is it possible? i think this is kind of gray-hat and illegal but is it possible? I am thinking of releasing a wordpress theme and i am afraid of this problem.
many premium themes allows you to use the same on more than one blog. So you need to check the license before you buy. If they do not allow you to use the same theme on more than one blog, then go for the one which allows you to do so. or check some awesome free wordpress themes. you can use it on as many as you can.
All I will say is spammers do it all the time. You can send the DMCA notice to their host if you are really strict. I have done that a lot with my themes and taken the site down. But yes they can do that.
Can one of you explain in a little more detail, the differences between "single use / single domain usage" licenses? Because to me, if it's a "single USE" license, it means just that, use it once only. And not to be used on this domain, then this other domain, and then yet another domain. That would fall under "multiple use" license... right? Same as it states for "Single domain" licensing. If you got it to run on "mydomain.com", it should be used on just that domain. Not mydomain.com and mydomain2.com. Even if you hosted / owned both domains and the domain names were different, it shouldn't technically be "right", right? Thanks in advanced..
Single use license is a single use license. Regardless of where that theme is going to be, it can only be used once. Some authors call it different things, but essentially they are preventing the use of the theme in more than one location without paying a higher premium price. People can elect to follow the rules (most do), or not. The difference between the two has alot to do with respect for the author's rights and the person's moral sensitivity. I have seen people buy one theme and use it in 20 blogs, then again, those are the people who get shut down by their hosts like smub mentioned. Dan