Hello community,
I will be moving my website to a new domain. Do I have to buy a new license or can I use the old one?
It is the Mentor – Personal Development Coach WordPress Theme.
I look forward to your experiences! Thank you so much! Regards, Andrea
Hi @AndreavG70,
If the website is same mean same website but different domain then old license you can use but if the website is different mean different end product then author may require a new license.
To use purchase code (license) again which already used for any website (mean theme license already registered) you have to unregister/deactivate the theme license from the old domain/website. you can not use the same purchase code (license) for more than 1 website.
If you don’t have access of old website wp-admin where the theme registered/activated then you have to contact theme author and request them to unregister/deactivate the theme license from the old domain/website.
contact the theme Author and let them know How to Contact your purchased theme Author, the theme author will be happy to assist you within their scope.
Thanks
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Thank you very much for your comments. Now I know what to do. In fact, only the domain name changes. The content is 100% the same.
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Envato terms are strict, one website = one license, if you change the domain name, you need to purchase another copy. Bear in mind that the decision is up to the item author. They may accept the domain name change or ask you to purchase a new copy.
You’re mixing up the meaning of a “website” versus a “domain”, as these are two different concepts entirely. I’ve challenged this assertion from you before as well.
Here is the legally binding document that defines a regular license: Regular License | ThemeForest
If you search that page for the term “domain” you will find zero results. The license operates under the concept of an “end product” which is the website itself, not the domain name.
Excerpt from regular license terms
You are licensed to use the Item to create one single End Product for yourself or for one client (a “single application”), and the End Product can be distributed for Free.
An End Product is one of the following things, both requiring an application of skill and effort.
- For an Item that is a template, the End Product is a customised implementation of the Item.
- For other types of Item, an End Product is a work that incorporates the Item as well as other things, so that it is larger in scope and different in nature than the Item.
This is why staging websites are also allowed, as they are technically for the same end product even if they’re on another domain name. There’s no special exception within the terms that allows for a staging domain, rather it’s a natural side effect of the “end product” definition.
In most cases, when someone is asking about activating a theme on a new domain, their intention is to reuse the theme on an entirely new website, often after the previous website shut down. That’s a violation of the license agreement.
But above, the OP confirmed that their intention is to rename an existing website. It’s not a new website, it’s not a new end product, and the existing license still applies. They are totally within their rights to continue using their existing license if what they say is true.
Similarly, let’s imagine someone has a website on example.com and the company ends up shutting down. Later, they decide to reuse the domain for a different purpose. It’s the same domain, but now they need a new license, because the end product has changed.
As you stated, staging website URL change is allowed. ( Exception )
I’m aware of the “definition” for “end-product” but as said, mostly it’s a totally new end-product and they want to use the theme on a new website/end-product.
That’s why I added this section:
No, the staging website is not an exception. I was suggesting the opposite, actually:
“There’s no special exception within the terms that allows for a staging domain, rather it’s a natural side effect of the ‘end product’ definition.”
The staging domain is allowed because it is part of the same end product… even though it’s a different domain. This in itself challenges your original statements, and is evidence that the policy is not “1 license = 1 domain”, hence why I pointed it out.
In this particular case, the author must accept the domain name change, they cannot decline. Although there’s a potential argument about whether they are obligated to do so, when the support period has expired.
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Hello,
It really depends on the template creator’s policy.
Most template creators allow you to deactivate the previous license and register it for the new domain.
Never lose hope—just negotiate!