Hi everyone,
I’d like to share a frustrating experience I’ve had with the Brooklyn Theme by UnitedThemes, and see if anyone else has gone through something similar.
I purchased a regular license for Brooklyn via Envato and used it on my personal website. Later, I wanted to experiment with creating a new site, so I unlinked the license from my original website and used the key to test the theme on a new one. After a few tests, I wasn’t convinced, so I deleted the new site and unlinked the key again. But when I tried to relink the license to my original site, WordPress told me the key was already in use — and now I can’t use it anywhere.
The author refuses to reset the key, arguing that it was previously activated on multiple sites (even though never at the same time), and Envato support (Camille) told me they can’t help either.
This means I’ve paid for a product I can no longer use — even though I haven’t violated any license terms.
I fully respect the “one license = one site” policy, and I never tried to cheat the system. Honestly, if I had wanted to act unethically, I wouldn’t have bothered unlinking and relinking the license properly. I would’ve just downloaded a GPL version of the theme for $5, like many people do. But I didn’t — I paid for a legitimate license out of respect for the author’s work.
Now, ironically, I’m being treated as if I had misused the license — when in fact I followed the rules and acted transparently.
I believe authors shouldn’t be allowed to refuse reactivation when it’s clear the product is no longer in use, and Envato should take a more active role in protecting honest buyers.
I find it deeply unfair that both the author’s and Envato’s only solution is to ask me to buy a new license — simply because they refuse to reactivate the one I already paid for.
Any thoughts or similar experiences?