Support » Themes and Templates » Themes in http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/commercial/ are really 100% GPL?

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  • Andrew Nevins

    (@anevins)

    WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support

    If you mean imagery by, “art” check licenses for non-commercial use.

    Thread Starter RoyBati

    (@roybati)

    errrr what do u mean? http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/commercial/ here it says:

    If you would like to be included in this list please send your info to themes at wordpress dot org. To be included, you should:

    Distribute 100% GPL themes, including artwork and CSS.

    Andrew Nevins

    (@anevins)

    WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support

    Are you applying your website to be included into that list?

    Thread Starter RoyBati

    (@roybati)

    No, I was just wondering whether I could use this kind of so called premium content without legal concerns.

    Thanks.

    Andrew Nevins

    (@anevins)

    WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support

    That excerpt, “If you would like to be included in this list please send your info to themes at wordpress dot org. To be included, you should:

    Distribute 100% GPL themes, including artwork and CSS.” is specifying requirements you need to have to appear on that list of themes.

    Thread Starter RoyBati

    (@roybati)

    Thanks Andrew and everyone,

    So the answer would be YES then? I mean

    Could I freely use all so called premium themes that appear in the list

    http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/commercial/

    including artwork (PSD, images and CSS)

    in my website and if I don’t pay they won’t sue me as everything is GPL?

    Thanks.

    Did you purchase one of these themes?

    Thread Starter RoyBati

    (@roybati)

    Nobody can provide me with an answer? Again.

    Could I freely use all so called premium themes that appear in the list

    http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/commercial/

    including artwork (PSD, images and CSS)

    in my website and if I don’t pay they won’t sue me as everything is GPL?

    Thanks.

    Moderator Jan Dembowski

    (@jdembowski)

    Forum Moderator and Brute Squad

    So the answer would be YES then?

    The answer really is NO.

    The GPL is not a license to behave unethically.

    There is a lot going on in this thread. You are mistaking what the GPL does and is about.*

    The GPL is about not inhibiting the users right to modify the source code and distribute the code. The GPL protects the end user about what they can do with the code.

    If you paid for a commercial GPL’ed theme then you could make any changes to it that you want.

    You can distribute the code if you choose to, but that’s where you get into ethical problems. You’d be taking away from the developers hard work and effort and at the same time negatively impacting their livelihood. That’s not good for the community and we all want these GPL’ed theme vendors to be successful.

    *Note: Understanding the GPL gets a little muddy sometimes and I make mistakes in some of the details myself. What I do not make a mistake in is that taking away from people who make a living this way is wrong.

    I came across this topic and really had to jump in.

    @jan Dembowski – While everything you’re saying is technically correct, it feels a bit harsh to jump to the conclusion that the OP has any unethical intent (which doesn’t really even feel like the case).

    Frankly, there really aren’t any good answers to this question yet and their frustration is pretty understandable.

    @roybati (nice Blade Runner reference by the way) – Yes. If you purchased/decide to purchase one of the themes represented by one of the companies listed on http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/commercial/, you should feel confident using that theme on as many projects as you like, personal or commercial without issue.

    You may hack the code, remove backlinks to the company (if you find them undesirable or spammy) and you need not pay attribution to the company. You may safely, legally and ethically do all of this without fear of legal action. This is your right under the GPL, this is the point.

    What would be unethical is to take one of these themes, simply change the name and sell it as your own claiming ownership of all contents. Though, I don’t think this was your intent at all, just sounds like you’re being cautious and protecting yourself before making a purchase, respectively.

    The easiest way to think of the GPL, is that it’s more about usage rights than ownership rights.

    Thanks, Bryan

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)
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