Most licenses only cover one unique end product per domain — to make more than one, you'll usually need to check three things: your item type, whether your use counts as an "allowed variation," or whether you need to buy an additional license.
First, check if your item can be purchased with a license that allows multiple end products using the same item (Step 1: What item type do you need?). If not, check whether your intended use qualifies as an allowed variation (Step 2: Is my next end product an "allowed variation"?) — this means a single license can cover an end product closely related to the original.
For most items, the basic rule is that each license allows one unique end product, meaning the license can only be activated once per domain (this includes test domains). We call this a single application.
Step 1: What item type do you need?
Tools (e.g., fonts)
The Tools License allows unlimited use across an unlimited number of end products. See What does the Tools License allow me to do?
Video stock footage, motion graphics, and sound effects
You can purchase either a single-use or multi-use license. Choose a multi-use license if you're planning to make more than one end product with the item.
Photos
Choose between a PhotoDune Regular or PhotoDune Extended license:
- PhotoDune Regular allows multiple end products, subject to a 500,000 copy reproduction limit.
- PhotoDune Extended allows merchandising use and unlimited copies of your end product.
All other item types
Each license allows one unique end product (which can then be copied and made available to end users). What counts as "the end product" depends on the nature of the item:
- A website theme can only be customized into one website — creating a second website from the same theme requires a new license.
- A plugin can be added to one website — using the same plugin functionality on multiple sites requires a new license per site.
- A logo template can be used to create one final, unique logo. That logo can then be used without limitation, but the template itself can't be reused to create a different logo.
- Music can be added to video footage to create one complete video — a different video using the same music requires a new license.
- A print template can be used to create one poster (e.g., for a Halloween party) — a similar poster the following year requires a new license.
Step 2: Is my next end product an "allowed variation"?
You can rely on a single license (or single-use license, where applicable) to make multiple end products if your use fits one of these categories:
You're making a different-language translation (of anything but a website)
Translations of the same end product into a different language (e.g., alternate text or voiceover) typically don't require a separate license. Translated websites or web pages are the exception — these need a separate license unless they're on the same domain as the original (and are therefore the same end product).
Examples:
- You use a CodeCanyon plugin on your English-language site, "myfantasticenglishwebsite.com." You then create a French version at "newfrenchwebsite.com." Using the same plugin on the French site requires a new license, even though the only difference is domain and language.
- You use a ThemeForest theme to build "mylanguageexamples.com," then add a French version at "mylanguageexamples.com/french." Since both sites share the same domain, no new theme license is needed.
You're making a cut-down version of the original
No separate license is needed to create a shortened version with no new content added (e.g., a 15-second "teaser" of a film trailer).
Example:
You buy music for a 2-minute film trailer. Your client also wants a 15-second teaser. As long as the teaser contains no new content, the same license covers both.
You're making a version with a very minor text or content revision
Examples:
- You use single-use-licensed stock footage in an ad saying "COMING SOON." Once the store opens, the client wants "NOW OPEN" instead — since everything else stays the same, no new license is needed.
- You use a print template for a New Year's Eve flyer, then correct the start time from 7:30pm to 8:00pm — no new license needed. However, if your client wants a different flyer for next year's party, that's no longer a minor revision, and a new license is required.
You're distributing the same end product via multiple media
As long as it's genuinely the same end product, you can distribute it across different media without buying additional licenses.
Examples:
- A single music license lets you play the same commercial both online and on TV.
- A single code license lets you release an identical app on both iOS and Android.
You're making a series
A single license covers a series of end products (e.g., a TV series, webisodes, or a monthly magazine), provided everything in the series is connected and released within 1 year of the first installment, with a maximum of 52 episodes or editions.
Examples:
- You buy a video template for the opening credits of a 12-episode TV series running from December to July — one license covers all 12 versions.
- You buy a sound effect used in every episode of a weekly YouTube series (52 episodes total) — a single-use license covers all 52. Going beyond 52 episodes, or releasing episodes more than a year after the first, requires a new (or multi-use) license.
- You buy a graphic template for a magazine published every 2 months — you'll need to buy one license per year, with the "year" starting from the first edition's release.