Comments on: Creative Commons Images With WordPress Themes & Plugins

By: Kira Nebilak

Kira Nebilak — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 03:52:36 +0000

Determining licensing for graphics has been a recurring issue in my experiences as a designer and coder. I have a client that sends me layouts to slice and dice into CSS/HTML/WP – These are usually fine because my client hires the layout designer directly and takes most of the photography.

This doesn’t prevent all images from being cleared, however. My client (technically I’m doing sub-contracted work) has been fined for unlicensed use of content in the past. He is more cautious now, but the layout designer is still occasionally using images that just don’t work. And while I am not responsible for the content of the websites I code as a sub-contractor (I try to avoid content creation as well) it can drag down the project. Obscure licenses, unclear licenses… They can hold up the project and that is when it affects me. From the perspective of a one-person sub-contractor, it’s not very fun.

By: jonney

jonney — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:53:49 +0000

This is such a sensitive area, i had a problem a few years a go where i used some icons that where labelled as public domain. But in reality they were copy write and some nice person had decided to make them public domain. I think the only what you can be sure it either to commision original work or to buy the icons and then keep the paper work so if something goes wrong then you have some come back.

By: Andy Beard

Andy Beard — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 22:52:24 +0000

Don’t you think if you can’t work out where images used by a WordPress blog are located on a server that you don’t offer web hosting?

By: Bryan Agoncillo

Bryan Agoncillo — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:06:53 +0000

I use wordpress on most of my websites, it is just easier to handle so you can focus on the material that you wish to share to the world. I never really gave it much thought to edit the graphics though… Where are most of these images located on the server.

Sometimes a theme actually prevents you to edit anything depending on the theme you use for your website. I can’t seem to remember if it is this site that I have now or another just blocks me for doing minor edits like adding adsense on the foot or header of the site.

I think it’s just safer that I don’t touch any of the graphics to avoid any issues all together online or offline!

By: Andy Beard

Andy Beard — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:58:47 +0000

Nathan sometimes it is the only option, though tracking the origin of things you might use, such as those “yes” bullets in your sidebar is a major pain, as I have seen them listed as public domain, also included with PLR icon sets which is actually not the same, and included in resale rights packs.

By: Nathan Resick

Nathan Resick — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:31:38 +0000

I developed my own icon set for wordpress recently

had a fun time – am I a dork or what?

By: Andy Beard

Andy Beard — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:12:54 +0000

I tried to keep the post neutral, as I did write about the Thesis situation.

In this case I am throwing a much wider net, though just because I am not mentioning any themes doesn’t mean any are excluded.

I would advise owners of all themes to check the origin of images – an image is a complete copyright work and I recently had to remove a post due to image use after receiving a C&D. They could have just pressed for $150K in damages if the image had the copyright registered (with the intent do get $1500 settlement out of court).

By: Jeet

Jeet — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:41:46 +0000

Wow, never really paid attention to the complexities arising because of GPL and CC interaction. Was your post inspired by Thesis going GPL?

I often edit the code for themes but almost never touch the design. Since CC doesn’t cover code, how do people protect their CSS code? Or they are just licensing the layout?

By: Andy Beard

Andy Beard — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:43:40 +0000

I have never done anything with child themes that didn’t require at least some minimal coding.

When there was the original Sandbox competition I couldn’t imagine anyone using it without some modifications of the php, but the results were impressive.

What I find most frustrating with icon sets are those for desktop use only, which would then prevent them being used on the web.

Then there are the sets that restrict commercial use, thus you couldn’t use them on a site with advertising (depending on your interpretation of commercial use)

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:35:32 +0000

GPL icons are a pain to find, and CC licensing for art/icons/fonts is part of the reason that split licensing (PHP as GPL, CSS/JS as other) is useful. I’d always wanted to see “child themes” make a bigger impact in the community, since they’re devoid of the PHP/GPL problems.

Anyway, the Oxygen icons are LGPL: http://www.oxygen-icons.org/?page_id=4 although you’ll need to figure out where the SVN directory moved to inside of KDE.

Also, there’s the Lullabot icons from Drupal.