License

1. Preamble

A few years ago I thought that if I put something to my web page it means that others may freely use it. However, nowadays' world likes licenses, copy monopolies and such stuff. This forced me to write a license for my web pages.

2. Links to my pages

I wrote my pages with intention that people can find them and read them. If anyone puts a link to my pages anywhere, it helps to spread the information. Everyone is therefore allowed to publish links to my pages even without informing me. If you do inform me, I will appreciate it because I will know that somebody considers my web pages useful

My web pages are bilingual and language selection is implemented via content negotiation. That's why I recommend to refer to my pages using the way described on the page entitled How to refer to my pages

Content negotiation means that the server asks the browser for sending the language preferences set by the user. The server than automatically selects the language that matches best or a default page if no match is found. More information on content negotiation can be found here.

If you follow the recommendation given above, the users with properly set browsers will automatically obtain the page in their favourite language. However, it is not a strict rule to present the links this way, it is just a recommendation.

All web search engines may present links to my pages in a way convenient to them.

3. Quoting my pages

Quoting my pages is allowed in a way used in scientific literature. The only rule is that you have to publish the link (URL) to the original page.

4. Storing the contents of my web pages

You are entitled to store the contents of my web in the electronic form on the internal or external disk as offered by current or will be offered by any future technology. You can store the contents both as static pages and in databases or other retrieval systems allowing search, indexing or any means of automatic processing. You can als store printed copies. However, you are not allowed to publish them unless you follow the rules given in chapter Quoting my pages.

Specifically, the web search engines are allowed to present archived copies of my pages because they always display the URL of the original page and thus the above mentioned rule is satisfied.

5. License of my photos

All my photos available from the page Photography are copyrighted. You can make unlimited number of private copies in an electronic form as well as a printed copy but you are not allowed to publish them in any means, not even to put them to your web page without my prior consent. Only web search engines are allowed to store and display archive copies.

6. License of my software

Originally I thought that software presented on a web page that does not impose any restriction is automatically free. However, the lawyers say that it is not the case. Now I try to put license to any piece of my software. If the software is intended for distribution together with a larger packages such as for instance TeX Live or Saxon XSLT processor, I select a license compatible with that package. If no license is explicitly given, the software can be used, modified and redistributed under the license given on the page entitled Licence for use and distribution of my software.

7. Closing remark

Although this license entitles you explicitly the right of storing my copyrighted contents on your computer, CD, DVD, USB stick or any other media without any fee and without the need of any consent, it may not be considered legal in some jurisdictions. Some third parties including but not limited to governments and owners of someone else's copyrights (not mine and yours) try to force strong restrictions to my and your rights. The ACTA agreement, that is being prepared secretly, will probably disallow containing legal content in your equipment, mainly if you cross a boarder. I do not want to be responsible for confiscation of your equipment. Please, check the legislation of your country and of the country where you want to travel.

In order to be sure that you do not violate law by having legal contents you should demand public negotiations on the ACTA agreement as well as copyright law, or, preferably, you should ask politicions to make such changes in the copyright law that will ansure protection of authors and users, not inadequate profit of distributors and copyright organizations.