Building a website with a template and putting the source on github

Hey guys,

I bought a HTML/CSS only template and I’d like to give my personal website a better look.
Thing is, I want to create the website using a lot of other technologies (reactJS for example) and I want to show off this work on Github.com.

Thing is, I’d be uploading the theme I bought to github as well… now I don’t intend for others to download and modify my work and I could (and would) include a link to the theme and the owner along with a license file.

Please advise.

further thoughts: the design would serve as a basic html/css guideline, I’d have to severely change the actual code to make it work with react / for me. So , in my opinion, it wouldn’t be distributing the original work. (I mean, if I use it it’s on the web too… anyone can download source)

Edit:

I am interested in the legal aspect of this case. I don’t have to share my site on Github it was merely a way of presenting the case. As such I am really looking to hear from those in such a situation or from the content creators themselves.

This results in two questions:

  1. As a markup theme provider, would you mind if someone put it up publically on Github with the intent to show their part of the work whilst giving you credit for your part.

  2. Does the standard license cover this kind of edge case.

PS: For those wondering, for my personal case I’ll just buy extended support and ask the author himself. This is not the point of the question.

Hope things are clearer this way :slight_smile:

Edit 2:
If we disregard the idea of a website and instead use a drawn character as a reference.
If I use the drawn picture in my website (which I publically host on Github) am I violating an agreement by putting it in the repository? Keep in mind I am not actively redistributing it and it would have a clause in the license file.

The second use case, to me, doesn’t violate any agreement while the first one is less clear… interesting stuff no?

You can add it to your Private Repo If you don’t want to pay for private repo at GitHub you can use bitbucket :slight_smile:

Kindly read the entire question before replying :slight_smile:

Regular License point number 8 https://themeforest.net/licenses/terms/regular

You can’t re-distribute the Item as stock, in a tool or template, or with source files. You can’t do this with an Item either on its own or bundled with other items, and even if you modify the Item.

So, no hosting on a public Github repo

That is the exact paragraph I’m not certain about.
re-distribute, according to the Cambridge dictionary, means: “to share something out differently from before”.

This is where it becomes iffy, a website will always run on the local pc of a visitor… thus… that fits the description.

A case could be made that hosting source is not, in fact, redistributing the product. Especially because there is VERY little difference between having it served through a web server or through Github.

I do, however, feel that I need to ammend my initial question as I feel it wasn’t clear. I will make the edit and await further replies.

You should contact Envato support directly if you want to go in depth on licensing questions, these forums to do not receive official replies for items like this.

I would mind very much, despite your alterations this is not your original work, and if you publicly hosted it in a GitHub repo I would send a DMCA takedown.

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Envato support isn’t required imo, I already took steps to get into contact with the owner of the thing I bought to ask him directly, I’m really looking for thoughts about the whole thing as I believe there is a stigma around the whole thing :slight_smile:

Interesting, even though you’re given explicit credit for your work with links to the place you can buy the stuff you’d still mind. Thanks for the reply!

Licensing is not clear in this regard, especially when incorporating an item that you are distributing outside of Envato. Putting it on github is re-distribution and we can debate what redistribution is all you want but if the author perceives this as such, you only put your work at risk of DMCA takedown as the author will surely pursue one against you.

Contact both Envato support & the author and see where they stand. Envato can take down the item if they think the author is in breech of exclusivity. The author on the other hand can file a DMCA with github, if they think their bad sales is correlated to you hosting their item on github.

Hey Typps,

I did not know Envato actively protected it’s authors, thanks!
I have written permission now and will write to Envato about their stance on the matter.

You’re sure right, the licenses aren’t clear and the author himself (at least his name sounds like a guys name…) has received such questions before (e.g an open source project, still only 1 product which you can freely distribute but the code itself was an issue…)

Thanks for the reply.

As for the thread, I’m keen to hear from others about their stance as either an author or someone who want to develop an open source app using a template (not everyone has an eye for design after all…)

Cheers.