Using Emoticons

[suko]

This is a rather odd question to ask (but I’m suffering a bit from scrupulosity, so I can’t help it), but does anyone see downloading and saving the emoticons on this site or any site for that matter, and using it for personal use a sin (since I kinda want to use some of the emoticons here for MSN instant messenger since some of these are really great ^_^)? Would it violate some copyright law or something?
–thanks for any help or advice

 

[IrishAm]

You’re safe. No one is losing a royalty check because of your emoticon use, even if you decide to decorate your entire room with printed wallpaper of online emoticons. They are not intellectual property.

 

[JimG]

Download all the emoticons you want.

I’m thinking, however, that later generations of linguistic scholars will cite the widespread use of emoticons as the beginning of the end for the English language.

PS: They will be opposed, however, by those who note the use of text messaging and internet chat as the deadliest factor.