Using free online templates for work or business is becoming a common trend, especially in the fields of design and online marketing. However, many people mistakenly believe that anything “free” can be freely downloaded, edited, and resold to others. In reality, each template comes with its own rules regarding usage, and if you don’t understand them, you might be penalized. So, is reselling free templates subject to penalties? Let’s explore this in detail in the article below.
What are free online templates and are they truly “completely free”?
Free templates are design templates that are publicly shared on internet platforms, allowing users to download and use them without any initial payment. These templates are often provided by:
- Individual designers who want to share their work
- Businesses using them for brand marketing
- Design platforms that provide resources to users
Common template types include:
- Website templates (HTML, WordPress, landing pages)
- PowerPoint templates, Google Slides templates
- Canva templates, advertising banners
- CV templates, personal portfolio templates
- Graphic design templates (PSD, AI, Figma)
However, it’s important to understand that “free” doesn’t mean you have unlimited rights to use them as you wish. Most templates come with a license that specifies:
- Scope of use (personal or commercial)
- Modification rights
- Redistribution or resale rights
Therefore, understanding the license correctly is crucial in determining whether your actions are legal.
Will reselling free templates online result in penalties?
Reselling free templates online can be penalized or completely legal, depending on the type of license that comes with the template. Each license clearly defines the scope of rights a user is allowed to exploit, including personal use, commercial use, modification, redistribution, or resale. Therefore, to determine whether your actions violate the law, each case needs to be considered specifically below.
Cases where reselling free templates online is not penalized
You will not violate the law if the template falls into one of the following categories:
Templates with licenses allowing commercial use and resale
Some templates are released with commercial use licenses. In these cases, you can use the template to create business products, modify, adapt the content, and even resell it if you have a clear license.
However, it’s important to note that each type of license may come with its own conditions, such as not being allowed to be sold in its original form, requiring significant modifications, or not being allowed to be redistributed for free. Therefore, you should not only read but also thoroughly understand the license content before using it.
Public domain templates
Templates in the public domain are public property and are no longer protected by copyright. Therefore, you have the full right to copy, modify, distribute, and resell them without permission. This is a completely safe legal situation.
Reselling free templates online can Lead to penalties
Conversely, you may face administrative penalties or even lawsuits if you use a template in violation of regulations.
Reselling templates is not allowed
Many free templates only allow personal or commercial use but not resale.
If you download a template, you are essentially keeping the content intact and then reselling it to others. This behavior is considered copyright infringement, specifically the infringement of the right to copy and distribute the work.
According to Article 20 of the Vietnamese Intellectual Property Law, the owner has the right to: copy the work; distribute and communicate the work to the public.
Furthermore, Article 28 of the Vietnamese Intellectual Property Law stipulates that copyright infringement includes: copying the work without permission, and distributing copies of the work without the owner’s consent.
Therefore, if you resell the template without permission, you are directly violating these rights.
Penalties for reselling free templates online
According to Decree 131/2013/ND-CP on administrative penalties for violations in the field of copyright and related rights, the act of copying and distributing templates without permission from the copyright owner can be subject to quite severe penalties. Specifically, violators may be fined from 10 million VND to 35 million VND depending on the nature, extent, and consequences of the act, especially in cases where the act is commercial in nature or is committed repeatedly.
Beyond monetary penalties, infringing individuals or organizations may also face mandatory remedial measures, including the removal of all infringing content from platforms where it was posted or sold, and the destruction of infringing template copies to completely cease copyright infringement. In cases where actual damages are caused to the copyright owner, the infringer may also be required to compensate for the corresponding damages as stipulated by civil law.
Notably, if the infringement is large-scale, seriously affecting the legitimate rights and interests of the copyright owner, or results in significant illicit gains, in addition to administrative penalties, the infringer may face civil lawsuits in court, potentially resulting in compensation claims far exceeding the initial administrative fines. This could lead to additional legal costs and negatively impact personal reputation or long-term business operations.
How to use free templates legally and safely?
To avoid unnecessary legal risks, you need to apply some important principles below when using free templates.
- Always carefully check the license: This is a mandatory step before downloading and using any template. If the license information is not clearly visible, it is best not to use it for commercial purposes.
- Do not resell the original template: Even if it is permitted for commercial use, you should still make significant edits to the content, colors, and layout, turning the template into a completely new product.
- Prioritize reputable sources: Download templates from official websites, large design platforms, and sources with transparent information. Avoid using files shared from unreliable sources or download links with unclear origins.
- Invest for the long term: Design it yourself or purchase a license if you plan on long-term business. This is a way to avoid legal risks, build a sustainable brand, and increase product value.
The above is an article titled “Is it illegal to resell free templates found online to others?”. As you can see, using free templates isn’t simply a matter of downloading and using them freely; it always comes with specific regulations regarding usage and commercial exploitation rights.
Sincerely,
FAQ
Yes. According to the law, ignorance is not a basis for exemption from liability. If you use and resell a template that infringes on copyright, you can still be subject to administrative penalties or required to compensate for damages.
For safety, you should carefully check the license before using it, prioritize reputable sources with clear regulations, do not resell original templates, and ideally, design your own templates or purchase fully licensed templates for long-term business purposes.