*>>Selling Sites w/ Stolen Themes?? Is it Illegal?? [Plz Advise]

**renegaderats** · 10-18-2011, 02:00 AM

So I'm thinking of selling some sites which will all use premium wordpress themes from the BHW members download section (obviously not paid for), particularly one theme from the studi0pr3ss collection which will be used on multiple sites that I would be selling over and over (If all goes well).

Also I wanted to know what the general consensuses is on using these themes for clients who pay me to build them a website... Again it should be obvious that I never purchased a developers license for these themes.

Am I being over cautious or are my concerns justified? Could there be any legal backlash or is it just one of those things that the themes developers accept as an inevitability and don't waste their time with? Technically its selling stolen merchandise is it not?

**meathead1234** · 10-19-2011, 09:57 PM

If you can't afford a developer's license, your second best option would be to sell a few sites (without license - at your own risk) and then buy a legit license as soon as you can afford it.

It's always good to support the developer, especially if you're profiting from their work.

**rakoom2002** · 10-21-2011, 03:10 AM

Originally Posted by meathead1234

If you can't afford a developer's license, your second best option would be to sell a few sites (without license - at your own risk) and then buy a legit license as soon as you can afford it.

It's always good to support the developer, especially if you're profiting from their work.

I actually asked this a while ago. Would it be okay to just buy the theme when your site sales?

**simple** · 10-21-2011, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by rakoom2002

I actually asked this a while ago. Would it be okay to just buy the theme when your site sales?

I don't see any wrong with that since we still support the developer. Am I right meathead1234?

**meathead1234** · 10-21-2011, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by simple

I don't see any wrong with that since we still support the developer. Am I right meathead1234?

Well, using a stolen copy in the first place isn't "right" but if you end up paying for it anyway down the line it's not as much of an issue. Just don't tell everyone what you are doing

**sickmarketing** · 10-21-2011, 07:06 PM

A developer's license where theme theme is from?

**gshag33** · 10-23-2011, 02:53 AM

there's no way for them to prove whether or not you payed for the theme.

you could have bought the theme under a clients name, you could have gotten it from a friend, you could have bought it months ago and just now deployed it, there are a million reasons

on top of that, the buyer would have to contact the premium theme site and ask if you purchased it, or the developer would have to see the site and find a way to prove you didn't buy it which is pretty much impossible

**cbnoob** · 10-23-2011, 03:06 AM

I did this once and I told the buyer the theme is not properly licensed and he said it's ok. As long as it doesn't matter to the buyer, there will be no problem. However, ethically, it is a good thing to buy the legit version.