Comments on: WordPress Themes Are Only Partially GPL-Licensed http://www.themightymo.com/2009/07/06/wordpress-themes-are-only-partly-gpl-licensed/ Wordpress Design and Development Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:59:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Toby http://www.themightymo.com/2009/07/06/wordpress-themes-are-only-partly-gpl-licensed/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Toby Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:48:19 +0000 http://www.themightymo.com/?p=406#comment-33 Thanks for the clarification, Matt! (and great blog post about the issue) I am beginning to better understand this Wordpress/GPL theme debate. At first, I thought it was about money, but the more I read, the more it seems to be about access. The big issue seems to be that non-GPL theme developers want to get their themes into the Wordpress theme repository, and Wordpress only allows GPL themes in. This seems reasonable to me. Based on my reading of the Software Freedom Law Center's response to your query, Wordpress theme developers still maintain licensing control over the design elements of themes (the stuff that makes themes unique), and they can decide to use a GPL license or not on the CSS and images, right? But maybe I have it all wrong, and it is about motivation, as Daniel Jalkut profers... ;) Thanks for the clarification, Matt! (and great blog post about the issue)

I am beginning to better understand this WordPress/GPL theme debate. At first, I thought it was about money, but the more I read, the more it seems to be about access. The big issue seems to be that non-GPL theme developers want to get their themes into the WordPress theme repository, and WordPress only allows GPL themes in.

This seems reasonable to me.

Based on my reading of the Software Freedom Law Center’s response to your query, WordPress theme developers still maintain licensing control over the design elements of themes (the stuff that makes themes unique), and they can decide to use a GPL license or not on the CSS and images, right?

But maybe I have it all wrong, and it is about motivation, as Daniel Jalkut profers… ;)

]]> By: Matt http://www.themightymo.com/2009/07/06/wordpress-themes-are-only-partly-gpl-licensed/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Matt Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:47:06 +0000 http://www.themightymo.com/?p=406#comment-32 There's nothing in the GPL that says you can't sell things! In fact it's perfectly fine to sell GPL code, images and PHP and all. It's just that you can't take away freedoms from people you distribute code to. (Check out my latest blog post about this.) There’s nothing in the GPL that says you can’t sell things! In fact it’s perfectly fine to sell GPL code, images and PHP and all. It’s just that you can’t take away freedoms from people you distribute code to. (Check out my latest blog post about this.)

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