[theme-reviewers] GPL Screenshots

Wed Nov 13 13:17:02 UTC 2013

So, should I state licenses for each of the visible thumbnails in the theme?

Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 07:58:15 -0500
From: chip at chipbennett.net
To: theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
Subject: Re: [theme-reviewers] GPL Screenshots

As for "fairness": no Theme developers are "picked out". All-human, all-volunteer team. We're going to miss some things sometimes. When we find them, or they are brought to our attention, we address them.

As for images used in screenshots: that is part of the reason for the "reasonable facsimile" requirement for screenshots. If the default installation is too far afield of the screenshot, then the screenshot is already inappropriate, regardless of the copyright/trademark status of images used to generate the screenshot.

On Wed, Nov 13, 2013 at 7:54 AM, Thomas from ThemeZee <contact at themezee.com> wrote:

I guess there are a lot of themes which have images in their screenshots which are not GPL licensed or GPL compatible (some just look like stock photos). I have actually thought about updating some of my theme screenshots with better images, too. Since a lot of themes do that I thought it would be okay. 

I don't mind personally if such images in screenshots are allowed or not in the future, but I find it is a little bit unfair when some theme authors are picked out to remove their screenshot images, while others are still allowed to use them. As far as I can see no reviewer has ever taken any look on the theme screenshot and therefore every image in screenshots was approved without checking for GPL compatibility. 

Maybe a good rule would be that any images on the screenshot have also to be bundled with the theme (would be also very fair for users because they can get the theme as displayed on the screenshot). And bundled theme resources are checked against GPL anyway. 

2013/11/13 yulian yordanov <yul.yordanov at gmail.com>

Fair use of a picture is when you wrote a post about the movie and include a picture form it as an illustration. 
But what is the purpose of such a picture in the theme's screenshot? The author simply wants by using a catchy image his theme to be easily spotted and distinguished among all others, don't he. So it is just a sort of advertisement not a fair use of a picture. Moreover, using such is a 'mind trick' - the user is made to associate that nice looking picture with the theme itself ;) 

Fingli

2013/11/13 Rohit Tripathi <rohitink at live.com>

What about Screenshots of Yutube Videos?

Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:12:52 -0600
From: emil at uzelac.me
To: theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org

Subject: Re: [theme-reviewers] GPL Screenshots

Thanks :-) 
On Nov 13, 2013 12:11 AM, "Justin Tadlock" <justin at justintadlock.com> wrote:

    The last version I downloaded had Spider-Man, Batman, Fight Club,
    and other images.  It also had a YouTube music video.  I might not
    have the latest version though.  I'll check as soon as I get a
    chance.

    On 11/13/2013 12:05 AM, Emil Uzelac
      wrote:

      You are absolutely correct. All non-GPL images were
        removed while back, did we miss any? if so would you be kind and
        point them to us and I will personally remove them. 
      On Nov 13, 2013 12:01 AM, "Justin
        Tadlock" <justin at justintadlock.com>
        wrote:

           I'm inclined to believe
            that this falls under fair use based on the few court
            rulings I've read about similar issues.  I don't care what
            we decide though.  If we're putting a stop screenshots like
            this, then the theme unit test data must be revised to
            include images and other media that are licensed under the
            GPL.  I know many people, myself included, have screenshots
            that include theme unit test data.

            On 11/12/2013 11:07 PM, Rohit Tripathi wrote:

              I was asked to update my screenshots for a
                theme because, a part of the screenshot contained an
                image(post with featured image) from a movie. Obviously,
                the movie is copyrighted to someone else, but I am not
                distributing the poster with the theme. Secondly, I am
                not violating any copyrights too. Screenshots are just
                demonstrations of a site using my theme. What can be a
                better screenshot than the screenshot of a real site
                actually using the theme?

                Secondly, if the images shown in the screenshots
                  itself have to be under GPL then there can be many
                  problems with a large amount of themes. None of the
                  themes, declare licenses for the images/site used to
                  create the screenshot. I bet most of them are not GPL.
                  But, it doesn't matter we are not distributing the
                  images. It only makes the theme looks good. Moreover,
                  we are not using paid or pirated images. Also, the
                  images used to build the screenshot are not even
                  Default images in the theme, that they would show up
                  in theme preview.

                Thirdly, even the components of the Theme Unit test
                  might cause a conflict with the screenshot being GPL.
                  For e.g. the Post Format Test: Video(in theme unit test), if the screenshot contains
                    that particular post, then the video would appear in
                    it. The image of the Video/or the Thumbnail of the
                    video is not under GPL. So, isn't that a problem?

                All I want to say is
                    that, we are all using fully GPL compatible
                    resources in our themes. I think, there shouldn't be
                    such strictness on the themes. Also, I would
                    completely respect the decision taken by theme
                    admins on this. But, I atleast request you to
                    understand the genuinity of the cause I bring to
                    you.

                Regards,
                Rohit Tripathi

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-- 
Yulian Yordanov
post-scriptum.info

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