Digital Product Licenses

License types for Digital Products

Last updated 1st September 2023

Understanding the distinctions between Regular and Extended digital licenses empowers you to make informed decisions when acquiring and utilizing digital products. If your end product including the item is going to be free to the end user, then a Regular License is what you need. An Extended License is required if the end user must pay to use the end product.

Regular License Extended License
Number of end products 1 1
Use in a free end product
(more than one end user allowed)
Use in an end product that's sold
On-demand products/services
(e.g. "made to order" or "create your own" apps and sites)
One license per each
customized end product
Sharing
Redistribution

Regular License

  • 1. The Regular License grants you, the purchaser, an ongoing, non-exclusive, worldwide license to make use of the digital work (Item) you have selected. Read the rest of this license for the details that apply to your use of the Item.

  • 2. You are licensed to use the Item to create one single End Product for yourself or for one client (a “single application”), and the End Product can be distributed for Free.

  • 3. An End Product is one of the following things, both requiring an application of skill and effort.

    • (a) For an Item that is a template, the End Product is a customised implementation of the Item.

      For example, the item is a website theme and the end product is the final website customized with your content.

    • (b) For other types of Item, an End Product is a work that incorporates the Item as well as other things, so that it is larger in scope and different in nature than the Item.

      For example, the item is a button graphic and the end product is a website.

Things you can do with the Product
  • 4. You can create one End Product for a client, and you can transfer that single End Product to your client for any fee. This license is then transferred to your client.

  • 5. You can make any number of copies of the single End Product, as long as the End Product is distributed for Free.

  • 6. You can modify or manipulate the Item. You can combine the Item with other works and make a derivative work from it. The resulting works are subject to the terms of this license. You can do these things as long as the End Product you then create is one that’s permitted under clause 3.

    For example: You can license a flyer template, include your own photos, modify the layout and get it printed to promote your event.

Things you can't do with the product
  • 7. You can’t Sell the End Product, except to one client. (If you or your client want to Sell the End Product, you will need the Extended License.)

  • 8. You can’t re-distribute the Item as stock, in a tool or template, or with source files. You can’t do this with an Item either on its own or bundled with other items, and even if you modify the Item. You can’t re-distribute or make available the Item as-is or with superficial modifications. These things are not allowed even if the re-distribution is for Free.

    If you’re an Marketplace author, you can use other items in your item’s preview without a license, under conditions.

    For example: You can’t purchase an HTML template, convert it to a WordPress theme and sell or give it to more than one client. You can’t license an item and then make it available as-is on your website for your users to download.

  • 9. You can’t use the Item in any application allowing an end user to customise a digital or physical product to their specific needs, such as an “on demand”, “made to order” or “build it yourself” application. You can use the Item in this way only if you purchase a separate license for each final product incorporating the Item that is created using the application.

    Examples of “on demand”, “made to order” or “build it yourself” applications: website builders, “create your own” slideshow apps, and e-card generators. You will need one license for each product created by a customer, or contact us at Help Center to discuss.

  • 10. Although you can modify the Item and therefore delete unwanted components before creating your single End Product, you can’t extract and use a single component of an Item on a stand-alone basis.

    For example: You license a website theme containing icons. You can delete unwanted icons from the theme. But you can't extract an icon to use outside the theme.

  • 11.You must not permit an end user of the End Product to extract the Item and use it separately from the End Product.

  • 12.You can’t use an Item in a logo, trademark, or service mark.

Other license terms
  • 13. For some Items, a component of the Item will be sourced by the author from elsewhere and different license terms may apply to the component, such as someone else’s license or an open source or creative commons license. If so, the component will be identified by the author in the Item’s description page or in the Item’s downloaded files. The other license will apply to that component instead of this license. This license will apply to the rest of the Item.

    For example: A theme might contain images licensed under a Creative Commons CCBY license. The CCBY license applies to those specific images. This license applies to the rest of the theme.

  • 14. For some items, a GNU General Public License (GPL) or another open source license applies. The open source license applies in the following ways:

    • (a) Some Items, even if entirely created by the author, may be partially subject to the open source license: a ‘split license’ applies. This means that the open source license applies to an extent that’s determined by the open source license terms and the nature of the Item, and this license applies to the rest of the Item.

      Split and other open source licensing is relevant for themes and plug-ins for WordPress and other open source platforms. Where split licensing applies, this is noted in the Item’s download files.

    • (b) For some Items, the author may have chosen to apply a GPL license to the entire Item. This means that the relevant GPL license will apply to the entire Item instead of this license.

      Where an Item is entirely under a GPL license, it will be identified as a GPL item and the license noted in the download files

  • 15. You can only use the Item for lawful purposes. Also, if an Item contains an image of a person, even if the Item is model-released you can’t use it in a way that creates a fake identity, implies personal endorsement of a product by the person, or in a way that is defamatory, obscene or demeaning, or in connection with sensitive subjects.

  • 16. Items that contain digital versions of real products, trademarks or other intellectual property owned by others have not been property released. These Items are licensed on the basis of editorial use only. It is your responsibility to consider whether your use of these Items requires a clearance and if so, to obtain that clearance from the intellectual property rights owner.

  • 17. This license can be terminated if you breach it. If that happens, you must stop making copies of or distributing the End Product until you remove the Item from it.

  • 18. The author of the Item retains ownership of the Item but grants you the license on these terms. This license is between the author of the Item and you.

Extended License

The basics of this license
  • 1. The Extended License grants you, the purchaser, an ongoing, non-exclusive, worldwide license to make use of the digital work (Item) you have selected. Read the rest of this license for the details that apply to your use of the Item.

  • 2. You are licensed to use the Item to create one single End Product for yourself or for one client (a “single application”), and the End Product may be Sold.

  • 3. An End Product is one of the following things, both requiring an application of skill and effort.

    • (a) For an Item that is a template, the End Product is a customised implementation of the Item.

      For example, the item is a magazine template and the end product is the finished magazine.

    • (b) For other types of Item, an End Product is something that incorporates the Item as well as other things, so that it is larger in scope and different in nature than the Item.

      For example, the item is a set of icons and the end product is a mobile app for sale.

Things you can do with the Product
  • 4. You can create the End Product for a client, and this license is then transferred from you to your client.

  • 5. You can Sell and make any number of copies of the single End Product.

  • 6. You can modify or manipulate the Item. You can combine the Item with other works and make a derivative work from it. The resulting works are subject to the terms of this license. You can do these things as long as the End Product you then create is one that’s permitted under clause 3.

    For example, you can license a vector, manipulate it and add your own elements to create an illustration that’s used as a book cover.

Things you can’t do with the Product
  • 7. This license is a “single application” license and not a “multi-use” license, which means that you can’t use the Item to create more than one unique End Product.

  • 8. You can’t re-distribute the Item as stock, in a tool or template, or with source files. You can’t do this with an Item either on its own or bundled with other items, and even if you modify the Item. You can’t re-distribute or make available the Item as-is or with superficial modifications.

    For example, You can't license a number of vector files, and redistribute/resell them as a clip-art pack.

    If you’re a Marketplace author, you can use other items in your item’s preview without a license, under conditions.

  • 9. You can’t use the Item in any application allowing an end user to customise a digital or physical product to their specific needs, such as an “on demand”, “made to order” or “build it yourself” application. You can use the Item in this way only if you purchase a separate license for each final product incorporating the Item that is created using the application.

    Examples of “on demand”, “made to order” or “build it yourself” applications: website builders, “create your own” slideshow apps, and e-card generators. You will need one license for each product created by a customer, or contact us at Contact Form to discuss.

  • 10. Although you can modify the Item and therefore delete components before creating your single End Product, you can’t extract and use a single component of an Item on a stand-alone basis.

    For example, You license a game starter kit. You can delete unwanted 3D models from the file. But you can’t extract and use a 3D model outside the game starter kit.

  • 11. You must not permit an end user of the End Product to extract the Item and use it separately from the End Product.

  • 12. You can’t use an Item in a logo, trademark, or service mark.

Other extended license terms
  • 13. For some Items, a component of the Item will be sourced by the author from elsewhere and different license terms may apply to the component, such as someone else’s license or an open source or creative commons license. If so, the author will identify the component in the Item’s description page or in the Item’s downloaded files. The other license will apply to that component instead of this license. This license will apply to the rest of the Item.

  • 14. Some Items are partially subject to a GNU General Public License (GPL) or another open source license even if the Item was entirely created by the author. For these Items, a ‘split license’ applies. This means that the open source license applies to an extent that’s determined by the open source license terms and the nature of the Item, and this license applies to the rest of the Item.

    This is most common for themes for WordPress and other open source platforms. Where split licensing applies, this is noted in the Item’s download files.

  • 15. You can only use the Item for lawful purposes. Also, if an Item contains an image of a person, even if the Item is model-released you can’t use it in a way that creates a fake identity, implies personal endorsement of a product by the person, or in a way that is defamatory, obscene or demeaning, or in connection with sensitive subjects.

  • 16. Items that contain digital versions of real products, trademarks or other intellectual property owned by others have not been property released. These Items are licensed on the basis of editorial use only. It is your responsibility to consider whether your use of these Items requires a clearance and if so, to obtain that clearance from the intellectual property rights owner.

  • 17. This license can be terminated if you breach it. If that happens, you must stop making copies of or distributing the End Product until you remove the Item from it.

  • 18. The author of the Item retains ownership of the Item but grants you the license on these terms. This license is between the author of the Item and you.

Definitions

Term used Meaning
Free No fee is paid by the end user to access the End Product. The End Product is not sold. No fee is paid to subscribe to a service that includes the End Product (eg a website subscription fee).
Sell or Sold Sell, license, sub-license or distribute for any type of fee or charge.