License re. (adapted) themes

[mev]

How 'free' are the themes listed in the documentation section for download? If I use one of them and its templates/css, change all images, colors, fonts and other parts of the css for a client's site, do I have to publish the copyright + link to the creator of the theme on this site?
Could someone please specify.
Thanks
willemijn

[chotaboy]

Quote fom calguy1000 on another post

[glow=red,2,300]"Please keep in mind.... if you're not aware already, the templates provided by the CMS made simple default content, or by anyof the modules are just 'examples'.  Provided for just that purpose.... to give you a guide as to how you may possibly implement something.

Except for the default content, none of the module templates are usually acompanied by any CSS (certainly none of my modules are, infact some of my default templates use (ugh) tables). 

You are free to modify these templates how you see fit.... most of the modules already support 'database' templates so that none of your work would be lost during an upgrade, and so that you could actually use the module many different ways or display its output in many different ways without modifying anything in PHP or most of the time uploading a new file via ftp."[/glow]

my suggestion

read the license agrement provided in the download of the file

[calguy1000]

unfortunately, chotaboy.... I think you replied to the wrong question

The licenses for the themes in the themes site are (unless specified differently) GPL.  Therefore, you do not need to give credit for them, but you can also not sell them as your own. 

As far as giving credit..... it would be appreciated if you didn't explicitly removed license statements (or maybe made them an html comment) but there is no requirement for that.

[mev]

Thanks for the explanation, Calquy!

I didn't sell a theme as my own,
(just charged my client for my time spent on making all the changes)
nevertheless, gave credits by putting a link to the creator of the original, to be on the safe side
Willemijn

[chotaboy]

i was referring to for example

the adreas templates which were submitted by other than the cmsms team (if im wrong srry but this is my understanding not necissarily fact)

and some of them ask specifically for u to not remove the credit in footer without permission

as recently i found a site owned by the creator of some free templates

who i wont name.. couse its just not important <--id dont make templates so not me


who found a few sites using his/her templates with changed headers and removed credits

and is now emailing and calling site owners asking them to remove the site or have legal action taken against them

now im no law professor or anything and i really dont read every thing i agree to so im not saying anything.. like i dont knwo if he/she can even do that.. but i would definately assume that if u defile the terms of someones work

they might get pissed....

and at the verry least make threats

not exactly something most of us make time for u know

[calguy1000]

chotaboy.... as I said.... unless the template specifies differently

[kermit]

the themes i have converted/contributed to the themes project have their terms/license noted somewhere.. either a readme file or in comments in the template or stylesheet. if attribution or a link back is required, it is specified -- i don't require either myself, but the original designer of the template i converted might.

[dsims]

Now if you take a template that is made of tables and convert it into one made of div's does that make the template custom?

[kermit]

Now if you take a template that is made of tables and convert it into one made of div's does that make the template custom?

if you're referring to the scads of commercial template sites and cd's that have tebles-based layouts on them and/or for sale.. then (IMHO, IANAL) the original terms still apply. if you didn't pay for it, chances are you have no right to use it, even if you 'change it'... not even the graphics in it, unless you can find the same exact ones legitimately released to the public for 'free' somewhere else.

if you're referring to a 'freebie', then (again, IMHO, IANAL) its original terms should also apply. example: if someone released a tables-based design under a cc-by-sa license and you redid it without tables; the cc-by-sa license still applies, including the original attribution and 'share alike' clauses.