[theme-reviewers] GPL and limiting usage

[Bryan Hadaway]

*@Otto* - Note that my points are all still valid and based on PageLines as
an example, NOT Headway.

This is why I'm concerned that PageLines is going to get special treatment
here and get accepted, even if inadvertently. Your understanding of the
issue is not complete.

All themes of PageLines currently in the repo are old, retired legacy
themes that have no merit in this conversation. The issue is the new DMS
theme. No one's inferring anything about PageLines, it's black and white:

*Chip asks Andrew (PageLines owner) about the pricing model:*

https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/14116#comment:14

"*In particular, can you clarify what "1 website", "6 websites", and
"unlimited websites" mean. Is that use, or support/updates? If that is
limiting use, then that's not GPL-compatible.*"

*Andrew admits that it's an actual usage limitation, NOT a support
limitation. Further, there's discussion of what happens if someone stops
paying their monthly fees, and what happens is that "pro"* *features are
disabled.*

https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/14116#comment:15

There's nothing for us to add to the new ticket (
https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/14369) that hasn't already been
addressed.

Hey, DMS looks like a really interesting idea, but in its current state,
there are so many pricing, paywall, GPL and WP policy issues that this
theme is abusive of basic user rights under the GPL, there's no other way
to put it.

If this theme is accepted (in its current state) I should hope that every
one of us would be outraged. I'm sorry to make an example of a theme, but
this is an important precedent for us all to discuss and is bigger than
just this one theme. My concern is to make sure that we don't allow any
exceptions, however creatively one might try and bend the rules, or you'll
be opening a door that can't be closed again.

This is not just an "in-ticket" discussion, this is a bigger issue that
everyone on this list needs to be privy to. There's so much confusion at
times that I don't want that to be a weakness that allows themes to slip by
that have no business being in the repo.
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