RIPPING Commercial Themes!

[Zachery]

Originally Posted by Shelley_c

To turn the otherside of the debate on it's head, there are plenty of people here that do a wonderfull job for free who are an expert in their field. merly because your a paying customer, paying top dollar your not always going to get a great outcome from it.

I've seen plenty of free projects taken that surpass commercial projects so there's always pros and cons to each area.

Are we talking about open source software here or free addons/graphics/styles like the ones found here? Often people taken on "free" project to generate good names for their company, products, and to further their own goals. I am thankful to anyone who wishes to release their work for free. But rarely these days is anything free. Most people want recognition and money.

There are people who do it becuase they love the community, or want to give back. Or perhaps releasing the software just because they can. These people are fewer and fewer between these days. Hopefully a trend that will change for the better.

[Shelley_c]

Originally Posted by Zachery

Are we talking about open source software here or free addons/graphics/styles like the ones found here? Often people taken on "free" project to generate good names for their company, products, and to further their own goals. I am thankful to anyone who wishes to release their work for free. But rarely these days is anything free. Most people want recognition and money.

There are people who do it becuase they love the community, or want to give back. Or perhaps releasing the software just because they can. These people are fewer and fewer between these days. Hopefully a trend that will change for the better.

I was referring more to the scripts/styles graphics released here but you could also extend this to open source/freeware/donateware products. But to point out about the comment you made about "not charging people enough" and "people further their goals" it's not a bad thing but your right in saying (or atleast I think so) is that they are becoming fewer and fewer these days. The way you conveyed it is that you regretted charging the little amount you did during the vb2 3 days which is why this kind of thinking is why there are fewer and fewer people that give freely. again, I'm not saying it's a bad thing charging, I have no problem in purchasing a high quality product and people do need to earn an income from their talents but if everyone adopted this path we wouldn't have a thriving community with an abundance of scripts/styles (I won't say graphics because I think compared to IPB resources the graphics don't compare) because of the neglection of this area for many years.

The good thing about this community is that alot of people here help freely. expecting no gain and more importantly spending their time to enhance other peoples browsing experience. I have no problem in purchasing a solid product from a reputable person/company but free and commercial can be as good as one another or work very well together (you only have to look here and every vb board to see that). But I also don't have a problem using a free based product that is just as good and I like to think that I give back quality products as well as thousands of members here do.

I think I'm about to cry now. I think I might go release something.

[Zachery]

My response was specificly to some work i had done for a style company from the vB2 to vb3 days. They were commericial products to begin wtih. The time and effort it took to convert the styles to vB3 was time consuming, esp getting little things right. Though this has nothing to do with how i feel the community here has gone. It was a comment about people not realizing how much hard work goes into something.

I see paid requests for 5-20 dollars all the time that are 1-5 hours worth of work.

[Alfa1]

I would be very interested to know what you think is a reasonable price for a excellent and exclusive skin?

[JacquiiDesigns]

Originally Posted by Zachery

I see paid requests for 5-20 dollars all the time that are 1-5 hours worth of work.

Yeah -and usually those posts the OP has posted "Should be easy work. Won't take that long." As if they know LMAO - If they did know - they'd have done the damn job themselves.

Anyway - that's generally why those posts go unanswered and the OP posts back several days later "Anyone help with this?"

Jacquii.

[smacklan]

In regards to the original subject of this thread, I must say I'm shocked to learn that people rip other's work...truly shocked

[mikey1991]

Originally Posted by smacklan

In regards to the original subject of this thread, I must say I'm shocked to learn that people rip other's work...truly shocked

...Sarcasm?

[JacquiiDesigns]

ROFLMAO - More sarcasm ==> I absolutely L-O-V-E it

[KW802]

Originally Posted by DieselMinded

Cost me ~$2,000 for Registration .

DM, might be an interesting 'article' thread if you wrote up what steps you took exactly to register your TM'ed items (what types of TM you chose, steps you did to go about it, etc.).

Originally Posted by Kayvin

For the record, commission Trek themes are in violation of copyright law. Fair use allows Trek-based creations online, provided they are free and nobody gains any profit from them. Paramount Pictures holds the copyright to all Star Trek-y stuff, and unless you have a license from Paramount, you can't charge for them.

That is something that I see over & over again people completely ignoring. The same holds true for people charging for stuff like BlackBerry themes that contain copyrighted & trademarked images -- the sellers simply have no rights to the images they are using to make money with.

Originally Posted by Zachery

I did far to many vB2 to vB3 style upgrades for far too little money.

That reminds me... when vB4 is released, let's talk about an upgrade or two of some styles.

[Dean C]

Originally Posted by JacquiiCooke

Oooo - Sarcasm! I LOVE it tehehe - But seriously - what did you expect from the commentary? Everyone to bow down and say that you are right and console you? Ha! Too funny...


Damn! What the hell are you guys charging your clients? $100 an hour? Must be nice.


It's not stupid Shelley - I'm happy to put 10 hours into a design for $40/hour --- I take into consideration that not everyone can afford a $2000 vBulletin skin LOL - and for every corporate identity package ordered (top dollar of course) - I will show you 100 vB enthusiasts on a budget :P and more than happy to have a custom design that is both affordable and classy.

Jacquii.

$40 an hour is not cheap. That's above market rate in the UK. Although experts can charge more, and do.