Microsoft Trademark and Brand Guidelines
Examples of uses governed by these Guidelines
- The Contoso App is compatible with Microsoft Dynamics 365.
- Don’t miss Contoso’s Memorial Day sale featuring a limited time discount on Microsoft Excel software.
- The Contoso Game can be played on Xbox gaming consoles.
Examples of Brand Assets requiring a license from Microsoft
Microsoft corporate logo
See Specific Brand and Product Guidelines section for more information on use requirements.
Microsoft product logos
This includes logos for products such as Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Surface, Windows, Xbox, and others. See Specific Brand and Product Guidelines section for more information.
Microsoft product icons
This includes app icons for products such as Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Azure, and others. See Specific Brand and Product Guidelines section for more information.
Badges
This includes badges to show designations or relationships between your product and Microsoft.
Do’s
In general, you may do the following with Microsoft’s wordmarks and names of software, products, or services:
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Note if your product or service is compatible or interoperable with a Microsoft product or service.
- Contoso software works with Microsoft OneDrive.
- Contoso headphones are compatible with Microsoft Surface devices.
- Contoso Software for Microsoft Azure
- Contoso is a new device designed for Microsoft Teams Rooms.
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Truthfully and accurately refer to Microsoft and its products and services.
- Contoso is a three-dimensional model city created by students using Minecraft gaming software.
- Used Xbox gaming console for sale!
- Join us for a seminar about mixed reality in the real estate industry, including the use of the Microsoft HoloLens technology.
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Use without alteration in text to refer to Microsoft and its products and services.
- Follow these steps to format mail merge letters using Microsoft Word software.
- CRM is easy with Microsoft Dynamics 365 applications.
- Microsoft Azure provides enterprise-level cloud computing solutions.
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Note when a product or service has met Microsoft’s accessibility requirements.
- The Contoso case has met Microsoft’s accessibility requirements for Microsoft Surface products.
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Use in the title of news articles, when truthful and not misleading.
- Microsoft releases new Xbox console
- Microsoft Azure is adding new features on July 1st
- Microsoft partners with Contoso to add new AI capabilities
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Use less prominently than your own brand or company name unless you have a strategic partnership agreement. Visit Partner Network Branding for more information on partner branding.
- Contoso Inc.
Providing Microsoft software installation and customization services since 1999. - Contoso software
Our software is compatible with a number of email applications, including Microsoft Outlook.
- Contoso Inc.
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Use as adjectives before nouns.
- Xbox gaming consoles
- Excel spreadsheets
- Word documents
- HoloLens virtual reality equipment
- OneDrive cloud storage
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Use our Brand Assets for publication, seminars, or conferences in compliance with Microsoft’s Publications, seminars, and conferences guidelines.
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Include a trademark footnote to give notice that you are using Microsoft’s trademarks, e.g., “Microsoft, (list additional trademarks in alphabetical order) are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.”
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Don’ts
Without a written license or express permission under one of Microsoft's other published guidelines (e.g., Specific Brand and Product Guidelines below), don’t do the following:
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Don’t use Microsoft’s Brand Assets in the name of your business, product, service, app, domain name, social media account, other offering, or business indicator.
- Contoso OneDrive software.
- Contoso Surface headphones.
- www.azurevirtualmachine.com
- @xboxsuperfans
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Don’t use Microsoft’s logos, icons, or designs, in any manner.
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Don’t imply an affiliation, endorsement, sponsorship, or approval with or by Microsoft.
- Minecraft Builder LLC builds three-dimensional models.
- Join us for Contoso’s Xbox gaming event
- Contoso offers premium Microsoft 365 installation & support services
- Microsoft Teams has certified the Contoso CP1 headset.
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Don’t alter, animate, distort, or misappropriate Microsoft’s Brand Assets, for example, by combining Microsoft’s Brand Assets with other terms, misspellings, or incorporating them into a tagline or slogan, etc.
- Microsoft Wordsmithing is Easy!
- Use Microsoft Powerful Platform
- Rest Azured that your data is safe with Microsoft
- Contoso…Your one stop shop for all things Xbox.
- ContosoDynamics
- Contoso Excels at Spreadsheet Development!
- Binging you quality search results since 2005
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Don’t use Microsoft’s Brand Assets as nouns or verbs.
- Xbox your way to rewards
- You can Excel with Microsoft
- We’re selling new Microsoft Surfaces
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Don’t use Microsoft’s Brand Assets in entertainment titles (including book, films, and magazines).
- PowerPointalism
- Beauty and the Bing
- Azure Daily
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Don’t use Microsoft’s Brand Assets more prominently than your own brand(s) or company name.
- MICROSOFT SOFTWARE
Contoso installs Microsoft software – call us today!
- MICROSOFT SOFTWARE
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Don’t use Microsoft’s Brand Assets in the name of a user group, fan group, tech communities, or other organization name, irrespective of whether the group or organization is a non-profit.
- Dynamics User Group
- Microsoft 365 Technology Group
- Xbox Game Club
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Don’t use Microsoft’s Brand Assets on any tangible goods or packaging, including any promotional, marketing, swag, or other items.
- T-shirt with Microsoft logo
- Xbox branded headphones
- Surface mouse pad
- Microsoft Teams branded headset
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Don’t file any application or recordation to register terms or logos identical or similar to Microsoft’s Brand Assets as a trademark, service mark, trade name, doing business as designation, or any other proprietary right.
Examples of approved app details
- Developer: Contoso Developer, Inc.
- App name: Contoso App
- Image/screenshots: <No Microsoft Content Featured>
- Description: Contoso App allows you to access Microsoft OneDrive content and share it with your CRM contacts at the push of a button.
Examples of unapproved app details
- Developer: Azure Development Co.
- App name: Azure To Go
- Image/screenshots: <Microsoft Logo, Azure App Icon Featured>
- Description: Azure To Go brings the Azure cloud services to your mobile phone.
You may not use Microsoft’s Brand Assets in a manner that implies Microsoft published, developed, endorsed, is affiliated with, or is otherwise connected with your app. Furthermore, Microsoft’s logos, designs, and icons can never be used as your app icon and can only be used in your app advertisements with a license agreement in place.