A question of etiquette

[Starship Krupa]

When releasing a custom theme for use by others, is it considered okay to "swipe" images from others' themes that are in active development?

Is it necessary to acknowledge it in the Properties, or does it depend on the amount of swiping?

For example, my current custom theme, which I would like to release into the wild soon, swipes @Colin Nicholls most excellent "Plug-In Tree Icons." This is an easily identifiable swipe due to the special icon for VST3's in it. I really like the image, it has manila-colored folders for another thing. The spot-it-in-an-instant VST3 icons make it easier to avoid using duplicate VST2's.

I see the "based on" reference, used when someone starts from someone else's theme, but mine starts right at Tungsten, with a couple of image swipes from Colin and @Matthew White.

[sjoens]

If I ever post a theme I'd expect it to be ravaged by scavengers. It's part of the game.

AFAIK there's no copyright or wrong here. It's up to you. Acknowledgment is always nice tho.

 

[Matthew White]

Ah yes, the bitter-sweet part of releasing themes. With no copyrights to parts, it allows and helps others to create and release new themes which is definitely a good thing, on the bad side (worst case) it allows someone to take your complete theme, make some very minor changes then pass that theme off as their own without any mention of the original designer, This has been done with my M-Spec theme but at least it was my first theme and the depth of editing was less complicated than in my others.

Sorry for that ramble going a bit off topic to what you're asking.  My opinion to your question is like sjoens, in that it's up to you, I'm guilty myself of swiping an item or two before without mention though usually I make some kind of small change to those. You're more than welcome to use items from my themes with or without mention, I always appreciate a mention but never expect it although I'd expect it more if a large number of heavily edited items of mine were used.

Purely out of interest, which part/s from my theme/s are you going to use?

Edited December 21, 2020 by Matthew White

[Glenn Stanton]

open source baby! feel the love! /snark off/

ultimately the UI is copyrighted/trademarked by Bandlab. the "theme editor" is an end user (use at your own risk thingie) which lends itself to people co-opting other peoples works (sort of like, say, presets, audio clip "samples", etc). it's the very nature of creativity to do, use, re-use, re-do, subtract, and combine.

if someone is looking to make money off it, well,  "want to make a million dollars with a recording studio? start with two million".

[Colin Nicholls]

Well, here's my 2c.

I think it's polite to ask, if you know how to contact the original author.

Given that we are all building on the shoulders of other folks work, I don't feel that it is reasonable to say "No, you can't use the images". However I'd be annoyed if someone took a theme I'd created and made minimal changes to it and released it as a new theme without asking first, and/or giving credit, but I don't feel I could legit prevent it.

I asked SteveC before taking Polar Blue and revising it. I still use some of the ideas from SteveC in my latest themes (Pre/Post for example). I consider Polar Blue 2020 a joint effort.

[User 905133]

Good question and good answers.  Everyone has different ethical standards.  If it were me (doing the borrowing, that is), I'd ask and give credit. To me its just a matter of being polite. JMO.  (I don't think I have to worry about anyone borrowing from any elements I did; but if someone did, I'd light up with happiness if someone borrowed any ideas and gave me a friendly nod publicly.  Again, that's just me.)

Kudos to all who have been helping to add updates for Colin's Amazing Guide.

[Starship Krupa]

On 12/21/2020 at 6:26 AM, Matthew White said:

Purely out of interest, which part/s from my theme/s are you going to use?

I actually have no plans at this time to use any; I think there's all of one image in my theme that I'm copying as-is and it's from Colin 'cause he made the browser folders tan like real life folders and I like his browser icons for VST3's. Both of these design elements happen to be in the same image.

I'll credit him.

[Matthew White]

12 hours ago, Starship Krupa said:

I actually have no plans at this time to use any; I think there's all of one image in my theme that I'm copying as-is and it's from Colin 'cause he made the browser folders tan like real life folders and I like his browser icons for VST3's. Both of these design elements happen to be in the same image.

I'll credit him.

Oh, OK, I asked as you stated.....

 

On 12/21/2020 at 4:32 AM, Starship Krupa said:

I see the "based on" reference, used when someone starts from someone else's theme, but mine starts right at Tungsten, with a couple of image swipes from Colin and @Matthew White.

 

[Starship Krupa]

I may have been thinking of some ProChannel panel images. There must be something, it's a dark theme and you are the Dark sth lord. I'll special thanks for anything I cop.

It's a unique enough theme that at this point it's not even "inspired" by anything other than me looking at Tungsten and thinking that I'd like to have one where everything is green instead of orange and blue. Later on some brown crept in around window borders. It's started reminding me of a 1960's Jaguar sports car, so I'm going to call it Racing Green.

I thought I had it almost ready then (and I'm sure I'm not the first one who's done this) noticed that there was still a pocket of images that I hadn't converted to my theme color (green). I also want to change some button state images; that's one that can get mixed up when putting hundreds of images through the hue-changer into the wee hours of the morn.

[Colin Nicholls]

1 hour ago, Starship Krupa said:

you are the Dark sth lord

10 points to Gryffindor.