This article is about trying to help you understand what it means to be an exclusive author with Envato Market. That’s why we’ve put together a few common questions exclusive authors ask when trying to understand how to be the best exclusive author ever!
What does being an exclusive author with Envato mean?
At a very basic level, being an exclusive author means that any items you sell on Envato Market cannot be sold elsewhere. Being an exclusive author with us doesn’t mean that everything you create needs to be exclusive to Envato Market. It’s the item that’s exclusive to Envato Market, not you!
Can I sell non-exclusive items with Envato via a separate, Non-Exclusive account?
Yes! All authors are allowed to have two accounts - an exclusive account and a non-exclusive account.
What if I make a ‘lite’ version of an item, can I sell [or give away] that item on another marketplace?
Before we get stuck into the answer to the question lets just clarify the difference between ‘lite’ versions and minor variations to items. A ‘lite’ version is the shell of an item that has a completely different intended purpose than the full version i.e. lite version of a WordPress theme are landing pages and a blog vs the full version of the same theme which then integrates a fully functioning e-commerce platform.
So the answer to the question is it depends! The principle we apply is that if the second item is sufficiently different to the first one, to the point where we'd accept it as a unique item on Envato Market, then that second item can be sold (or given away) elsewhere. (Of course, we'd prefer that you sell it through Envato Market instead!).
See this Help Center article for further information about WordPress variations. - which talks a little more about examples ‘minor’ variations which are not allowed.
If you’re unsure about how light ‘lite’ is please contact Envato Market Help and we’ll get a reviewer to look over and compare your items.
Do I need to buy my own file to use if for a client i.e. as part of freelance work?
No. Actually you’re not permitted to buy your own item under our Envato Market rules for authors. You can re-use your own item for your own projects and for your own freelance work without buying it. If you’re working for a client, they do not need to buy the item from Envato Market because you are the author and you are authorizing your client to use the item.
Can I offer my items for free on a promotional basis?
We’ve answered that one here.
I'm an exclusive author. Someone has approached me to buy my item directly from me and on different license terms. Can I do this?
No, if you are an exclusive author then please point the buyer back to Envato Market to license the item under the usual license terms.
If any buyers are interested in volume sales (and by 'volume' we mean in excess of 100 licenses), buyers are welcome and encouraged to contact the help team where someone would be glad to assist with those requests. This is exactly what happened when a CodeCanyon author sold 4,500 licenses overnight!
Can I allow another author to use my item within their stock item?
Actually, we’ve answered that one here.
If my item is used in a bundle, is the percentage of revenue I get as an exclusive author from the sale of my item in the bundle the same as if it were sold separately?
Actually, we’ve answered that one too! You can find the answer in the Author Terms here.
Can I change my account from exclusive to non-exclusive?
Yes you can change your exclusivity status but keep in mind that you will need to wait 30 days until the change takes effect. This will affect the percentage of revenue you get after you change your status from 30 days after the change is made. Don’t forget you can have an exclusive account and a non-exclusive account.
What happens if I don’t meet exclusivity?
Depending on the extent of your breach of exclusivity, it may be decided that your rate is reduced to that of a non-exclusive author or if your breach is considered serious enough, you’ll be disabled as an author completely and you may lose your ability to sell with us in the future.
Am I permitted to sell personal listening music versions of existing AudioJungle tracks via third party digital music stores such as iTunes® without affecting my exclusivity?
Yes you can! We’ve got more information here.