Attention to all the wordpress theme designers / link buyers

Hi all,

as we know, today the industry of selling wordpress themes is blooming, and perhaps sponsoring the wordpress themes is becoming the mainstream, but as something becoming popular, there will also be a lot of fraud raised.

Today I was contacted by one of the sponsors, inquiring why I added 3 poker links into the theme he sponsored, while of course I never added those links.
After a little checking, it appeared that ALL the themes I have on http://www.blogstheme.com have the footer ripped, and sponsored links replaced with debt consolation and poker / casino links.

I randomly clicked a several more theme demos and same links are present on other themes as well, including those that have never been sponsored in the first place!). This comes additionally to a free themes site link added to the meta column.

Some themes have the debt consolation link added to meta, some to footer, and some recent themes like mine have 4 (!) links added to the header.

Earlier, one of the designers contacted me with regards to this website -- http://wordpresstemplates.name they also decrypt the footer, and added 3 links on top of the sponsored so footers end up containing 7-8 links!

I contacted both websites demanding to remove my themes (not much response yet) and I believe if your wp themes were unauthorizedly modified, you'd want to do the same and pass the word on to other designers.

We work hard making the themes and its our copyright work, sponsors pay a great deal of money to sponsor this work, -- not so that someone will use it as an easy way to promote sites we never even allow!

 

Thanks Lorelei for the info.. and.. OMG... I just checked my theme and this ripper added her/his link to my theme without any notice.

 

They say in the lil` disclaimer that they hold no responsibility over the copyright of the themes and if one believes the copyright was violated and unauthorizedly uploaded -- they will remove the themes. BUT.. ain't it quite coincidental that ALL themes have more or less the same links + the debt consolation link added to all footers also happened to be in their website's sitebar... So they can't possibly claim "someone else uploaded the themes without their knowledge" while these are the links they promote on their webiste!

 

I just requested a removal of my theme though, I didn't submit or promote my theme to that site. Hope they will grant my request.

 

The site http://www.blogstheme.com is on the first page for a google search of "wordpress themes".
That means better download numbers.. This guys are running a brand new business, with no expenses involved.
Just collect some free themes inject their links and serve it on the front page.. whoa..
May be they even get paid for these links..

I will get my themes off ASAP..

 

I should guess it's a popular site indeed, the theme you see now as the theme of the month - "modern magic", its mine and it says 2800+ downloads, never had such a download count anywhere else.

And as usual, some designers add these sites to their submission list...

 

I need to compile all my theme's link from that site and request to remove them all. Shoot. since there is no search box I think I have a long way to go. D@mn this ripper.

 

Very impressive number of downloads.

 

Yes, but come to think of it, i end up with illegal poker links environment, and that means i can easily have my design site penalized for this and the impressive download count can backfire...

 

It's pretty obvious that they are adding those debt consolidation & poker links themselves, they are on a ton of themes there.

If your theme is there, you can file a DMCA at google (search for "google dmca") and get their site removed from the SERPS

 

That is really scamming, Did u contact the site owner by email or is the site owner on DP. ?

The site ranks #6 on the term "wordpress themes". This is wrong and we should do something about it .. It is stealing our hardwork and stealing our sponosors money

I am really frustrated seeing these scammers online we should get his site down !

 

Why not connect the webmaster's host abuse department? I'm sure this is something that they would not take lightly.

 

Oh yeah, I have been watching those two doing this nasty stuff and I was thinking how to tell to u people, coz am not much reputed here, though.

Thank you very much Lorelei, for buzzing everyone.

The only solution is "not to submit themes to those sites". So if we stop submitting the themes there, they will come to know that all we guys are aware of their nasty thing.

 

I don't know how about others, but i never submitted to either of them. They probably monitor the big sites and download the newly released themes from there and then rip the footer.

I have no clue if the owner is even a member on dp, but i did email them using the contact forum, i wonder how long will it take to get a response.

I don't know how the copyright law operates in this case, on the one hand, they did leave the designers links, so probably one can't come and say they ripped the theme credits, but in the encrypted footers is clearly says that decoding and modifying is strictly prohibited (in my themes, and in some others i know of), so there has to be something they violate that designer can officially complain about.

 

^ I was not aware of blogstheme, untill they published my "Maxima" theme, which got 150+ downloads in just 2 - 3 days!

 

Allthough I make most of my deals behind the scenes, this is yet another blow to all thrustworthy designers and buyers.

So, basically they are distrubuting your content without your permission..isnt that a valid reason to get their sites down??

I would say ALL designers that find there their themes there report them as individuals, to their hosting companies, for sure that would ring a bell for them.
Same as reporting them to google.

 

Currently there are 970 themes on their website. Some have 1-2 links, other have 4-5, so let's say avarage is adding 3 links per theme. Roughly estimating that a link would cost $60 (going cheap..),

so... 3 links x $60 x 970 themes = approx. $175,000 PURE SAVE. This is how much they stole from other sponsors.

 

Blogstheme was registered on 2007-09-12, which means it has not even completed an year and they have got so much traffic so that themes published there gets heavy downloads in a short time. I guess, the links they have ripped of is the reason for this fame

 

Thank you for the heads up, Lorelei. I will no longer include my WordPress themes promotions in those said websites. Furthermore, I'll delete my themes in those websites as well. Tsk. Tsk.