The LICENSE file of a theme #

This page is for designers who publish a theme. Without a license file, a published theme gives nobody the right to use, change or share it, whatever the README says. The Licensing choices pages help you choose; this page is about putting the choice into files. It is not legal advice.

What the published themes use #

sevenx_themes_simple, cjw_themes_jumper and sevenx_themes_media are licensed GPL-2.0-or-later, like Exponential itself ("license": "GPL-2.0-or-later" in the root composer.json). GitHub shows "GPL-2.0" for them.

Step by step #

1. Get the official text of the license you chose from its publisher. For the GPL version 2: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.txt. Never retype or shorten it.

2. Save it as LICENSE at the root of the theme (some repositories also keep LICENSE.md; one file is enough).

3. Above it, or in the README, put your copyright notice (Copyright and author lines).

4. Name the license in three more places, consistently:

   File	Form	Example
   composer.json license	SPDX identifier	GPL-2.0-or-later
   ezinfo.php 'License'	Full name	GNU General Public License v2.0 (or any later version)
   extension.xml <license>	Full name	the same

5. If parts of the theme are under other terms (a font, an icon set, photos), keep their license files next to them and list them in the README (Third-party fonts, icons and libraries).

What the wizards write #

• The design extension wizard writes a LICENSE part on by default ("an extension with no licence file says nothing about how it may be used") for the license you pick. It offers only the licenses configured in package.ini [LicenseSettings] LicenseList[] and refuses any other.
• The package creator wizard stores the license identifier in the package's package.xml (Choosing a license in the package wizard).

Check #

head -3 extension/mytheme/LICENSE
grep -n "'License'" extension/mytheme/ezinfo.php
grep -n '<license>' extension/mytheme/extension.xml
grep -n '"license"' extension/mytheme/composer.json

Expected: the license's title on the first lines, and the same license named in the other three files.

Related pages #

• Licensing choices: an overview
• The GPL for theme code
• Licensing explained for buyers
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.