and are subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein. You may not use SF Symbols — or glyphs that are substantially or confusingly similar — in your app icons, logos, or any other trademark-related use. Apple reserves the right to review and, in its sole discretion, require modification or discontinuance of use of any Symbol used in violation of the foregoing restrictions, and you agree to promptly comply with any such request.
Some symbols can’t be exported as templates for customization and can be used only to reference Apple technologies as documented below.
>or glyphs that are substantially or confusingly similar
In the image on the linked page, they use glyphs that are so common, some might consider them "standard". It's reprehensible that Apply might try and consider the "undo arrow" their own intellectual property. As a matter of fact, I don't see a single icon in that screenshot that I'd consider belonging to Apple. Those are all pretty much Font Awesome/IcoMoon staples.
Keep in mind that the legalese is intended for legal people to word-fight each other for lots of money. It generally turns this type of text in to vague yet usable terminology so you can defend or attack at will.
I'm certain that's the case. It is rather frustrating to see them even lay claim to such generic iconographs. But, if Disney can take public domain stories and lock them up for 100 years... who knows?
That list is made up entirely of logos for Apple products and features, and images of their products. Many of them are trademarks! It'd be hard to think of anything that is more clearly Apple's IP than this.
While that would be partially correct, 'for free' usually depends on some context. One could argue that sunlight is 'for free' but only in the context of a human understanding the concept of free vs. non-free, and you'd need to be living and thinking to be able to understand that, and living takes an effort, so nothing would really be 'free' ;-)
On the other hand, a more correct title could be: free for development for the Apple Platforms.
> All SF Symbols shall be considered to be system-provided images as defined in the Xcode and Apple SDKs license agreements and are subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein.
> The system-provided images and symbols owned by Apple and documented as such in Apple's Human
Interface Guidelines for iOS, watchOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and/or macOS (“System-Provided Images”) are
licensed to You solely for the purpose of developing Applications for Apple-branded products that run
on the system for which the image was provided. You agree that you shall not use or incorporate the
System-Provided Images or any substantially or confusingly similar images into app icons, logos or
make any other trademark use of the System-Provided Images. Your use of the System-Provided
Images shall also be subject to any specific use restrictions with respect thereto as set forth in the Apple
Software or Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines. Apple reserves the right to review and, in its sole
discretion, require modification or discontinuance of use of any System-Provided images used in
violation of the foregoing restrictions, and you agree to promptly comply with any such request. Upon
termination of this Agreement, You may continue to distribute the System-Provided Images as used
within Applications You developed using the Apple Software.
Nice. It's free in the sense that for your Apple-apps on Apple-platforms you no longer need a commercial icon set with a license etc. On top of that, it's known to work well, integrates with the UX, and because there is a good chance other applications in the same ecosystem use similar icons it'll be easier for the users to recognise them.
23 comments
[ 3.9 ms ] story [ 61.3 ms ] threadMaybe that's changed, and that's why it's on HN? The linked page doesn't list a license.
> All SF Symbols shall be considered to be system-provided images as defined in the Xcode and Apple SDKs license agreements and are subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein. You may not use SF Symbols — or glyphs that are substantially or confusingly similar — in your app icons, logos, or any other trademark-related use. Apple reserves the right to review and, in its sole discretion, require modification or discontinuance of use of any Symbol used in violation of the foregoing restrictions, and you agree to promptly comply with any such request.
https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guideline...
> Your use of Symbols obtained from Apple’s SF Font is limited to creating mock-ups of user interfaces for software products running on Apple’s iOS, iPadOS, macOS and tvOS operating systems and your use of Symbols obtained from Apple’s SF Compact Font is limited to creating mock-ups of user interfaces for software products running on Apple’s iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS operating systems. Such Apple operating systems are referred to as the “Apple Platforms”. Your use of individual Symbols shall also be subject to any specific use restrictions with respect thereto as set forth in the Apple Software or Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines.
(SF Symbol is embedded in current versions of macOS/iOS, so you don't need a special license to use it in applications which run on those platforms.)
> IMPORTANT NOTE: THE APPLE SOFTWARE IS TO BE USED SOLELY FOR CREATING USER INTERFACES TO BE USED IN SOFTWARE PRODUCTS RUNNING ON APPLE’S iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS OR watchOS OPERATING SYSTEMS, AS APPLICABLE, AND IS SUBJECT TO THE SPECIFIC USE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH HEREIN.
https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guideline...
> All SF Symbols shall be considered to be system-provided images as defined in the Xcode and Apple SDKs license agreements and are subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein. You may not use SF Symbols — or glyphs that are substantially or confusingly similar — in your app icons, logos, or any other trademark-related use. Apple reserves the right to review and, in its sole discretion, require modification or discontinuance of use of any Symbol used in violation of the foregoing restrictions, and you agree to promptly comply with any such request.
IMPORTANT
All SF Symbols shall be considered to be system-provided images as defined in the Xcode and Apple SDKs license agreements and are subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein. You may not use SF Symbols — or glyphs that are substantially or confusingly similar — in your app icons, logos, or any other trademark-related use. Apple reserves the right to review and, in its sole discretion, require modification or discontinuance of use of any Symbol used in violation of the foregoing restrictions, and you agree to promptly comply with any such request.
Some symbols can’t be exported as templates for customization and can be used only to reference Apple technologies as documented below.
https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guideline...
https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guideline...
In the image on the linked page, they use glyphs that are so common, some might consider them "standard". It's reprehensible that Apply might try and consider the "undo arrow" their own intellectual property. As a matter of fact, I don't see a single icon in that screenshot that I'd consider belonging to Apple. Those are all pretty much Font Awesome/IcoMoon staples.
Well, they don't. This is about this particular arrow(s) icon(s).
IcoMoon also licenses its fonts: https://icomoon.io/#icons-lindua/license
Did you look specifically at the "Symbols For Use As-Is" list?
https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guideline...
That list is made up entirely of logos for Apple products and features, and images of their products. Many of them are trademarks! It'd be hard to think of anything that is more clearly Apple's IP than this.
On the other hand, a more correct title could be: free for development for the Apple Platforms.
https://developer.apple.com/sf-symbols/
> The system-provided images and symbols owned by Apple and documented as such in Apple's Human Interface Guidelines for iOS, watchOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and/or macOS (“System-Provided Images”) are licensed to You solely for the purpose of developing Applications for Apple-branded products that run on the system for which the image was provided. You agree that you shall not use or incorporate the System-Provided Images or any substantially or confusingly similar images into app icons, logos or make any other trademark use of the System-Provided Images. Your use of the System-Provided Images shall also be subject to any specific use restrictions with respect thereto as set forth in the Apple Software or Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines. Apple reserves the right to review and, in its sole discretion, require modification or discontinuance of use of any System-Provided images used in violation of the foregoing restrictions, and you agree to promptly comply with any such request. Upon termination of this Agreement, You may continue to distribute the System-Provided Images as used within Applications You developed using the Apple Software.
https://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/xcode.pdf