Add Airspace theme

[karjudev]

I ported the Airspace theme from ThemeForest to Hugo, you can find the repo at https://github.com/karju-dev/airspace-hugo
A live demo of the theme is hosted at https://karju-dev.github.io/airspace-example-site

[digitalcraftsman]

Hello @karju-dev,

the port of the theme looks pretty awesome! Thanks for investing the time.

Before I check your port for the demo on the theme site I would like clarify the legal aspects first. @JHabdas makes a good point about including the terms of usage in the LICENSE.md and perhaps including a pointer in the README as well.

According to themefisher's Free Template License is okay to modify the templates for commercial and private usage. But users should aware that the copyright text/attribution can't be removed without a paid license.

One point that could worry me a little bit is the following:

You cannot resell, redistribute, or sub-license any of Themefisher’s templates.

Technically, the templates would be redistributed with a public Git repository. Furthermore, it isn't possible to sub-license the templates. The theme repository contains the MIT license so it's interesting how your own modifications can be licensed under the MIT license while the template itself remains under Themefisher's TOU. I'm neither a lawyer but just wanted to point this out.

The jekyll-airspace theme just copied the linked Free Template License in the README and everyone seems to be fine with it.

[karjudev]

I emailed ThemeFisher to ask for suggestions. In case of no response I'll point a link to the original license in the README like @digitalcraftsman just said.

I'm sorry to cause this issues, I'm new to the open source world (but I love it) and I didn't know License problems would ever exist.

[karjudev]

@JHabdas thank you, I'll read it!

[digitalcraftsman]

I'm sorry to cause this issues, I'm new to the open source world (but I love it) and I didn't know License problems would ever exist.

There's nothing to excuse. With common licenses like MIT or GPL it's mostly a no-brainer to modify and share your work. When I started to port a few themes to Hugo I turned around such themes that had similar customized TOU.

However, contacting ThemeFisher directly is the best option in this case. Thanks for beeing a step ahead 👍

Btw, welcome to the open source and Hugo community.

[digitalcraftsman]

I emailed ThemeFisher to ask for suggestions.

@karju-dev did ThemeFisher responded to your email?

[karjudev]

No they didn't. What if I just copy the existing license in the README like jekyll-airspace did?

[digitalcraftsman]

No they didn't. What if I just copy the existing license in the README like jekyll-airspace did?

In my opinion it seems to work fine for the Jekyll port. And you tried to contact them in order to clarify the ToU.

While reviewing your theme locally by building the theme site I found the following issues:

Please add a thumbnail and screenshot to your theme so that users get immediately and impression of your theme. You can find the corresponding instructions in the README.

Furthermore, your README contains a screenshots that was removed. Hence the image can't be shown. If you still plan to include a screenshot, e.g. the one from the paragraph above, make sure how you link it.

[digitalcraftsman]

Quick update: while it might work I'm not 100% happy with just adding the themefisher license and hope that it works like with the Jekyll counterpart. Neither me nor @JHabdas is a lawyer (I guess) so it's not entirely bulletproof. Others of the Hugo team raised some concerns as well. Have a look at the Hugo's Gitter channel for more information.

This all means that I wouldn't like to see this theme to be added to the list since it looks fantastic. I suggest to keep this request as it is as long as we are not sure. This means I would give ThemeFisher a bit more time to respond to @karju-dev's email.

[digitalcraftsman]

@themefisher opened an issue in the Jekyll repo (look at the top left under the title) and reacted rather positive.

/cc @themefisher

[digitalcraftsman]

I contacted the ThemeFisher support as well:

Hello ThemeFisher-team,

I'm one of the maintainers of the popular static site generator Hugo (https://github.com/spf13/hugo). A part of my responsibilities is the maintenance of a theme registry (https://github.com/spf13/hugothemes) that lists all available themes for Hugo.

One of our users (@karju-dev on GitHub) created a port of your free airspace theme (https://github.com/karju-dev/airspace-hugo). The free template license raised some legal concerns, namely the following point:

You cannot resell, redistribute, or sub-license any of Themefisher’s templates.

Technically, the theme registry contains a reference to other theme repositories by adding it as a Git submodule. This could be interpreted as redistribution. Furthmore, we're hosting a theme site that's created automatically based on the theme registry at http://themes.gohugo.io/.

This point raised some concerns under the Hugo maintainers, including myself, and the theme creator (@karju-dev). You can follow and join the discussion about the theme addition on Github: #260

The main questions for us are:

• is the theme owner (@karju-dev) allowed to host the airspace theme as port to Hugo on theme?
• is the Hugo project allowed to add the theme to it's theme registry and to host it on the theme website?
• while the original templates are still under your copyright, is the maintainer of the port (@karju-dev) allowed to sublicense his additions, in order to make it work with Hugo, under a different license?

I noticed that you opened an issue in the repository of the Jekyll port of airspace. Your reaction was rather positive. See luminousrubyist/airspace-jekyll#2.

We appreciate your hard work. The theme maintainer (@karju-dev) of course added copyright notes and other attributions to indicate that the original theme is a work of ThemeFisher.

Best regards,
Digitalcraftsman

[karjudev]

I want to sincerely thank you all for all the effort you put in this task. I apologize if there is been some delay but the exams session at uni is taking all my time, and also sorry if I may appear newbie but I'm relatively new to the open source world.
By the way @digitalcraftsman, with my last commit I fixed all the issues you pointed out.
The only thing I can say more is GO HUGO!

[digitalcraftsman]

I apologize if there is been some delay but the exams session at uni is taking all my time, and also sorry if I may appear newbie but I'm relatively new to the open source world.

Don't feel sorry. Exams are of course much more important. Good luck btw. Once I started at the same point as you regarding open source.

As far as I remember this is the first theme where we have to clarify the legal situation. Most other themes and ports are released under a standard open source license like MIT, BSD. With them it's a no-brainer to add themes.

[digitalcraftsman]

At the time of writing @themefisher and @mehedi-sharif, the man behind @themefisher, have not responded to my message so far. I've send it again in the hope to receive an answer.

[digitalcraftsman]

I've looked at various social media accounts related to @themefisher but most of them showed the last activity back in April or May. Hence I pinged @mehedi-sharif who seems to be a bit more active on GH according to this contribution timeline.

[mehedi-sharif]

Oh My Goodness , So many responses . Thanks for your tag @digitalcraftsman .
Let me clear my license issue first . According to my template license If you guys want to use my template with this hugo template engine you have to put the copyright text "Designed by Themefisher" unless you purchase the license . If you purchase the license you can only remove the copyright text but you can not resell it , you can only redistribute it if you only give the proper authorship details .
Yes I know the license is not favour to adopt my templates into a platform which is running MIT license. I always love open source projects no doubt as well as I have also run my business . What can I do from my end is to make a 50% discount for every purchase of themefisher license, And this discount will only valid for huge template uses .
Thanks.
Head Of Ideas , Themefisher

[mehedi-sharif]

1- @karju-dev I made a reply to your email and the date was (Friday, May 26). And Also I got an email form @digitalcraftsman and I also made an reply to him.
2- luminousrubyist is also made this template with in jekyll version and he put all the credits thats why I opened an issue in github to thanks him.
3- @JHabdas medium is not a way to reach me :) , And sorry I did not notice that.

[mehedi-sharif]

@JHabdas You are absolutely right. Thanks for your clearance .

[karjudev]

@JHabdas Thank you for your clarence.

I just removed the "copyright" key from the config.toml. I put a disclaimer instead which says:

# If you want to remove the copyright text you need a Themefisher license.
# This license is offered with a 50% discount by Themefisher for all the Hugo developers
# For informations see https://themefisher.com/products/airspace-free-bootstrap-website-template/

Is it enough for the publication?

[anthonyfok]

Hi @karju-dev,

I just removed the "copyright" key from the config.toml. I put a disclaimer instead which says:

# If you want to remove the copyright text you need a Themefisher license.
# This license is offered with a 50% discount by Themefisher for all the Hugo developers
# For informations see https://themefisher.com/products/airspace-free-bootstrap-website-template/

Is it enough for the publication?

Here are my nitpicking and suggestions:

• for all the Hugo developers: this usually refers to the handful of people who actually writes Hugo itself (in Go language). How about for all Hugo users. instead? (Note the full-stop at the end too.)
• The word information is uncountable, so please change informations to information.
• Instead of just pointing to https://themefisher.com/products/airspace-free-bootstrap-website-template/, which makes no mention of the 50% discount, I recommend also pointing to this very GitHub issue, i.e. Add Airspace theme #260 so that Hugo users will get the whole story.
• Please make this information more prominent, not just in config.toml, but also in README.md.

[karjudev]

@anthonyfok Thank you for your tips. In my last commit I did everything you suggested.

I apologize for my bad English but I'm not a native english speaker.

[anthonyfok]

@anthonyfok Thank you for your tips. In my last commit I did everything you suggested.

Thank you very much @karju-dev!

I apologize for my bad English but I'm not a native english speaker.

Please don't worry about it. Few of us are native English speakers, and I make my fair share of grammar mistakes myself too, hoho!

[anthonyfok]

Thank you @mehedi-sharif of Themefisher for your clarification and your support for open-source effort and the discount offered to all Hugo users, and for creating such a beautiful website template/theme!

Thank you all @JHabdas and @digitalcraftsman for contacting Themefisher and reaching @mehedi-sharif!

And thank you @karju-dev for porting this beautiful Airspace theme to Hugo!

The Airspace theme is now added to the Hugo themes repository, and will appear on https://themes.gohugo.io/ soon.

(commit 725af37)

[anthonyfok]

@mehedi-sharif
Hi! Please excuse me for asking a silly question because I am totally new to this.
How would a Hugo user actually take advantage of the 50% offer? Is there like a special discount code that can be entered upon checkout at https://themefisher.com/checkout/ so that the $12.00 for Pro Version is reduced to $6.00? Or do they contact you via email? Thanks again!

[mehedi-sharif]

Hello @anthonyfok ,
Here is the 50% discount code HugoLovers , I have almost 20+ templates in my collection. If you guys want to convert them in hugo engine I will be glad.
Thanks

[digitalcraftsman]

I'm joining a bit late to this conversation but you all helped to get the ball rolling down the hill. This request of addition might be the first time were we had to think about paid themes and their licenses. Overall, it's great that both sides can benefit from such actions and I would be happy to see more more such themes here.

Many thanks to @mehedi-sharif supporting the OSS community and for giving a discount to all Hugo users!

Last but not least thanks as well to @karju-dev for porting the theme and @JHabdas and @anthonyfok for your continued interest in this kind of issue.

[digitalcraftsman]

@anthonyfok please review a theme before adding it to the list. The screenshots for the thumbnail and for the Twitter cards are missing right now (see karjudev/airspace-hugo#4).

I'll revert the addition until this issue has been fixed so I can promote the theme on Hugo's official Twitter account (incl. the discount code etc.).

[mehedi-sharif]

@digitalcraftsman , I am so happy to be a part of hugo community .
Thanks

[digitalcraftsman]

Note to myself:

• review this theme (completely)
• share it on twitter with the discount code

[anthonyfok]

@digitalcraftsman Sorry for my oversight! And thank you for handling situation promptly!

[digitalcraftsman]

The theme is now live. I spread the word on Twitter (via @gohugoio) as well to promote this theme. Added the discount code too!

@karju-dev it doesn't look like you've a Twitter account. Otherwise I would have linked you too 😉

Thank y'all again.