Emoji Use on Print
I’m working on a guided journal to sell. Can I use emojis or do I need copyright permission?
thank you!
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Licensing someone else’s artwork requires permission and often a fee.
The specific design of emojis is copyrighted as font or work of art. The emoji as included with software are for your own personal, non-commercial use. You agreed to that: EULA.
A smiley itself is probably not copyrighted, but Apple’s (or Google’s) rendering of a smiley is.
It is up to the creator if they are willing to license it for other uses (for a fee or otherwise). (They may not be interested in doing so. Apple’s legal team may or may not be willing to use their time for ‘small fishes’. Layers talk to their client and other party lawyers, probably not to you.)
If you create (or hire to create) your own emoji illustrations (distinctly different from others), or use a licensed or open source emoji set (with proper attribution where needed), then you should be in the clear. That would be my advise – IANYL, though.
Using emoji in print legal - Google search
Emojis and intellectual property law - WIPO Magazine - WIPO
I want to incorporate an emoji into my product - JHR Legal
JoyPixels 7.0 licensed emoji - JoyPixels.com
