"Inspired by" Xenforo Style

Status
Not open for further replies.

yoghurtfarmer

Well-known member
Sequence of events
1. Someone contacted me asking if I was willing to sell my xenforo style/templates/css.
2. I declined, stating that I want to maintain a unique look for my forum. Encouraged him to create his own and to dig around style properties etc. I said that if he did take some elements of my design that I would appreciate a link back. Also pointed him towards Flexile.
3. He said thanks and says that he was basically looking to replicate the header style which is also present in Flexile.

Yesterday, I got this in my inbox:
Hi again

I just wanted to give you an update on this.

I took you up on your earlier suggestion and played around with a few different themes including flexile. I spent a fair amount of weeks modifying these themes (im no html/css expert) but could never get them to look how i wanted them to.

I finally gave in to temptation a few days ago and ended up borrowing the main elements of your forum. I did this by hand coding the various CSS files and it took me over 10 hours over several days to complete (so it was no quick and easy task).I also tried to not make it look identical (Header background color is different for example).

I also added this to the global footer shown on every page on the site:

Theme inspired by Forum Vancouver

And linked the "forum vancauver [sic]" text to your homepage. If you want me to change this line to anything else, please let me know.

I hope you don't feel like you've have been cheated here. I tried to give you full credit for it on my site in the footer, and made other changes to the design. But please let me know what you think regardless.

Looking forward to hearing back from you.

Thanks

My forum
His forum
First of all, I'm glad he consulted me and provided updates. I also understand that my style doesn't incorporate any groundbreaking changes to the default but it's obviously way too similar to my own. He didn't have to replicate the colours, margins, padding, etc exactly. It's more than "just inspired" if you ask me. (n)

How should I handle this?
 
They definitely ripped your design.

I'd suggest requesting they take it down, and see what happens. Chances they won't, and you'll have to see what you can do from there.
 
<body><p>chock it up to "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" and let it go. You can get upset, pissed off and angry, but negative emotions lead to a very bad place. There's civil litigation, but is it worth the expense? You could report him to his service provider, but he pays them. The burden of proof is on you as the accuser and he does give you credit. It may not be the most satisfying option, but its your best recourse. Its the Zen part of XenForo.
 
I just used the eye dropper tool in some areas and it seems he copied the exact hex-values and I feel this is a blatant rip. But as Fred said, you'll have to choke this one up, it happens unfortunately and I don't think a conclusion will be met here. He/she obviously went out of their way to get the style colours/ layout structure so I suspect they will not be willing to take it down. In theory, they could make a slight variation in colour by adjusting the hex value(s) and I suspect you wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

I'd personally let it go, it's not worth your time fretting with your time being wasted and head banging against the wall.

Anyone that states they were "inspired" actually know and admit they flat out copied and lack the imagination to create something they can say they built themselves.
 
Well, it is definitely a rip off, however consider these 2 important points -

While the header area is definitely the same, the colors are reversed on the logo and you have your umbrella. That would be an important point to me.

The status icons are different.

Here's something else to consider. I would ask him to remove the credit link back to your forum. Why? The two forums are completely different topics. What are the chances that the same people will visit both sites? IMO, for the most part, you still have your unique look, regardless.
 
Here's something else to consider. I would ask him to remove the credit link back to your forum. Why? The two forums are completely different topics. What are the chances that the same people will visit both sites? IMO, for the most part, you still have your unique look, regardless.

Good point, but the fact he knows that the site is using his style will be the big player here. I'm not condoning what the person did but it would have been best if the OP wasn't aware and the ripper never asked and just put up the style. I suspect the OP would been none of the wiser and chances of him noticing the replicated style would have been very slim. The fact he/she knows the style/domain will be playing on his mind.
 
Lame. If it were me? I tell him to take it down or you will have it taken down...but that's just me and I tend to take these things personal ;)

I would. And normally I would pursue it with all the resources at my disposal (normally with my big opinionated mouth) but I did all my running around back in the days of <insert company here> some success some which resulted in wasted time. Though I do totally understand where your coming from john and can actually related to both you and the op.
 
While the header area is definitely the same, the colors are reversed on the logo and you have your umbrella. That would be an important point to me.
Haha in some ways that makes it more of a copy because in both versions "Forum" is the coloured word while the other word is white.
 
This is exactly why there are less and less honest people in this world.

You get mad because he notified you, had he not, it wouldn't be an issue...
 
He got mad because the guy clearly copied his site, notifying him or not, he never had permission to do so.

He didn't "copy" his site, he replicated some elements of the style.

Now, if the two sites were about the same topic and targeted the same audience, then there would be a problem.
 
He didn't "copy" his site, he replicated some elements of the style.
To the point that the sites are so similar, that you'd have difficulty telling them apart.

So if by elements, you mean the vast majority of the site, then yes, he only replicated 'elements'.
 
Sequence of events
1. Someone contacted me asking if I was willing to sell my xenforo style/templates/css.
2. I declined, stating that I want to maintain a unique look for my forum. Encouraged him to create his own and to dig around style properties etc. I said that if he did take some elements of my design that I would appreciate a link back. Also pointed him towards Flexile.
3. He said thanks and says that he was basically looking to replicate the header style which is also present in Flexile.

Yesterday, I got this in my inbox:

My forum
His forum
First of all, I'm glad he consulted me and provided updates. I also understand that my style doesn't incorporate any groundbreaking changes to the default but it's obviously way too similar to my own. He didn't have to replicate the colours, margins, padding, etc exactly. It's more than "just inspired" if you ask me. (n)

How should I handle this?

To be honest things like this happen all the time with other people visiting and ripping off styles from other sites by viewing the page source code and css style sheet using the (W3C) service for one or both. And in most cases your never going to get a link-back from them on their forum leading to yours. Nor will they remove it later, no matter what you threaten. Yes, it does look exactly like your forum, but the guy did contact you and has added a link-back in his footer. Also, did you actually tell the guy not to make an (exact copy) of it, did you make that clear to him before he went ahead and cloned it?

Think yourself lucky and leave it at that I'd say. Because not many would bother contacting you asking permission and add a link leading back to your forum like he has. Personally, I think you've dealt with one of the more honest type people here, there are far, far worse!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom