License and copyright ownership as an agency

Envato Authors Theme Authors
1

Hi there.
I’m working as an agency and I need to buy themes for some clients.
I have a few questions:

  • first, before purchasing the theme I need to show the demo of the website to my client. I always make a page screenshot of the website or a video. Is that possible without having copyright problems or anything else?
  • second, in terms of royalties or copyright, the final website is under which owner? My client, me, or the theme author.
  • at the end of the project I will have to share the license PDF to my clients, right? Can I upload the licenses inside Google Drive folders and share the folders with my clients.

Many thanks.

2

The main answer is to let the client buy the item - this is definitely the best option as if you were to then part company they do not lose access to the support and downloads they should get.

  1. If it’s just a screenshot then it’s fine (better still send them to the item demo)

  2. The copyright of an item is with the original author. The license to use the item is with the buyer account and can be shared to the client but they will never be able to download the item or access support and updates

  3. Yes that is fine

1 Like
3

Hi Charlie.
Thank you for your answer.

Is not a problem the fact that they can’t download or ask for support since the hosting (so the website also) is still under our management.

So, when they ask me “who is the owner of the website and its content/elements?” what should I tell them?

4

As the buyer you are the license holder to use the items. You can create a project for a client and transfer that license to them as part of that. The copyright of items used remains always with the author.

If for any reason you stop managing the website then they will not ever be able to access updates in the future as that will only be available to the original buyer.

5

So, the copyright of the them is under the author, but the copyright of the website is under the client?

6

Hi there, can I have the confirmation on this point? What should I say to the client regarding the copyright of the website creates with a theme?