<div dir="ltr">Yes, you did bud. We closed the discussion and moved on :)<div><br></div><div>Instead of empty discussions I tried something new. 81 reviews in 7 days <a href="http://goo.gl/VwA5tx">http://goo.gl/VwA5tx</a></div>
<div><br></div><div>That's something we need around here. Contribution -vs BS. So, let's move forward, no more</div><div>of empty discussion, get to work or move on, that's our new motto :)</div><div><br></div>
<div>Thanks,</div><div>Emil</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Sep 22, 2013 at 11:17 AM, Zulfikar Nore <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:zulfikarnore@live.com" target="_blank">zulfikarnore@live.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div><div dir="ltr"><div>OK time to stop being a spectator and throw in my 2cents.</div><div><br></div><div>The code hosted and distributed via the WordPress.org repository must be complete!</div><div><br></div><div>It should require no additional resources to run as an end product!</div>
<div><br></div><div>It should contain none of the checks for pro add-ons!</div><div><br></div><div>End Of!</div><div><br></div><div>Now when it comes to the add-ons, the author is free to distribute that however they see fit in accordance with their business model - GPL has no say on that. <span style="font-size:12pt">In addition WordPress policy has no say on that (see Qs below) for as long as the "add-ons" code does not cross contaminate with the WordPress hosted code.</span></div>
<div><br></div><div>In conclusion:</div><div>The theme hosted on WordPress is the free/lite version which does not require any other add-ons in order to be fully functional.</div><div><br></div><div>The author should produce the pro version of the theme and distribute that on their site with no bearings on WordPress hosted version.</div>
<div>To which they can choose to add what ever activation checks and deactivation code as they please - be that within the theme or as an add-on plugin. <span style="font-size:12pt">i.e only the Pro version should contain the subscription API checks!</span></div>
<div><br></div><div>At this point the author is well entitled to claim the pro version as GPL compatible and its entirely up to the end user to accept it is or it is not - it should be none of our business.</div><div><br>
</div><div>So is the Free version self-contained? If yes then this discussion is over - if not then lets hear the actual objectionable issues with the "current" theme under review.</div><div><br></div><div>Does the Pro version cross contaminate the free version? - If yes it does then that is an issue that needs resolving before approval.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Most importantly: Does the Pro version in what it does or propose to do, violate the WordPress Org policies? If it does then lets point those issues out and get them ironed out.</div><div><br></div><div>
Did I miss anything?</div><br><div><hr>From: <a href="mailto:unsalkorkmaz@gmail.com" target="_blank">unsalkorkmaz@gmail.com</a><br>Date: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 01:38:56 +0300<br>To: <a href="mailto:theme-reviewers@lists.wordpress.org" target="_blank">theme-reviewers@lists.wordpress.org</a><br>
Subject: Re: [theme-reviewers] GPL and limiting usage<div><div class="h5"><br><br><div dir="ltr"><div>My whole commercial GPL theme understanding is completely vanished. <br></div><div>My brain is keep denying all of this as "<b>its a trap! dont do it, its just another way of scam!"</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div><div>While you say its legal, basically its similar to selling a car without engine. You give an empty shell <font color="#999999">(theme)</font> for free but leasing the engine <font color="#999999">(plugin)</font>.</div>
<div>This is not what i was thinking as commercial GPL.</div><div><br></div><div>Nope, i couldnt accept it. Thanks for everyone to spare time to explain. Sorry for all trouble.</div><div><br></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>
<br></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div></div><div><br><br><div>On Sat, Sep 21, 2013 at 1:03 AM, Trent Lapinski <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:trent@cyberchimps.com" target="_blank">trent@cyberchimps.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style="word-wrap:break-word"><div>@Otto I already stated that from a technical legal perspective your interpretation of copyright law is valid. </div>
<div><br></div><div>It still doesn't speak to the issue of whether or not we're going to allow this on <a href="http://wordpress.org" target="_blank">wordpress.org</a> or not.</div><div><br></div><div>I'm always going to side with users rights over paywalls, and forced pricing structures and payment practices.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Again, I want to make it very clear here that what PageLines is doing is not selling a support service, they are forcing users to pay to get continued access to features that are critical to the future development of the users website when they've already paid for the Pro product.</div>
<div><br></div><div>They are essentially leasing features to users, and forcefully removing them if they don't continue to pay.</div><div><br></div><div>Legal issues, and interpretations of the GPL aside, as a community should we allow this?</div>
<div><br></div><div>My vote is absolutely not. If anything I think we need to define our guidelines more clearly that leasing features, paywalls, and proprietary validation APIs that serve no function other then to remove features if someone stops paying should be banned to protect the rights of users. Moving said features to a companion plugin shouldn't be allowed as a loophole either.</div>
<div><br></div><div>This will be my final e-mail on this subject. I truly hope the greater good of the community is considered here, for I fear if we allow this it will open pandoras box to a host of similar scams.</div>
<div>
<div><br></div><div>
<div style="text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-variant:normal;text-align:-webkit-auto;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;text-transform:none;font-size:medium;white-space:normal;font-family:Helvetica;word-wrap:break-word;word-spacing:0px">
<div style="text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-variant:normal;text-align:-webkit-auto;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;text-transform:none;font-size:medium;white-space:normal;font-family:Helvetica;word-wrap:break-word;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px"><div style="word-wrap:break-word"><span style="border-spacing:0px;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-variant:normal;text-align:-webkit-auto;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;border-collapse:separate;text-transform:none;font-size:medium;white-space:normal;font-family:Helvetica;word-spacing:0px"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">
<span style="border-spacing:0px;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-variant:normal;text-align:-webkit-auto;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;border-collapse:separate;text-transform:none;font-size:medium;white-space:normal;font-family:Helvetica;word-spacing:0px"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">
<span style="border-spacing:0px;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-variant:normal;text-align:-webkit-auto;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;border-collapse:separate;text-transform:none;font-size:medium;white-space:normal;font-family:Helvetica;word-spacing:0px"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">
--Trent Lapinski<br>=============<br>CEO of CyberChimps<br></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div>
</div>
<br></div><div><div><div><div>On Sep 20, 2013, at 2:38 PM, Otto <<a href="mailto:otto@ottodestruct.com" target="_blank">otto@ottodestruct.com</a>> wrote:</div><br><blockquote>On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 4:33 PM, Ünsal Korkmaz <<a href="mailto:unsalkorkmaz@gmail.com" target="_blank">unsalkorkmaz@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<blockquote>@Otto, All i understand from your perspective:<br>"You are moron if you sell a product with 1 time fee, why dont you make it<br>on monthly fee?"<br>Label it as GPL, put all valuable functionality in plugin with paywall.<br>
<br>You just changed wordpress commerical GPL theme market. I hope you realize<br>it.<br></blockquote><br>I didn't change anything. You've always had the ability to sell<br>add-ons to your themes. Why are you not doing this now? It's obvious.<br>
<br>It may not be a great idea, however, to do self-disabling code behind<br>a subscription. I never said DMS's subscription plugin was a *good<br>idea*. Making that sort of self-disabling thing encourages others to<br>
take your code and offer it for free with your restrictions removed,<br>undercutting you. It creates animosity between you and your userbase.<br><br>But, selling add-on products is a perfectly valid market. I'd go the<br>
extra step and make them unrestricted though, having checks like this<br>won't help you in the long run. You shouldn't try to sell code,<br>because code can be copied and modified. Selling support services is<br>
always long term.<br>
<br>-Otto<br>_______________________________________________<br>theme-reviewers mailing list<br><a href="mailto:theme-reviewers@lists.wordpress.org" target="_blank">theme-reviewers@lists.wordpress.org</a><br><a href="http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers" target="_blank">http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers</a><br>
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