Recently all submitted themes from a member of this community, were removed from the themesite on the basis of a very important issue - ripping from other themes. Especially when the source is not a SMF theme and therefore harder to detect.
Why is this so important? Well, for one thing, SMF itself can be held responsible for those thefts - because they are indeed thefts - by merely housing the themes. Another issue is the display of disrespect for other peoples work. The net seems like such a vast and unlimited source to just be used whenever needed, but there are certain rules that apply there too. And protecting peoples work from being used without permission is one of the most important ones.
To make themes based on other themes is not bad in itself, far from it. But when you use things without asking, you step over a border. That border may not be so important for you there and then, but consider you may one day be the other party in this..what then?
Sadly there have been a slight increase in submitted themes that use stuff from other sources, especially from other forum software. Maybe because they think SMF deserve such great themes? Fair enough, but it is still stealing. Nothing can change that fact unless you get a proper permission to use them and the documentation to back it up. We are on the lookout on all submitted themes, but its kind of depressing of having to treat all as possible rips. I had hoped we did not need to do that.
So please, keep it clean. Make great themes and/or convert other great themes, but follow the rules! Both we and the rest of the community will thank you for it.
Thanks for reading.
