License for "interface widget icons?"

Do I need a license or is it public domain?

[snair]

Hello!

I apologize if this isn't the correct forum but it seems to be the only place regarding this topic.

Regarding "interface widget icons" (e.g. basically like in Microsoft Office programs, Bold is depicted by a thick, bold B or left-justified is depicted by those lines what are, well, left justified), I would like to use the exact same (or at least very similar) icons as those used by Microsoft and I was wondering if I needed to license them or if they were copyrighted?

I see these exact same icons in lots of programs so they seem to be quite standard.

Any help on this would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[engine]

If you create your own style you should be able to produce something close without copying, but not the actual graphic. The graphic would normally be covered by the software owner's copyright.