[theme-reviewers] Clarification of Theme Naming Rules

Thu Jan 31 00:37:18 UTC 2013

Just so that we're clear, I never said anything about Responsive
at all. My examples were generic, like default Theme.

If everyone else agrees that this is allowed, sure, go for it,
I personally could care less. At the same time this should
be changed for all names, not just going after one specific
name.

And on the end, we're coming down to what Chip just said,
mess, ugliness etc. It's more than just a name :)

On Wed, Jan 30, 2013 at 6:27 PM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net> wrote:

> Agreed. That's why it is a case-by-case issue. A generic term like
> "responsive" has several meanings.
>
> But Apple very much would have a Trademark infringement claim if someone
> made a "Granny Smith Apple OS". Likewise, Emil would have a valid complaint
> if someone made a "Responsive Reloaded" or "Better Than Responsive" Theme
> name.
>
> See what I mean about subjectivity? It's messy. It's ugly. It's subject to
> interpretation and opinion.
>
> My goal is to balance due diligence against the need to have a law degree
> just to review Themes.
>
>
> On Wed, Jan 30, 2013 at 7:17 PM, Merci Javier <mercijavier at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>>
>> There's no trademark infringement on one word, specially none as generic
>> as responsive.  If one put an "Apple" theme where design was about apples
>> etc., Apple can't touch that. I know of a  company who sued a competitor
>> for using Yellow Pages plus and lost, didn't get to court, got thown out.
>>
>> So in effect, if someone used My Responsive World as theme name, that's
>> no cause to reject the  theme. No infringement at all.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Jan 30, 2013 at 3:49 PM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net>wrote:
>>
>>> And that is the reason for the wording against overly generic "related"
>>> terms in Theme names. "Responsive" is pretty close to that line, for
>>> exactly the reasons being brought up here.
>>>
>>> (And this sort of thing is the reason that I've always tried to push for
>>> Guidelines to be as objective as feasible: the Theme Name guideline is very
>>> much subjective, and thus a potential source of confusion, disagreement,
>>> and inconsistency. Though, I don't know that the Theme Name guideline could
>>> feasibly be made any less-subjective/more-objective.)
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Jan 30, 2013 at 6:42 PM, Stuart Wider <stuartwider at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> Emil,
>>>> I would say that Twenty Eleven is a subtly different kind of name, when
>>>> its usage is for themes,
>>>>  Twenty Eleven is not commonly used as a web design or theme related
>>>> term.
>>>> Whereas for example, Responsive or Mobile are commonly used web or
>>>> theme design terms and therefore useful in titles so that users know
>>>> exactly what kind of theme it is just by looking at the name .
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 9:43 AM, Emil Uzelac <emil at themeid.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi Stuart,
>>>>>
>>>>> Here's me speaking from TRT point of view and taking "Responsive" out.
>>>>>
>>>>> Twenty Eleven is a number "2011", even more common than the word
>>>>> "Responsive", but we still can't use "Super Twenty Eleven".
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> Emil
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, Jan 30, 2013 at 5:03 PM, Stuart Wider <stuartwider at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Guys,
>>>>>> I note that in the theme review guidelines that is says...
>>>>>> "Themes are *not* to use related Theme names (e.g. *WP Twenty Eleven*
>>>>>> , *Twenty Eleven WP*, *The Twenty Eleven*, etc.) in their name"
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Does this mean that if a theme on the repository already has used a
>>>>>> particular word in its name that it cannot be used in another themes name?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Lets take Emil's theme for example.. The word 'Responsive' is a
>>>>>> common usage word.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Does the rule above intend that no other theme could use a common
>>>>>> usage word such as 'Responsive' in their title, and that Responsive theme
>>>>>> itself has the only rights to use that word in a title, on first come first
>>>>>> served basis?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Here's some quick made up examples of what I mean...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Super Responsive
>>>>>> Mobile Responsive
>>>>>> Responsive to the Max
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Would those pass as theme names with the above rule? or not allowed?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If those names were not allowed then it would follow that if I
>>>>>> decided to release a theme called 'Mobile' then no one else would be able
>>>>>> to name their theme with the word 'Mobile' in it eg. Ultra Mobile, Mobile
>>>>>> Plus, Mega Mobile.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> To sum up...
>>>>>> I'm seeking clarification on whether common usage words can be
>>>>>> included in new theme name, even if an existing theme uses the common usage
>>>>>> word.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Its an interesting conundrum ;)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Many Thanks,
>>>>>> Stuart
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>> http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>
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>>
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