Copyright notice

I have been asked many times whether I will licence other consultants or firms to use my materials and techniques. Here are my guidelines:

Copyrighted materials

All of the materials found on this web site or that I may supply to you during the course of our work together are copyrighted materials. Each item or set of items will contain a license explaining exactly what you may and may not do with those materials and by making use of the materials you agree to be bound by the terms of the license.

Licenses are long and boring, so I'll try to summarise the various types of license I offer. Bear in mind that a license is a legal document by which you agree to be bound, so you ought to read it. If we end up in a legal dispute, the details in the license will apply and not the summary on this page.

Free materials

I supply materials that are the result of hundreds of hours of work for free. I do this to promote my business and to show you, my potential clients, that I know what I'm talking about. I also hope that you will sign up to my mailing list so that I can provide you with more useful information and keep you thinking about me and my business.

If you obtain materials from my web site free of charge, you may use them for any purpose you like within your own business. You may modify and reproduce the materials as you see fit, provided that the "Ian Lauwerys" logos, copyright notices, web site links and licence agreements remain visible and readable to all users of the materials. By making use of the materials, other people within your organisation also agree to be bound by the terms of the license. It is your responsibility to make sure they are aware of the terms of the license.

You may not redistribute free materials (including any modifications that you make) to anyone outside of your own business. You may not use the materials to provide consultancy services to your clients or in any other manner that would compete with my business. In other words, you may not use the results of my hard work to take the food out of my kids' mouths, whether you get paid for it or not. If you want your clients or other people to benefit from the materials that I supply, please refer them to my web site and ask them to download their own copy. That way, I get the benefit of the exposure that I deserve and your clients and associates are still grateful to you for helping them.

Materials supplied for a fee

I may supply you with materials during the course of a consultancy engagement or you may purchase materials from my web site for a fee. You may only use these materials for the purposes for which they were supplied as set out in the license. You may not modify, re-use or distribute such materials without my permission. If you wish to do so, please contact me and if I agree to your request we will negotiate an appropriate and fair fee.

This applies even if you pay me a fee to create materials specifically for you or your business. I never assign the copyright in my work to anyone else, and I retain the right to do whatever I wish with the materials that I create. That includes selling them to other clients or giving them away for free. Knowledge and experience are the most valuable commodities to a consultant, and I never agree to anything that would restrict my right to benefit from them.

Materials supplied for reproduction

Certain materials on this web site are provided for you to reproduce them on your own web site or in your own newsletter or publication. These materials will be clearly marked as such. If you decide to use such materials, I thank you for your help and support. Please make sure that you include the following attribution:

"This article is copyright Ian Lauwerys. All rights reserved. Ian's web site is a comprehensive resource on technology and its uses for legal and professional service businesses. For free technology resources and tools, visit http://www.lauwerys.co.uk".

I'd also be grateful if any authors, editors or publishers reproducing parts of my work under the terms of "fair use" could include a similar attribution, including the address of this web site.