[theme-reviewers] Theme License

[Chip Bennett]

No worries; it's never a bad thing to ask. :)

Mel pointed out what I also consider as the definitive list of
GPL-compatible licenses - the one maintained by GNU:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html#GPLCompatibleLicenses/

Note that, in that list, there are two different licenses that have
sometimes been referred to as "MIT": Expat and X11, so that can be
confusing. But both are GPL-compatible.

If you have any license questions not answered here, please let us know:
http://make.wordpress.org/themes/guidelines/guidelines-license-theme-name-credit-links-up-sell-themes/

Thanks,

Chip


On Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 3:42 PM, Spencer Piontkowski <spencer at piontkowski.me
> wrote:

>  I apologize. I have only been on the mailing list for a few weeks and
> reviewing themes about as long. This was the first time I've seen a thread
> dealing with licenses. But, I Googled "site:lists.wordpress.org license"
> to search the mailing list archive and found 1520 emails on the subject, so
> I guess it's been hashed many times over the last few years.
>
> I noticed that all the threads I read end with something like "themes in
> WPORG repository must be GPL-compatible." The message is clear, so that's
> what I'll go by. I just wanted to make sure I'm marching to the beat of the
> same drum as everyone else when reviewing themes.
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> From: "Chip Bennett" <chip at chipbennett.net>
> To: "Discussion list for WordPress theme reviewers." <
> theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org>
> Sent: 1/31/2014 9:42:35 AM
> Subject: Re: [theme-reviewers] Theme License
>
>
> We're not going to re-hash this. Been there, done that; don't have time
> for it again.
>
> The Guidelines on Licensing state that Themes must be licensed under a
> GPL-compatible license, including all resources bundled with the Theme. The
> Guidelines conform to WordPress.org policy.
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 12:25 PM, Spencer Piontkowski <
> spencer at piontkowski.me> wrote:
>
>> But that contradicts this page: http://wordpress.org/about/license/,
>> which states:
>> "There is some legal grey area regarding what is considered a derivative
>> work, but we feel strongly that plugins and themes are derivative work and
>> thus inherit the GPL license."
>>
>>
>> ------ Original Message ------
>> From: "Otto" <otto at ottodestruct.com>
>> To: "Discussion list for WordPress theme reviewers." <
>> theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org>
>> Sent: 1/31/2014 4:33:43 AM
>> Subject: Re: [theme-reviewers] Theme License
>>
>> On Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 5:00 AM, Konstantin Kovshenin
>>> <kovshenin at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>  Which is strange though, because a WordPress theme (and a plugin) is
>>>>  derivative work of WordPress and has to inherit the GPL license. So I
>>>>  guess a theme can't be MIT licensed :)
>>>>
>>>
>>> You are incorrect and yes, a theme can be MIT licensed. Compatible is
>>> compatible and it's fine.
>>>
>>> -Otto
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> theme-reviewers mailing list
>>> theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
>>> http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
>>>
>>
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>
>
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