[theme-reviewers] re-releasing an old theme under old nameornew name?

[Chip Bennett]

As Cais and Emil have both said: adding derivative Themes to the Repository
is perfectly fine, with are a couple caveats:

1) The derivative work must exhibit some *substantial* difference from the
original work. (This is an entirely subjective evaluation.)
2) While GPL provides full *copyright* license rights, the owner of the
original work retains the *trademark* rights, including the Theme name. It
is on this point that I think that, if the original Theme *name* is to be
used/referenced (such as "iBlog Reloaded" or "Son of iBlog", etc.), that
such use should come with permission from the owner of the original work.
If you want to rename your derivative work something entirely different
from the name of the original work, I see no problem whatsoever. This is
consistent with the existing Theme Review guidelines:

Themes are *not* to use related Theme names (e.g. *WP Twenty Eleven*, *Twenty
Eleven WP*, *The Twenty Eleven*, etc.) in their name.


Thanks,

Chip

On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 8:38 AM, Edward Caissie <edward.caissie at gmail.com>wrote:

> It's been brought to my attention recently that I am not being very clear
> in my communications ...
>
> As @Frumph noted, the theme is licensed as GPL-compatible (not exactly
> sure what version or license to be honest, but it does reside in the
> repository so it is).
> As the theme is GPL-compatible and the OP stated their intentions were to
> improve and re-submit with proper attribution to the original theme author,
> I see the OP as keeping to some of the more important aspects of the "GPL"
> and that being the case actually encourage them to continue forward.
>
> I recommended contacting PageLines (as this is a specific theme being
> addressed and they are the author) just in case they want to be involved in
> this "reboot" of the iBlog theme. Again, the specifics from the OP, but
> this applies to any theme in the repository ... and as such I would make
> the same recommendation to contact (or at least take reasonable steps to
> contact) the original author. This can accomplish many things, such as:
> bringing forward code that has not been submitted by the original author, a
> "blessing" by the original author (or at least an acknowledgment); etc.
>
> Of course, there are existing guidelines the "new" theme author should be
> specifically aware of, as @Emil pointed out with the derivative works
> guidelines; but otherwise, as I noted before, I encourage the "new" theme
> author to dive in, make some improvements, bring the theme to current
> standards and best practices as they apply and submit it with the proper
> attribution to the original work / author ... and hopefully it does not
> need to be added all other current guidelines should be followed as well
> (*grin*)
>
>
> Cais.
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 8:35 AM, Bryan Hadaway <bhadaway at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Yeah, I see this done all the time with plugins. A plugin author stops
>> updating it and someone else updates it and re-releases it appending with
>> *Extended* or *Ultimate* on the end of the original name. I've never
>> seen this done without attribution to the original plugin and developer.
>> Though not necessary under GPL, the decent and helpful thing to do.
>>
>>
>> Bryan Phillip Hadaway
>>
>>
>> Web & Graphic Designer
>> calmestghost.com
>> bhadaway at gmail.com
>>
>>
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>
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