" 
 * ""Smiley"" isn't ""proprietary"", it's a generic name like ""emoticon"". -) has long been referred to as a ""smiley"". The overlap in use between ""smiley""/""emoticon"" and ""emoji"" is new. I'd say it's an incorrect use, but as language changes, I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes a widely accepted (and therefore correct) usage of the word (much to my chagrin ;). Note that even Apple's doing this now: they described their animated 3D Apple Watch emoticons as ""emoji"". —  "