Themes and ripping

Started by bloc, May 14, 2007, 06:16:46 PM

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bloc

Recently all submitted themes from a member of this community, were removed from the themesite on the basis of a very important issue - ripping from other themes. Especially when the source is not a SMF theme and therefore harder to detect.

Why is this so important? Well, for one thing, SMF itself can be held responsible for those thefts - because they are indeed thefts - by merely housing the themes. Another issue is the display of disrespect for other peoples work. The net seems like such a vast and unlimited source to just be used whenever needed, but there are certain rules that apply there too. And protecting peoples work from being used without permission is one of the most important ones.

To make themes based on other themes is not bad in itself, far from it. But when you use things without asking, you step over a border. That border may not be so important for you there and then, but consider you may one day be the other party in this..what then?

Sadly there have been a slight increase in submitted themes that use stuff from other sources, especially from other forum software. Maybe because they think SMF deserve such great themes? Fair enough, but it is still stealing. Nothing can change that fact unless you get a proper permission to use them and the documentation to back it up. We are on the lookout on all submitted themes, but its kind of depressing of having to treat all as possible rips. I had hoped we did not need to do that.

So please, keep it clean. Make great themes and/or convert other great themes, but follow the rules! Both we and the rest of the community will thank you for it.


Thanks for reading.

Deaks

Glad all my themes are my own work :)
~~~~
Former SMF Project Manager
Former SMF Customizer

"For as lang as hunner o us is in life, in nae wey
will we thole the Soothron tae owergang us. In truth it isna for glory, or wealth, or
honours that we fecht, but for freedom alane, that nae honest cheil gies up but wi life
itsel."

pcjunkie

#2
Ok need some clarification>

What would a ported theme constitute?

Eg

Ruik Solar flare (Native Joomla install template)

Becomes a battle field 2 theme by some other hand...

Then I take it and make a theme set using SMF Joomla and Vwar giving newcomer e sports clans a solid "beginning" in the www....

I Just need to ask before I embark on more of the same thing.  Solar flare and whatever template Joomla 1.5 decides on as well as my own original concepts will be added to a smallish collection in time, can I post sets like this? What guidelines should I follow?

EG
Joomla
http://www.joomlahacks.com/component/option,com_remository/Itemid,41/func,fileinfo/id,266/

Vwar
http://www.joomlahacks.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,94/topic,3709.0

SMF
http://www.joomlahacks.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,94/topic,3781.0

Sorry for Joomhacks...
;)

bloc

Do you have permission to use those exact graphics? Can you in some way show you do?

For example...its not enough to buy a theme, and as such "own it" and then make a SMF theme out of it. You just bought the right to use the theme as it is, not to port it to other scripts or distribute it. Unless the terms of the purchase includes exactly that.

This is exactly why Turklord themes was removed from the themesite, no proof of permission to port the themes was provided.

Jorin

Quote from: Bloc on May 16, 2007, 11:39:42 AM
This is exactly why Turklord themes was removed from the themesite, no proof of permission to port the themes was provided.

Better ask before. I made the experience that nearly all asked autors/creators of code, mods, graphics etc. have no problem with using their creations, if you ask them before you begin to work.

Sad to read about the situation with the themes.  :(  We found a little part of our forum on a turkish web site - without permission to do this  ::)

nekit

#5
Quote from: nehcregit on May 22, 2007, 06:14:38 AM
Quote from: Bloc on May 16, 2007, 11:39:42 AM
This is exactly why Turklord themes was removed from the themesite, no proof of permission to port the themes was provided.

Better ask before. I made the experience that nearly all asked autors/creators of code, mods, graphics etc. have no problem with using their creations, if you ask them before you begin to work.

Sad to read about the situation with the themes.  :(  We found a little part of our forum on a turkish web site - without permission to do this  ::)
thank you for everything!for your
aspiration to improve
work of forum!
*** Removed Spam Link ***

Jorin

Hm? Just kidding, just spam, or do you mean what you wrote?

Herman's Mixen

in case of reference in bloc's post above
i think it should be better to have an licence.txt in the theme dir
and in that licence should be some link to the original theme or builder...
that says that it can be used on other software as well following by an gnu/gpl license .....  ::)

so things can be easier on contacting the real builder or whatever
Met vriendelijke groet, The Burglar!

 House Mixes | Mixcloud | Any Intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent.
It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction. - Albert Einstein

Former Godfather of our dutch community ;)

Roph

Well the theme info xml file has a section for including information if your theme is based off another.

I created my theme from one of panic's themes, though didn't post it to the themes site until I'd gotten his permission.

It's my guess that most theme authors would gladly allow you to use parts of their work in your own theme if you just asked, but would probably be annoyed to find their work being used without permission.

IchBin™

This is still a problem people. Themes CANNOT contain any other copyrighted material.
IchBin™        TinyPortal

RoninX

Is there some sort of Tutorial on making themes from scratch? I'm a total newb helping my father run his SMF site and would like to make a custom theme for it, but i'm only a graphics guy.. the scripts and whatnot is lost on me..for the moment..

joybreezy

#11
Ok.. I have a situation and need assistance and this seemed like the right place to put it.   I recently had to ban someone from my forum and he has since joined once again.. and on top of that is now stealing code from my site to create his own.  Well I did talk to the individual and told them that I thought they should make their stuff from scratch and to stop thiefing from my site.  Now it seems he has someone else looking at the code to build his site.  So not only is he a thief, but a lazy one at that.  Is there a way to lock down the source?
Also,   has anyone ever tried to convert a Coppermine Theme into something similar for SMF.  I use Coppermine gallery and the theme I picked I want to coordinate with my forum.  Would that be considered thiefing or just me coordinating with what I already have?

Gary

Quote from: IchBin™ on June 25, 2007, 11:53:44 AM
This is still a problem people. Themes CANNOT contain any other copyrighted material.

Yes, we're still finding themes that contain copyrighted images and javascript files, we can not accept them if they do.

-ALM
Gary M. Gadsdon
Do NOT PM me unless I say so
War of the Simpsons
Bongo Comics Fan Forum
Youtube Let's Plays

^ YT is changing monetisation policy, help reach 1000 sub threshold.

askepott

can i just modify the default smf theme? will i still violate if i put something like theme designed by me at the footer?

Deaks

you can modify the deault theme if you wish, alot ofg themes are based on the default theme :)

Aslong as the SMF copyright is intaked then you should be ok to add your own etxt
~~~~
Former SMF Project Manager
Former SMF Customizer

"For as lang as hunner o us is in life, in nae wey
will we thole the Soothron tae owergang us. In truth it isna for glory, or wealth, or
honours that we fecht, but for freedom alane, that nae honest cheil gies up but wi life
itsel."

askepott

that sounds great! thanks sloopz :)

anna.young

OK, this is confusing.  Are we talking about adapting templates on our own sites or making them for available for distribution?

Anna
Toronto German Shepherd Dog Rescue

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." (SJ)

Gary

We're talking about using copyrighted code/images in your themes without permission from the copyright owner.

-ALM
Gary M. Gadsdon
Do NOT PM me unless I say so
War of the Simpsons
Bongo Comics Fan Forum
Youtube Let's Plays

^ YT is changing monetisation policy, help reach 1000 sub threshold.

And1945

I know its a bit offtopic.

But I love your themes bloc :)

anna.young

Quote from: ALM on September 05, 2007, 03:19:52 PM
We're talking about using copyrighted code/images in your themes without permission from the copyright owner.

-ALM

Thank you  ALM

Anna
Toronto German Shepherd Dog Rescue

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." (SJ)

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