Referencing Microsoft Trademarks in Text
This is a guide to the use of Microsoft Trademarks in Text. This posting is directly from the Microsoft website as it appears today and serves as a great guideline for any company with many trademarks. In fact, Microsoft dedicates an entire section of their website just for intellectual property notifications, usage guides and the like.
Properly Identify Microsoft Brand Products
Follow these guidelines when referencing Microsoft brand products in the text of your materials. See below for some examples of Microsoft brands and their descriptors. Trademark registration symbols should be applied accordingly.
* MicrosoftAr software
* WindowsAr operating system
* EncartaAr multimedia encyclopedia
* FrontPageAr website creation and management tool
* MSNAr Internet Services
* OutlookAr messaging software
* PowerPointAr presentation graphics program
* XboxAr video game system
For a current list of Microsoft trademarks, see the Microsoft Trademark List.
* Visit the Microsoft Trademarks List
Use Trademark Notices
Include an attribution of Microsoft’s ownership of the trademark(s) within the credit notice section of your documentation or advertisement. Follow this format:
* “Microsoft, Encarta, MSN, and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.”
Do Not Shorten, Abbreviate, or Create Acronyms Out of Microsoft Trademarks
Correct: This product works with Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows NTAr
Incorrect: This product works with Windows 98, Win2000 and NT
Do Not Use Inappropriate Descriptors
Microsoft trademarks identify specific products and services. Do not refer to applications, services or hardware devices that work with Microsoft products incorrectly. For example, do not refer to products or services that work with the Windows operating system as “Windows applications”, “Windows services” or “Windows hardware.” If need be these types of products can be referred to by their relationship to the Windows operating system by inserting the word “based” in between the name Windows and the type of product designed to work with Windows.
Correct: SpreadsheetXYZ is a WindowsAr-based application
Incorrect: SpreadsheetXYZ is a Windows application
Set Microsoft Trademarks Apart From Other Words or Nouns They Modify
The common way to do this is to capitalize the product name and use the appropriate trademark symbol and appropriate descriptor. You may also underline, italicize, or bold the name. For example:
Correct: After you install the WindowsAr operating system…
Incorrect: After installing Windows programs you can…
Do Not Use Microsoft Trademarks in the Possessive or Plural Form
Microsoft trademarks should never be used in the possessive or plural form, but should be introduced as a proper adjective followed by an appropriate descriptor.
Correct: These presentations were created using PowerPointAr presentation manager
Incorrect: Widget Software Company included some PowerPoints in its presentation
Logo Use
This section contains information about Microsoft logo programs and corporate logo guidelines.
Logo Programs
Microsoft Logo
Microsoft logos, including compatibility logos such as the “Designed for Microsoft Windows” logo, may only be used under an express written logo license agreement with Microsoft Corporation. Guidelines for using these logos will not be addressed in this document. If you want to inquire about a particular logo or licensing program please contact your account manager or sales representative. See the Logo Programs page for more information on the logo programs offered by Microsoft.
* Visit the Microsoft Logo Programs page
Product Specific Logos
Microsoft product-specific logos and icons may only be used for limited advertising purposes under express written permission or agreement from Microsoft Corporation. No Microsoft brand elements or identity (including but not limited to product names, logos, designs, icons, photography, taglines, logotypes, trade dress, website layout, product packaging, or colors arranged in a manner suggestive of Microsoft’s websites) (“Elements”) may be used other than as provided by Microsoft in writing. Microsoft reserves the right in its sole discretion to terminate or modify permission to display any Elements, and may request that you modify or delete use of any Element.
Microsoft Corporate Logo
You may use the Microsoft Corporate logo without an express agreement or logo license pursuant to our Microsoft Corporate Logo Guidelines. Please contact your account manager, sales representative, or local Microsoft subsidiary for camera-ready art for the Microsoft Corporate logo.
Microsoft Corporate Logo Guidelines
The Microsoft Corporate logo (“Logo”) may only be used pursuant to the guidelines in this document to identify Microsoft Corporation, or Microsoft products or services. Any use that falls outside what is outlined herein is strictly prohibited.
1. The Logo may only be used by OEMs to reference Microsoft Corporation: (i) at the bottom of advertising, marketing collateral, or a website that references the OEM’s connection with Microsoft (for example, the material states that the OEM is an authorized distributor of Microsoft products) provided that the area in which the Microsoft logo is used includes the corporate logos of two (2) or more software or hardware companies that have a similar relationship to the OEM, or, (ii) in an area of a website, advertising, or marketing collateral exclusively dedicated to the sale of Microsoft products, and in such a manner that associates licensed Microsoft software with the Microsoft Corporate logo.
2. The Logo may not be used on any OEM product casing or packaging.
3. The Logo may not be used in any manner that implies that any non-Microsoft materials, including but not limited to goods, services, websites, or publications, are sponsored, endorsed, licensed by, or affiliated with Microsoft.
4. The Logo may not be displayed as a primary or prominent feature on any materials that do not come from Microsoft. Companies using the Logo pursuant to these guidelines must also display, in the primary and more prominent position, their own logo(s), business name, product names, or other branding.
5. The Logo may not be imitated, or used as a design feature in any manner.
6. The Logo may not be used in a manner that would disparage Microsoft Corporation or its products or services.
7. The Logo must be used as provided by Microsoft Corporation with no changes, including but not limited to changes in the color, proportion, or design, or removal of any words, artwork, or trademark symbols. The Logo may not be animated, morphed, or otherwise distorted in perspective or appearance.
8. Use only approved Microsoft logo artwork.
* The Logo may only appear in black or reversed out to white. The Logo may never be screened back, built out of four-color process screens, or broken into multiple colors.
* The Logo must always be accompanied by the registered trademark symbol (Ar).
9. To properly stage the Logo, a minimum clearance between the Logo and other elements must be maintained. The cap height of the M in the Logo indicates the measurement of minimum clearance between the Logo and other elements on all sides of the Logo.
10. The Logo must always be at least 60 pixels in width.
11. The Logo must only appear in a horizontal position.
12. The Logo must stand alone and may not be combined with any other object, including but not limited to other logos, words, graphics, photos, slogans, numbers, design features, or symbols. The Logo must never be used to represent the word “Microsoft” in text, including in a headline, product-name logotype, or body copy.
13. The Logo must not be incorporated or used in any manner as part of, or in close proximity to another company’s name, domain name, product or service name, logo, trade dress, design, slogan, or other trademarks. The Logo must never appear with any other symbol or icon (except the registered trademark symbol); contained within a box, circle, or other shape; or combined with any other name, logo, or icon to create a co-branded logo.
14. The attribution clause “Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation” must accompany use of the Logo.
15. Neither the Logo nor the Microsoft name may be used in any OEM company name, product name, service name, domain name, website title, publication title, or the like.
16. OEM advertising and product information should not mimic any Microsoft advertising, product packaging, or website design.
Microsoft reserves the right in its sole discretion to terminate or modify permission to display the Logo, and may request that you modify or delete any use of the Logo that, in Microsoft’s sole judgment, does not comply with these guidelines, or might otherwise impair Microsoft’s rights in the Logo. Microsoft further reserves the right to object to unfair uses or misuses of its trademarks or other violations of applicable law.
Corporate Tagline
Under no circumstance may you use, imitate or play off Microsoft’s corporate tagline “Your Potential. Our Passion.Æ’,›” This tagline is reserved for exclusive use by Microsoft Corporation.
Use of Box Shots and Screen Shots
This section contains information about the use of box shots and screen shots of Microsoft products.
Box Shots
Product box shots may be used in their entirety to represent full packaged product. They may only be used as depicted in the artwork provided by Microsoft, and pursuant to the guidelines for use of box shots located on the Copyrights: Use of Images page.
* Visit the Copyrights: Use of Images page for specific guidelines regarding box shots
Screen Shots
Screen shots may be used pursuant to the guidelines for screen shots located on the Copyrights: Use of Images page.
* Visit the Copyrights: Use of Images page for specific guidelines regarding screen shots
Additional Guidelines for Advertising Collateral, Marketing, and Product Packaging
* Do not imitate Microsoft logos, logotypes, trade dress, or other elements of Microsoft product packaging and websites in any of your materials, including advertising, product packaging, websites, and promotional materials.
* Do not use any Microsoft trademark in any manner that expresses or implies Microsoft’s affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement, certification, or approval of your product or company. The only exception to this applies to specific products that are licensed to use one of Microsoft’s compatibility logos such as the “Designed for Windows” logo.
* Do not place your company name, trademarks, service marks, or product names next to (or combine them with) a Microsoft product name on packaging, disk labels, or advertisements.
* Do not use any Microsoft trademark in such a manner that it appears Microsoft is legally associated with your company, beyond your company’s authorization to distribute authentic Microsoft products.
* Do not market your products or services under names that are confusingly similar to the names of those Microsoft products you are licensed to distribute.
* Display your company or product name more prominently than any Microsoft trademark on all materials.
* Retain all copyright, trademark, and patent notices in Microsoft software and documentation from Microsoft. You must comply with any notice from Microsoft to change any of the copyright, trademark, or patent notices.
* Market Microsoft products under the name and version numbers identified by Microsoft, and designate Microsoft trademarks with the appropriate Ar and ƒ,› symbols.
* If requested, you must supply Microsoft with samples of finished product and marketing materials containing any Microsoft trademarks prior to shipping.
