Legal Guidelines for Creators
As part of our creative community, your contributions are invaluable in helping others build amazing apps. To ensure a smooth experience for everyone and to adhere to legal requirements, we've outlined what types of content you can publish on Marketplace. This guide is designed to be user-friendly and straightforward, focusing on the legal aspects of your submissions. For a more detailed view of our policies, please review the Marketplace Terms of Service.
What You Can Submit
✅ Original Creations: Your template should be your original work or properly licensed work that you have the right to distribute. Whether it’s a unique design layout, a functional module, or an innovative app solution, if you created it, we're excited to see it!
✅ API Wrappers: If you've developed a wrapper for public APIs (like AWS or SendGrid), you're welcome to submit it! Ensure your wrapper adds value through simplification, integration, or enhancement of the original API functionalities.
✅ Educational Templates: Educational or demonstrative templates that mimic functionalities of popular apps (like a "social photo app clone") are great for learning and are welcome, provided they do not use any trademarked names, logos, or proprietary UI elements from the actual apps.
What to Avoid in Your Submissions
❌ Designs from External Marketplaces: Please refrain from submitting designs or templates that you've acquired from other marketplaces. Typically, these items are licensed, not sold, and come with restrictions that prohibit their redistribution on our platform. For guidance on navigating external licenses and understanding your rights, please review Navigating External Licenses.
❌ Proprietary Code or Data: Do not include any proprietary code, data, or APIs that you do not have explicit rights to use and redistribute. This includes direct copies of proprietary software or use of internal SDKs not intended for public distribution.
❌ Trademarked Material Without Permission: Avoid using trademarked names, logos, or branding elements in your templates unless you have obtained explicit permission from the trademark owner. This includes mimicking the UI of a proprietary app exactly.
❌ Misleading Content: Ensure your template does not mislead users into thinking it's officially affiliated with or endorsed by any brand or service it might resemble, especially in educational or demonstrative templates.
Best Practices for Template Submission
✍️ Clear Attribution: If your template includes third-party open-source components, ensure you comply with their licenses by properly attributing the original creators and including any required license texts or notices. Also see Open Source Licenses.
💎 Use Generic Elements: For educational or demonstrative templates, use generic names and design elements to avoid trademark issues while still providing valuable learning experiences.
⚖️ Include Disclaimers: When necessary, include disclaimers clarifying the purpose of your template, especially if it's for educational use, to avoid any potential confusion about its unofficial status.
📣 Stay Informed: Licenses and legal requirements can change, so it's crucial to stay informed about the legal aspects of the components and APIs you use in your templates.
Licenses: What's Allowed?
Open Source Licenses
Embracing open-source is part of our ethos, but not all licenses are created equal, especially in a commercial setting like ours. Here's a quick rundown of what fits on Marketplace:
✅ Permissive Licenses: Licenses such as MIT, BSD, and Apache 2.0 are generally fine because they allow commercial use and modification with minimal restrictions. Just make sure to give proper credit and include the original license text as required.
🤔 Copyleft Licenses (Caution!): Licenses like GPL (General Public License) can be tricky. They often require derivative works to be distributed under the same license, affecting how your template can be used. If you're considering using GPL-licensed code, please review the specific terms carefully or consult with legal advice to ensure compliance.
❌ No Unlicensed Code: Ensure all open-source code used in your templates is properly licensed. Using unlicensed code or failing to comply with open-source license requirements can lead to legal headaches for you and for us.
Licenses from Other Marketplaces
We understand that inspiration can come from lots of different sources, including other marketplaces. However, it's important to respect legal and ethical standards, especially with the reuse of design elements and templates purchased elsewhere. Here’s what you should know:
🤝 Ownership and Licensing: When you purchase a design or template from other marketplaces, you're typically acquiring a license to use that item, not owning it outright. These licenses often come with significant restrictions, particularly around redistribution and creating derivative works meant for resale. It’s best to carefully review the license terms for each item and marketplace you use. See Navigating External Licenses for some examples.
⚠️ End Products and Redistribution: Most marketplace licenses restrict the use of their items as part of an “end product” that is not meant for redistribution or resale. For example, using a downloaded Figma design to create a template that you then sell on FlutterFlow Marketplace may violate the original marketplace's license terms, even under extended licenses. When in doubt, ask the original content provider. Obtaining explicit permission or clarification can prevent future disputes and legal challenges.
Clarifications and Examples:
❌ Likely Prohibited: Using a UI design purchased from another marketplace to create a FlutterFlow template that you intend to distribute or sell.
✅ Allowed: Creating a template inspired by design principles or trends you've observed, without directly copying or adapting a purchased item.
✅ Allowed: Implementing a UI design with the explicit written permission from the author and owner of that design.
For more details and examples, please review:
Item Reports and Complaints
At FlutterFlow, we're committed to maintaining a respectful and legally compliant community. We understand that there may be instances where content on FlutterFlow Marketplace may infringe on your rights or violate our policies. To address these concerns, we've established a straightforward process for filing complaints, including DMCA requests and other legal concerns.
Reporting an Item
We encourage our community members to resolve disputes amicably whenever possible. For details on contacting creators, reporting items, rating items, and filing a DMCA notice, please visit the following page.
Responding to Item Reports
When you receive a report about an item you've listed on FlutterFlow Marketplace, it's important to respond promptly and thoughtfully. We've put together a breakdown of our process for responding to DMCA and other infringements here:
Our goal is to foster a creative, respectful, and lawful environment for all users. By following these steps, you help us achieve this goal and ensure FlutterFlow remains a platform where innovation thrives within the bounds of respect and legality.
For further assistance or questions, please contact marketplace-legal@flutterflow.io.
Published Date: March 10, 2024
Last Updated: April 26, 2024
Last updated