[theme-reviewers] GPL and limiting usage

[Bryan Hadaway]

*@Trent*

Excellent analogy. I'd add that no one here is against making money, I mean
if PageLines wanted to charge $1000 for software that's fine, so long as
they don't try to trap/restrict users after the software is in their hands.
That's the problem.

The fact that users could hack the code to try and figure out how to remove
said restrictions (which 99% of users would never be able to figure out
anyways and would also make them unable to receive security/bug fixes) is
not an answer either, it's the intention and applied use of the GPL that
matters.

You can't tell someone you're only allowed to use this software on one
website and you have to pay monthly for it forever or your pro features
will be removed with the loophole being if the customer somehow magically
figures out that that's a lie and that they can actually go against the
companies "policy" and hack their theme, they'll be protected by the GPL to
do so. That's insane.

This isn't deceptive marketing, it's blatantly lying to and tricking the
customer. Basically PageLines is "saying" that DMS Pro is GPL in order to
get DMS into the free repo, but then really applying their own proprietary
license to it which directly contradicts the GPL rendering it not actually
GPL. If you paint a door black and tell people it's white, it's still
black. This is an abuse of everything the GPL and WP stands for. How could
this not be clear?

*@Srikanth*

"Its not morally/ethically wrong because they are putting the pricing plan
upfront, users are buying knowing that they have to pay a monthly fee." -
Read the above, still feel this way? Where in PageLines marketing or fine
print does it say:

"Actually, the site limitations and monthly fees above are a complete
fabrication to trick you and you're entirely allowed to not follow those
rules, but really we're tethering your software with a proprietary kill
switch that immediately renders the software not 100% GPL. But, hey if you
hack the theme it will then actually be 100% GPL and then you can do
whatever you want with it. Good luck!"

THIS IS INSANE
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