Where can I find assets and the terms of use for creating buttons/icons with various social network logos?

Question

Sharing icons/buttons are a big thing these days:

^{(From here)}

• Are all/most of the icons you see around the web created without explicit permission?
• If there is permission granted for the logo, where can I find the terms of use for the popular sites? (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Dribbble, Vimeo, etc.)
• Is there any resource for vector graphic assets for the common logos? (the logo itself, preferably a one-color vector shape)

Answer 1

I will answer your question seperately

• The logos of Facebook, twitter etc. are free to use on your website as long as you do not sell their logo. Facebook for instances even gives you gadgets with their logo to put on your site http://www.facebook.com/badges/ . So you can feel free to use these icons in any way. Do watch out that if you look for an icon-set what the licence of the creator is. Respecting sites do roundups and they check the licences befor they post for their visitors
• See the answer above. Besides that... it means more traffic for the social media websites which they ofcourse are glad to have
• There are a lot of resources, some good round ups are:
  • http://www.websonic.nl/nieuws/012010/gratis_social_media_iconen.php (dutch site, mainly for web
  • http://www.komodomedia.com/blog/2009/06/social-network-icon-pack/ (best icon set imo)
  • http://www.refreshi.com/blog/40-social-networking-icon-sets (mainly web again)
  • http://www.webresourcesdepot.com/free-vector-social-media-icon-set-50-icons/ (vector set)
  • http://graphicdesignjunction.com/2011/03/free-vector-social-media-icons-set/ (vector set, only logos)

Just an extra:

If you want to look for a more global solution for your website, there even are some ready to use toolbars which you can set up within 2 minutes: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/top-social-media-toolbars/

Answer 2

The purpose of these icons is to link into the target sites in some way, and as an effect help them boost popularity, which really is what these sites want. So using their icons is really free adverticing for them, and they will have no objections to that. These icons identfy these sites, and these sites only.

It is a total different case with other type of symbols, which describe a more general concept, like e-mail, users, etc. that are designed by someone, and there might be royalties attached to using a special icon image with a unique design.

Here are references to pages from some sites with conditions for use of their brands:

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/brandpermissions/logos.php
Note that you are not allwed to use the full Facebook logo, only the "f" logo.

LinkedIn:
http://developer.linkedin.com/documents/terms-and-conditions-download-and-use-linkedin-marks-linkedin-members

Twitter:
https://dev.twitter.com/terms/api-terms

I. Twitter Content
...
2. You may use the Twitter API and Twitter Content in connection with the products or services you provide (your "Service") to search, display, analyze, retrieve, view, and submit information to or on Twitter. You may use the Twitter name or logos and other brand elements that Twitter makes available in order to identify the source of Twitter Content ("Twitter Marks") subject to these Rules.

Dribbble:
http://dribbble.com/site/terms
Note: I didn't find any place here where it stated you have right to use the Dribbble logos, so I'm not sure this is OK here.

Vimeo:
http://vimeo.com/apiterms

3. Intellectual Property
...
2. Vimeo hereby grants You a limited, non-exclusive license to use the Vimeo Marks for the purpose of publicly displaying and distributing Your Application and allowing End Users to use it.