Restrictive Theme License (Re: Need colours changing on my site FREE/PAID)

[Colin]

Here is a simpler way. Download the theme, make make copies with different names ie 'blue' 'red' etc. Then edit the themes css and upload them.

Next step install a theme changer from the mod site.

''sorry i can post links now, im on mobile''

This is still an infringement if the theme dev. has not given explicit consent.

[Orangine]

Does the original author allow that? You may need to make sure.

No, that's misleading. You only need author permission if you want to redistribute a modified theme. You don't need any permissions to edit the code to suits your needs.

[Looking]

No, that's misleading.

How is asking a question misleading?

I do not know the terms of the theme but when this was mentioned it caused me to raise the permission issue:

...they seem to be linked to an external image url.

[Orangine]

It is misleading because you DON'T have to ask anyone for permission to modify a theme, regardless of the license.

...they seem to be linked to an external image url.

Themes containing external images are not allowed on the theme site.

[Looking]

...you DON'T have to ask anyone for permission to modify a theme, regardless of the license.

This is news to me. Where does it say that?

[Orangine]

Where does it say otherwise?

[Looking]

Well you said I was misleading by asking a question and you made a statement:

...you DON'T have to ask anyone for permission to modify a theme, regardless of the license.

So it is up to you to qualify your statement and show how I was misleading.

[Joseph H]

As for what i know only the copyright is to be untouche. If u are not allowed to edit the that means even the SMF Fresh install shouldnt be edited

[Orangine]

Coming from the member of SMF team. Is that enough proof to you?

Uhh no...as long as you don't redistribute it or violate the copyright, you can do whatever you want.

99% of mods change the template files. Do you need permission from theme author to install each and every mod?

[Looking]

No it doesn't. No one is talking about mods. The first poster wants to change the images and colors of a theme that has images loading from an external site. Now as I said before, without knowing the terms of the theme you said,

...you DON'T have to ask anyone for permission to modify a theme, regardless of the license.

Now it is either you have prior knowledge of the theme in question but your statement applies to all themes ever created as this is not just about adding something within a theme or changing something in a menu but to alter it completely so that whatever prior images it has will be removed, again going off the fact that images are called from an external source.

[Orangine]

I don't have to know this particular theme to know what you say makes no sense. There's nothing stopping anyone from changing any theme to suit their needs, as long as they
1) keep the copyright
and
2) don't redistribute the modified theme

as this is not just about adding something within a theme or changing something in a menu but to alter it completely so that whatever prior images it has will be removed

Removing images, css or php code from themes doesn't require any permission from anyone, including theme's author. Who are you to judge what is and what isn't allowed to change?

It's that simple. You don't seem to understand it's no different than installing a mod that alters theme structure/css/images.

[Looking]

Who are you to judge what is and what isn't allowed to change?

You are funny. I have not judged anything. You are the one making the statements.

[Orangine]

Oh, but you did, here:

as this is not just about adding something within a theme or changing something in a menu but to alter it completely so that whatever prior images it has will be removed, again going off the fact that images are called from an external source.

I'll leave it like that, obviously you don't want a civilised discussion.

[Looking]

That is good, because I was actually hoping for a more 'official' response as to where I can find information that "... you DON'T have to ask anyone for permission to modify a theme, regardless of the license." I am more than happy to stand corrected if I can see where it says that. Once again adding that we are not talking about adding modifications to a theme but possibly changing it's appearance completely. It also makes me wonder why a theme will call its images from an external site.

[Colin]

Once again adding that we are not talking about adding modifications to a theme but possibly changing it's appearance completely. It also makes me wonder why a theme will call its images from an external site.

The key line ^

[Deaks]

Guys can I answer this to shut you all up , there are cases in that you cannot modify a theme even installed on your site it would depends on the license, so Orangine is right in this regard, HOWEVER such theme has never been submitted to the SMF Theme Site so if the theme is from the Theme Site then you can modify just not redistribute without consent, any more questions ask the professionals

[Looking]

Guys can I answer this to shut you all up...

Really?

there are cases in that you cannot modify a theme even installed on your site it would depends on the license, so Orangine is right in this regard

Must be a language thing but that is not what was said, read carefully,

... you DON'T have to ask anyone for permission to modify a theme, regardless of the license.

In other words... no matter what agreement (license) was made about the usage of a theme you can do what you want to it, she is NOT saying it depends on the license.

[Deaks]

no but I am, and I will admit I skimmed (joys of not having so much time being at work and got 2 video's to make, 2 certificates and some scanning all to do in 30 mins), no matter if she said it or not, I have answered all of you regarding it.  If the author puts a seriously restrictive license on a theme then you CANNOT modify it if the license states that, on your own site or not, this would be in breach of the license and you are then liable (assuming the country your server is in respects copyright).  However there is no theme on the Theme Site that is that restrictive.  Also the OP said it was Bloc so t his is a moot point.

Looking I also ask you to stop looking for a fight.

[Looking]

Looking I also ask you to stop looking for a fight.

Clarification on what is being stated is looking for a fight? This especially needed to be clarified because an SMF theme member earlier stated the opposite of what you are saying. I create hundreds of themes and I can tell you this topic was very important because we do put terms with some of our themes and not every theme ends up in the SMF database. Therefore as I stated before there is no harm at all in asking the theme creator about it. However, I thank you for clarifying that indeed it is a matter of the theme liscense.

[Deaks]

And I have also answered the topic regarding the truth, a theme can be created with correct license saying that you cannot modify to suit your needs.  Luckily on theme site (and I can only speak for Theme Site as I do not know every site that creates SMF Themes) there are no such themes with such a restrictive license.  If you wish to put such restrictive license on your themes then more fool you (not saying you are).

This would also mean that mods would not allowed to be installed onto that theme. 

Also your 99% of mods is pushing it while many do make template changes many now are being updated to use hooks or layers to make them more open to themes.

This is it.  I am also going to split this the best I can so the OP can get the proper help.

[kat]

Just to throw a spanner in the works...

If you install a mod, it'll probably modify the code of a theme.

So, saying that you're not allowed to modify a theme, end of story, just can't be true.

Or, can it?

[Looking]

If you wish to put such restrictive license on your themes then more fool you (not saying you are).

Although I understand your reason for splitting this topic I think there should be some clarification about how this topic started. The original poster, before topic split, said they were using a theme that used images from an external site. This was the original basis for why this discussion started in the first place because as it is now no one will understand fully what is being discussed. This was never about mods or adding to a theme, it was about why would a theme pull images from an external site because if so it will seem that there are major restrictions to the theme that should be verified by the original theme creator.

[Deaks]

If you install a mod, it'll probably modify the code of a theme.

So, saying that you're not allowed to modify a theme, end of story, just can't be true.

Or, can it?

If a theme has such a restrictive license then installing the mod onto the theme would break the license.  By default the mod will install onto the Default theme and is very unlikley to look for that theme specifically, if it finds the file it needs to modify in the theme it will give you option to also install the mod into the theme and other themes that are installed and have the same code.   However at this time and using the Theme Site as my base for answering as stated various times, no such theme exists

But simply k@ yes if a theme has such a restrictive license installing a mod that modifys that themes files would break the license.

[kat]

So, in reality, nobody with a braincell's gonna want to install it.

Anyone who releases a theme with that kind of restriction's gotta be, well, mental, no?

[Deaks]

pretty much, its a hypothetical scenario but still plausible, I can't see any sane person releasing under such a restrictive license, unless there theme somehow manages to contain every mod that every individual site needs, and so many color variations.

[Kindred]

Just to back up what Runic has been saying

1- No theme with external images has ever been approved on the SMF theme site.
2- No theme with a license preventing personal modification has ever been approved on the SMF theme site.

3- If a theme was created and distributed from some other site that had some stupid license which forbid personal modifications, then applying any mod which affected theme files would be a violation of the license and thus the theme author should be nuked from orbit for being a total idiot.

4- Same goes for any author stupid enough to use external image calls...

5- Until we actually *SEE* the text of the license, this is all hypothetical and there is no need for people to get quite so upset. So, why not ask the OP to provide the EXACT text of the license.

[Hj Ahmad Rasyid Hj Ismail]

Funny when people is claiming there is such a very restrictive theme license without proving its existence (unless he is creating one). Moreover, most of the codes in most custom themes here is derived from SMF theme (it is just a modified copy, whether extensive or not, isn't it?).

Hope the OP is satisfied now.

[Deaks]

Funny when people is claiming there is such a very restrictive theme license without proving its existence (unless he is creating one).

Why do we need to prove existence of one? we have stated we know no theme that exists with such license.  A custom license is easy to make that is as restrictive as stated.

[Hj Ahmad Rasyid Hj Ismail]

You must have misunderstood me, Runnic. Unless you are claiming it, which you are not (the one claiming it), you do not have to prove it.

Funny when people is claiming there is such a very restrictive theme license without proving its existence (unless he is creating one).

Why do we need to prove existence of one? we have stated we know no theme that exists with such license.  A custom license is easy to make that is as restrictive as stated.

[Deaks]

we will keep it to a miss understanding then