[theme-reviewers] Envato’s License Changes For The Worse

[Dre Armeda]

So awesome that the discussion should be moved to a more appropriate 
channel. From what I'm reading here, this no longer has much to do with 
theme review.

Dre

> Daniel Tara <mailto:contact at onedesigns.com>
> January 24, 2013 9:55 PM
> I dare to differ, there's a huge difference between WP.org 
> <http://WP.org> directory and ThemeForest policy: the major difference 
> is that the WP.org <http://WP.org> requirement that submitted themes 
> originates from the fact that themes are essentially derivatives from 
> WordPress itself while Envato's terms are based on, well… nothing! 
> They have no base for requiring a license, other than that it's their 
> space and they dictate the conditions.
>
> Let me tell you what's counter-competitive and anti-trusting about 
> ThemeForest: they're an almost monopoly for theme marketplaces. The 
> only other player that's around is Mojo Themes and there used to be 
> ThemeGarden a while ago and it got closed. But that's not the actual 
> problem, the actual problem is that their position gives them a huge 
> advantage and they profit from it at a maximum. An emerging developer 
> that hasn't an established name in the WP community and a small list 
> of clients has the option to sell on ThemeForest or going the risky 
> way of selling on his own and the risk is too big and many don't take 
> it because of the comfort. Were there other 10 marketplaces that were 
> selling GPL friendly themes they wouldn't have afforded to make such 
> changes to their licensing policy. There's your counter-competitive 
> and anti-trusting. I rest my case.
>
> Daniel
>
>
>
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> Japheth Thomson <mailto:japh at envato.com>
> January 24, 2013 9:38 PM
> Hi Daniel,
>
> Envato don't dictate a seller's licensing options any more than the 
> WordPress.org theme directory does. They just have a different 
> licensing option, and theme authors are free to go elsewhere if they 
> don't like either of those environments.
>
> You say that "By accepting Envato's new licensing conditions, they are 
> essentially accepting that Envato owns their products.", however, by 
> the same token making their themes 100% GPL would essentially be 
> saying that anyone owns their products. They lose all control over 
> their distribution.
>
> ThemeForest does not claim to be "an open and free" marketplace, but 
> there's certainly nothing counter-competitive or anti-trusting going 
> on from Envato.
>
> Cheers,
> Japh
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Japh Thomson
> WordPress Evangelist
> http://wp.envato.com
> http://twitter.com/envato
>
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> Daniel Tara <mailto:contact at onedesigns.com>
> January 24, 2013 9:25 PM
> In the many years in which I have been involved with the software 
> development and open source community I have never seen such utter 
> disrespect towards the community and ignorance towards the legal 
> requirements of open source licenses and such gibberish and nonsense 
> blabbered about it. Just who exactly do Envato think they to dictate a 
> seller's licensing options? Only the copyright owner has the right to 
> decide which licese their product uses. By accepting Envato's new 
> licensing conditions, they are essentially accepting that Envato owns 
> their products. I don't care that officially the authors are still the 
> legal owners, just take a look at the facts: Envato dictates prices, 
> sales commissions and licensing terms. They're not an open and free 
> marketplace, they're an obese, rigid, dictatorial, monopolist, 
> counter-competitive and anti trusting corporation that has only one 
> aim: profit and uses only one weapon: market dominance. A huge boycott 
> should be played on them and if there are authors who really care out 
> there they will react to it.
>
> Rant over.
> Daniel
>
>
>
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> Emil Uzelac <mailto:emil at themeid.com>
> January 24, 2013 5:19 PM
> all righty good enough for me :)
>
>
>
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> Chip Bennett <mailto:chip at chipbennett.net>
> January 24, 2013 5:16 PM
> Given that, under current policy, we wouldn't approve an upsell Theme 
> for which the commercial version was hosted on ThemeForest: no, it 
> doesn't really change anything.
>
>
>
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