Thread: Designers link on the footer

Designer can ask for a small payment if the user does not require a link-back to the designer. Some designers know that their link would not stay on the site for long, so they may encrypt some of the code in the template so that it becomes difficult for the user to make changes to the template, if they remove the encrypted code. This may help the designer to still keep the template free while promoting his name and site though the free template.

It helps the designer in terms of SEO as well. It gives lots of backlinks and as such I require that my clients keep it in the footer for no less than 24 months. It is in my agreement and when I have had one client remove it out of ignorance of our agreement, I kindly let him know that he agreed to it. He allowed me put it back . His reason for moving it was that he felt the footer was too cluttered since he had other professionals who also contributed to the site. What we did was create a credits page where he could giver credit to whomever else he wanted to..but mine had to stay in the footer.

Originally Posted by ann1976

It helps the designer in terms of SEO as well. It gives lots of backlinks and as such I require that my clients keep it in the footer for no less than 24 months. It is in my agreement and when I have had one client remove it out of ignorance of our agreement, I kindly let him know that he agreed to it. He allowed me put it back . His reason for moving it was that he felt the footer was too cluttered since he had other professionals who also contributed to the site. What we did was create a credits page where he could giver credit to whomever else he wanted to..but mine had to stay in the footer.

What would you do if he said "no", and didn't put your link back in the footer?

That's a good question. I hesitate to ever take legal action because it cost so much in time and energy and to me that's not an issue to go to court over. Id probably sulk for a day or two and move on. I was thinking about joining Prepaid Legal so I could have an attorney draft a letter whenever I needed, but again in this case I would have dropped it. Not worth the headache.

I think it's inevitable that some people will take your link out of the footer, but in most cases if the user doesn't know how to create their own template, they likely don't know how to go into the code and remove your link either. I personally wouldn't bother going after those who remove it, unless perhaps it was a really high profile site. You could threaten to point out elsewhere that they are using a template they didn't create and are not giving credit to the person who did, which would make their site look less reputable.

Originally Posted by ann1976

That's a good question. I hesitate to ever take legal action because it cost so much in time and energy and to me that's not an issue to go to court over. Id probably sulk for a day or two and move on. I was thinking about joining Prepaid Legal so I could have an attorney draft a letter whenever I needed, but again in this case I would have dropped it. Not worth the headache.

If it is a Wordpress theme (I am guessing) then I do not think you can take legal action under the GNU/GLP.

Themes that are licensed GNU/GPL or Free do not have restrictions in relation to modifying the code. You can modify the code as much as you want. However, some themes are released with the GNU/GPL license or as Free but they contain a copyright notice above the encrypted code that looks something like this:

This file is protected by copyright law. To reverse engineer or decode this file is strictly prohibited.

My understanding of this issue is that the theme was released under a license which allows you to modify the code that comprises the theme. Since the license governs all of the files within the theme, this could be interpreted to mean that the code used to display the copyright notice can also be modified or removed. So, get rid of it.

http://themebot.com/tips-and-tutoria...rdpress-themes

But it is still a moral issue. Someone did take time to make that theme so a link back to them is the right thing to do however, some developers put paid links in them and that is wrong IMO.

Modifying the links can break the theme, so the best be is to hid them in the .css.

Code:

# (div ID) {display:none;}

I have quite a few free templates that have design and sponsor links n the footer, most people keep them in, a few have paid to remove them.
I have often thought what could I do to the people that remove them. My normal thing is to email them regarding the removal and giving them the option to pay for it. Some have and some just ignore me.

I just leave it then.

I ask for $5 to remove the "created by" link. I have a list of sites that have been allowed to remove it. I applied a code in the source to allow me to find all the sites using my theme, if they have removed without asking I contact them directly if they don't reply I go to their hosting provider.

Originally Posted by garfish

I saw some users online that tried to delete the designer's link on the footer of the templates they distributed freely. Its such a discouragement after seeing a designer ripped off by someone, what do you think he can do for this not to happen?

Honestly, there's only one thing he can do to keep this from happening and anyone good with graphics could do the same thing as anyone else can. The only actual solution where an individual can keep his copyright there without giving the user the coding option to remove it is to design the copyright into the footer.

Originally Posted by houck

I ask for $5 to remove the "created by" link. I have a list of sites that have been allowed to remove it. I applied a code in the source to allow me to find all the sites using my theme, if they have removed without asking I contact them directly if they don't reply I go to their hosting provider.

Have you ever had success with the host? I do not see a host penalizing a site because you contacted them. I could be wrong though. Also with Google being so hard on links, why would you insist on having your link all over the place on a wide variety of niches?

Originally Posted by Kina

Have you ever had success with the host? I do not see a host penalizing a site because you contacted them. I could be wrong though. Also with Google being so hard on links, why would you insist on having your link all over the place on a wide variety of niches?

Most hosts will actually penalize your account due to the fact that removing the copyright from a theme is practically the same thing as using a nulled copy of a forums software. You're getting it free because it's branded, if you take the branding off without author permission, it's practically theft. Also, most authors would love to have their links spread across the internet, the more people in more niches that see the copyright branding, the more likely you'll have more downloads, the more downloads that you have the more the chance you have at getting buyers in the future.

Originally Posted by BlackCobra

Most hosts will actually penalize your account due to the fact that removing the copyright from a theme is practically the same thing as using a nulled copy of a forums software. You're getting it free because it's branded, if you take the branding off without author permission, it's practically theft. Also, most authors would love to have their links spread across the internet, the more people in more niches that see the copyright branding, the more likely you'll have more downloads, the more downloads that you have the more the chance you have at getting buyers in the future.

Yeah but you would have to put the copyright in the agreement when the theme is downloaded. If you put the "Do not alter/remove this code" in the PHP script, then a user can just remove the code because themes can be altered anyway under the GNU/GLP licence. But most themes when you download them do not have you agree to a TOS therefore you are allowed to modify anything in the theme.

Originally Posted by Kina

Yeah but you would have to put the copyright in the agreement when the theme is downloaded. If you put the "Do not alter/remove this code" in the PHP script, then a user can just remove the code because themes can be altered anyway under the GNU/GLP licence. But most themes when you download them do not have you agree to a TOS therefore you are allowed to modify anything in the theme.

That is completely true, however, the reason why some copyrights are in the theme's PHP code is due to the fact that the themes aren't always ONLY distributed through the author, I believe I myself have downloaded a few themes that are from I believe the URL was awesomethemes.com or something and out of every theme I've downloaded on there, I don't recall seeing once a ToS page