Icon Design Regulatory Frameworks & Compliance 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A designer purchases an icon from a stock site with a standard license. The license forbids 'resale as a standalone file.' Which use is prohibited?
- Embedding the icon in a mobile app
- Selling the icon file individually on another marketplace (Correct answer)
- Using the icon in a website header
- Printing the icon on a brochure
Correct answer: Selling the icon file individually on another marketplace
Reselling a stock icon as a standalone file violates the standard license restriction against redistribution of the raw asset.
Question 2: Under GDPR, an icon depicting a padlock is used to imply data security. What compliance risk does this create if the security claim is false?
- Patent misuse
- Deceptive design (dark pattern) violating GDPR's transparency principle (Correct answer)
- Trademark dilution
- COPPA violation
Correct answer: Deceptive design (dark pattern) violating GDPR's transparency principle
Using misleading icons to imply protections that don't exist violates GDPR's transparency and honesty principles, potentially constituting a deceptive dark pattern.
Question 3: Which body oversees complaints about deceptive icon use in commercial software in the United States at the federal level?
- FCC
- FTC (Federal Trade Commission) (Correct answer)
- USPTO
- NIST
Correct answer: FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
The FTC has authority over deceptive practices in commerce, including misleading visual elements like icons used to deceive consumers about product features.
Question 4: An open-source icon set uses the GPL license. What is the key implication if a commercial app bundles these icons?
- The app must credit the icon author in the splash screen
- The entire app's source code may need to be released under GPL (Correct answer)
- The app must pay a royalty fee
- The icons must be converted to a different format
Correct answer: The entire app's source code may need to be released under GPL
The GPL is a copyleft license that can require derivative works or software that bundles GPL assets to also be distributed under GPL, potentially forcing source code disclosure.
Question 5: Which US accessibility law requires that mobile apps offered by state and local government entities have accessible icons?
- Section 504
- ADA Title II (Correct answer)
- Section 508
- IDEA
Correct answer: ADA Title II
ADA Title II prohibits discrimination by state and local governments, requiring their mobile apps and digital services to be accessible, including icons.
Question 6: A designer's icon is published without a license statement. In the US, what copyright status does it have by default?
- Public domain
- Creative Commons CC0
- All rights reserved under copyright law (Correct answer)
- Open source under MIT
Correct answer: All rights reserved under copyright law
Under US copyright law, original works are automatically protected by copyright from the moment of creation even without an explicit license statement.
Question 7: Which design practice helps icons comply with Section 508 requirements for users who are color-blind?
- Using only red and green to signal status
- Adding distinct shapes or patterns in addition to color to convey meaning (Correct answer)
- Removing all color from icons
- Increasing icon size to 64px minimum
Correct answer: Adding distinct shapes or patterns in addition to color to convey meaning
Section 508 and WCAG require that color is not the only visual means of conveying information; adding distinct shapes or textures ensures color-blind users can distinguish icon meanings.
Icon Design Regulatory Frameworks & Compliance 4
A designer purchases an icon from a stock site with a standard license.
The license forbids 'resale as a standalone file.' Which use is prohibited?