What are "null" wordpress themes?

Hi, I hope this is the right forum for this kind of a question..

I dont understand what are these null wordpress themes..

I see people are using premium and paid themes for free and calling these themes null..
What is up with that?

Is that legal, can a user of these themes get in any trouble?

Also I see that many users in this forum on the section "download" are leaving links to these premium themes for free! Is that safe to use?
Also I heard about GPL, are these themes all under GPL? Is that why people are posting them in forum?

Are all those themes null?

For example this thread:
http://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/get-top-selling-wordpress-themes-collection-updated-retail-versions.767485/

"InnovativeSEO" member worked hard obviously to provide the forum with paid themes for free.

But is using these themes okay? No risk there? What if developers ever found out? Would they come raging with dragons and shit? XD

Please just tell me the legal stuff here.. And what is null.. I am very confused

It is not legal as a nulled theme is a cracked paid theme. So you can use it for free.

The downside is that the theme could contain a code which will let "hackers control your website".

Thank you for your reply.. So it is not legal, thats all I neded to know

But still wondering. Could the developer ever know for sure that I didnt buy it If I use cracked theme?
And are these themes posted here in forum not trusted if they are posted by a verified members?

Null means that any "Call home" Script or tracking was striped out of the code.

The developer can still find ways to see who has installed their script and web page.. but proving that an install in legit or not would be a hard fight for them.. so I think most just turn a blind eye.... If they did come after you, unless you were selling the sites with the null scrips on it, you would just need to swap out the theme (*99% of the time they would just send you a letter asking you to remove it or buy it).

The down side to a null script or wp theme is when the developer releases an update to it.. you would need to re-find that nulled script or theme to get the added features or security patches.
Also, sometimes with nulled scripts or themes - less noble people may inject code into that and that could compromise your web page.

So, if its a money site that you would want to keep safe for a long time - invest into the scrip.. if its a turn and burn site.. well.. its up to you.

Hope it helps~

web_riches said:

Null means that any "Call home" Script or tracking was striped out of the code.

The developer can still find ways to see who has installed their script and web page.. but proving that an install in legit or not would be a hard fight for them.. so I think most just turn a blind eye.... If they did come after you, unless you were selling the sites with the null scrips on it, you would just need to swap out the theme (*99% of the time they would just send you a letter asking you to remove it or buy it).

The down side to a null script or wp theme is when the developer releases an update to it.. you would need to re-find that nulled script or theme to get the added features or security patches.
Also, sometimes with nulled scripts or themes - less noble people may inject code into that and that could compromise your web page.

So, if its a money site that you would want to keep safe for a long time - invest into the scrip.. if its a turn and burn site.. well.. its up to you.

Hope it helps~

Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply..

There is this one theme that I Love how it looks like but I am broke lol..
I guess I will just have to wait untill I earn the money from internet and buy it

Hmmm... A question appears in my head now. Would it be legal if I MADE a theme Exactly or pretty similar to the one I want from the scratch and then used it?
It would end up looking 90% like the one that is offered for sale

Fifth said:

Hmmm... A question appears in my head now. Would it be legal if I MADE a theme Exactly or pretty similar to the one I want from the scratch and then used it?
It would end up looking 90% like the one that is offered for sale

Click to expand...

If you have the knowledge to make a theme, why this question ?
If you think you can hire someone to make it for less than buying the theme, dude, you find the best business ever. You can create thousands of themes and sell them!

PS: it will never cost you less than buying the theme.

Alaindeloin said:

If you have the knowledge to make a theme, why this question ?
If you think you can hire someone to make it for less than buying the theme, dude, you find the best business ever. You can create thousands of themes and sell them!

PS: it will never cost you less than buying the theme.

Click to expand...

Well I know some coding, I might give it a shot, using various other themes which are open source, I can just copy bunch of stuff and edit it the way I want it, but it will still take a lot of time, but better than paying XD
I am just one of those guys that never wish to pay for stuff lol unless I feel like thats the only way

But anyway this thread was for me to learn how do these null themes work.. Never heard up to today that paid themes can be hacked. I always thought that those paid themes have to be paid for

Fifth said:

Hmmm... A question appears in my head now. Would it be legal if I MADE a theme Exactly or pretty similar to the one I want from the scratch and then used it?
It would end up looking 90% like the one that is offered for sale

Click to expand...

Well, when you say can make a theme Exactly like the theme... I would say their are 2 big elements to that.
1, you have the design, and 2 you have the code...

Their are many many web pages that share the same design
Some share the same functions and and the same code.

You can use that theme as inspiration and make your own, make your own graphics, write your own CSS and code and then.. it would be a unique web page and that is rad, you can even sell it if you want... the problem comes in when and if you copy code, or copy graphics then make money off that code or graphics with out giving the author credit.... well that is if they copy protected their work or can prove it is theirs and your stole it.

Well, I say if you can code your own, do it! change like 25% of the code and 25% of the design, brand it as new and sell it!

Good Luck

web_riches said:

Null means that any "Call home" Script or tracking was striped out of the code.

The developer can still find ways to see who has installed their script and web page.. but proving that an install in legit or not would be a hard fight for them.. so I think most just turn a blind eye.... If they did come after you, unless you were selling the sites with the null scrips on it, you would just need to swap out the theme (*99% of the time they would just send you a letter asking you to remove it or buy it).

The down side to a null script or wp theme is when the developer releases an update to it.. you would need to re-find that nulled script or theme to get the added features or security patches.
Also, sometimes with nulled scripts or themes - less noble people may inject code into that and that could compromise your web page.

So, if its a money site that you would want to keep safe for a long time - invest into the scrip.. if its a turn and burn site.. well.. its up to you.

Hope it helps~

Click to expand...

I had been using a nulled theme from 2014 for a few months but had to eventually switch to the default wordpress theme. They end up breaking after a time when new wordpress update,plugin updates.