August 21, 2020
Stock Artwork, Font, and Icon Policies for Design Challenges
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STOCK ARTWORK POLICY
Your submission CANNOT contain any stock art, clipart, icons, or “free” elements from the web. All items you design and submit within a Topcoder Design Challenge must be created solely by you (as original artwork) or be provided by the client as part of the challenge inputs. Note, we treat icons differently. You can view the Icon Policy here.
The exception to this rule is when a Design challenge allows Stock Artwork. Every challenge clearly states whether or not stock artwork is allowed. If the challenge allows it, you will need to abide by the following rules:
You must document your Stock Artwork (photos, illustrations) when submitting. (This helps a customer find the Stock Artwork for purchasing or attribution later)
You are allowed to use stock photos and stock illustrations. If you use any Stock Artwork (anything!) in your design it MUST BE DOCUMENTED. This includes Unsplash, Pexels, and client/ challenge provided artwork or photos.
You are only allowed to use Stock Artwork from the provided websites:
Watermark: You MUST keep the stock watermark intact. If the photo is cropped in such a way that the watermark is not visible, please be sure to include the entire watermarked image in your source files so Screeners can review and see where the image is from. When using either Unsplash or Pexels, where a watermark is not included on the image, please add either “Unsplash” or “Pexels” text on top of the image somewhere.
If the challenge does not allow Stock Artwork (photos or illustrations), it will clearly state this in the challenge details page.
Stock Illustrations: Stock Illustrations are allowed but you must treat them like “stock photos”. You are NOT allowed to edit any illustration and claim it as your own artwork. You are not allowed to trace stock illustrations and claim them as your own artwork. Stock Illustrations MUST include proper watermarks and source documentation.
Personal Photos: You are allowed to create and use your own photography. Make sure to attribute the photo to yourself. If you include your own photography the licensing must be free for the customer to use (if you are a prize winner).
Client Supplied Assets: Any assets supplied as part of the challenge can be used in your designs. These assets MUST still be declared as part of your submission.
Things to Remember
We screen all design submissions for copyright infringement and proper source documentation.
All designs must be created by you
DO NOT COPY OR TRACE EXISTING ARTWORK
Make sure you understand the Topcoder Terms, Official Design Contest Rules, and check each contest for more information and what is allowed in that challenge before you submit.
General Font Policies
Fonts only need to be declared in design challenges, not wireframe or idea generation challenges.
All fonts you introduced within your design must be declared when you submit your design.
Fonts must be from the Font sites listed below.
You may not use symbol fonts (webdings, etc.)
You must list the name, source, and URL of each font when submitting (We do this to help the Customer)
In general, missing font documentation or two will not affect screening but Copilots will check source files and you will have to provide ALL font documentation in Final Fixes in order to get your full payment. It is best to do it correctly the first time.
If you have not introduced any new fonts then choose that option in the drop-down when you are declaring your fonts.
Approved Font Sites
Typekit (Limited Library)
Icon Policy
Topcoder Design Challenges either allow or disallow stock icons as part of the creative process. It is critical that you review what is allowed or not allowed in each challenge, and if the policy is not clear, you ask in the respective challenge forum.
When stock icons are allowed, you must treat them like “stock photos.” You are not allowed to edit stock icons and claim them as your artwork. You are not allowed to trace stock icons and claim them as your artwork. Stock icons are only allowed in design challenges that allow “Stock Icons.” Stock icons do not require watermarks, but they do require proper source documentation and attribution.
Every challenge clearly states whether or not Stock Icons are allowed. If the challenge allows stock icons, you will need to abide by the following rules:
You must document your Stock Icons when submitting.
Goal: Help customers find your stock Icons for purchase and usage during development.
If you use any Stock Icons (anything!) in your design, it MUST BE DOCUMENTED.
When documenting your icons, you must provide a link to every icon family you are using, or to each unique icon. It is essential that everything is easy to find and is from Topcoder approved sources.
Alternatively, you can provide the source only, disregarding each link. Nevertheless, you may be asked to disclose each link for each icon.
Example: “Icons taken from Iconmonstr and FlatIcon”
You are ONLY ALLOWED to use Stock Icons from these approved sources:
SVG/ Vector Format:
You MUST use SVG or vector versions of icons.
DO NOT use PNG, JPG, or GIF formats.
If you create your own icons
Write down the description of each icon and where to find it in the design.
Make sure they are in a vector format and included in your designs AND as separate files as part of your submission. We need to easily be able to download/ export SVG versions of all icons in your designs.
If the challenge does not allow Stock Icons, it will clearly state this in the challenge details page.
Client Supplied Assets: Any assets supplied as part of a challenge can be used in your designs. These assets MUST still be declared as part of your submission.
Things to Remember
We screen all design submissions for copyright infringement and proper source documentation.
DO NOT COPY OR TRACE EXISTING ARTWORK OR ICONS
Ensure you understand the Topcoder Terms, Official Design Contest Rules, and check each contest for more information and what is allowed in that challenge before you submit.
Make sure ALL icons are vector/ SVG
No PNG, JPG, or GIF (raster) icons allowed.
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