Microsoft licenses third-party Office 2007 interface

Microsoft has opened to the public documentation on licensing the famous Office 2007 user interface. From now on, third-party manufacturers will be able to use some elements of the fresh Office interface, for example ribbons, in their products.

There are several restrictions in the licensing program: you won’t be able to get a free license for applications that directly compete with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or Access. In open-source projects, you can use a license if the licenses are compatible. There are no platform restrictions.


Interface License and FAQ

The MSDN section on licensing the

Licensing the 2007 Microsoft Office User Interface, a blog post by Jensen Harris, Office User Experience Program Manager

Preview Microsoft Office System UI Design Guidelines.pdf

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