Copyright on Templates - How does it work?

Just something that's been on my mind for a while. If you take a free template from the web, can you create content for it and edit the footer like "Designed by MyCompany"?

On another occasion; if you get a nulled template and edit the looks of it, is it yours? I mean, once the design has been altered enough, it is more unique than not right? I guess the true copyright of these template is in the design, not the source code, you can't copyright standard HTML.

Its just a theoretical question, but as soon as I start creating websites for enough clients, I just want to know. I guess most of these claims can only be judged individually by a court.

I too would like to know the answer to this question...

I was thinking about editing free themes and putting them on CodeCanyon (if they even publish it)

You're allowed to remove "Designed by Elegant Themes" to put "Designed by xtopzi" I think. I certainly do it on all of my sites but I don't know how it would work if you were selling them.

Ptrick125 that is definitely not a good idea. If the owners find you it doesn't matter that you don't have to pay for the theme, it is theirs you cannot market it as your own. It will get legal very quickly if you do that.

Deleted member 364366 said:

You're allowed to remove "Designed by Elegant Themes" to put "Designed by xtopzi" I think. I certainly do it on all of my sites but I don't know how it would work if you were selling them.

Ptrick125 that is definitely not a good idea. If the owners find you it doesn't matter that you don't have to pay for the theme, it is theirs you cannot market it as your own. It will get legal very quickly if you do that.

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Exactly there are many legal issues where you have to prove that you had codded and designed the theme my your team or by your self
untill and unless if you want to get some money rolling.