Given that there are a fair amount of people that are starting to take notice of The Library of Knowledge, this page is written to answer more legalistic questions and matters of linking, etc.. Just take a perusal through here in case there's a question of a more material nature.
Q: Can I link to your site?
A: Absolutely. I really appreciate links. Seriously. It is one of the most honest compliments a person can give. I prefer links to the main page, but if you want to link to any of the other pages that's fine too, since they all have links that return to the main page. You do not have to ask to link, though it is nice to tell me anyway so I can take a peek at your site as well. I'll usually find out if you do anyway and will look at your site too. Also, if you do link, please use the title "The Library of Knowledge", not the title of the individual pages (since they change and get rewritten or modified as is appropriate).
Q: May I make a translation of your page into another language?
A: No. I do not want translations made into other languages. These tend to be understood as licenses to plagiarism if I authorise a copy made, so no, do not translate them.
Q: May I mirror the site?
A: No. Mirroring and copying of text is strictly forbidden. I update the pages frequently and do not want people providing material I have written somewhere else where it is out of my control to update or correct.
Q: How do I cite this page legally?
A: To legally cite a work you must acknowledge firstly that the information is not your own. Secondly, you must put in quotations ("blah") what is taken and then make it reference back to the source. Thirdly, you must not reiterate the same material. I see far too many sites cropping up that have the list of the 14 castes, but they do not credit me even if their material is different. Why can I be upset about this? Because I defined them in the terms they currently exist and therefore are my own intellectual property when presented as 14 castes of magic. They will not be found in literature grouped like that and therefore it is plagiarism to list the arts then put your own descriptions in instead.
For example, as on the enchanting page, whereas I did not reiterate the metallurgical and colour correspondences of any sort (because I did not use research I have done into it on my own) I have put links to House of Hekat and to Thunder Road's "Commonly Used Spell Components" page. I link to them with the good faith that they have done the work, assumably, and lay onus on them to have not copied from other sites. I have linked to them as sources for that information without copying or reiterating their material, which is what defines proper citation. That is one way to properly cite information. Link to the people, but do not only repeat or redefine what they say. There is one other option.
In the interest of precision, sometimes people wish to take small segments of another person's work and quote it. This is allowed and is acceptable under the "Fair Use" policy on the Bern Convention's copyright laws. If I were to say 'Puzuzu says on www.spellsandmagic.com that "yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda."', that would be acceptable such that I only use that one point of his to enhance my own unique material on the subject, I make sure people know where I got the information, and am not just paraphrasing what he said beyond the quote. I see many sites that use "Tomekeeper says "[insert one of my pages here]" and think that's alright. It isn't. The use of one concept and stepping beyond what is already written is fair use and promotes better understanding of material by allowing other points of view. The use of multiple concepts or larger-than-necessary portions of quotation or concept is considered an unfair usage, and is thereby copyright infringement.
As a note on the status of this site: It's on the web, but that's a nebulous area when it comes to copyright law. Print versions of the site have been registered, though, which ensures that the material will not be accreditted to other sources.
Here is a list of common things I see which constitutes an infringement:
Copying things either word-for-word or in concept is still considered plagiarism. The rule of publishing (be it in a newspaper, website, book, or whatever else) is that you only write something if you have unique information to give. This is just a matter of courtesy and respect. It is still infringement and illegal, even if the original author does not press charges.
Additional Resources:
University of Pittsburgh -- Library FAQ on Copyright
Taken from a student's perspective on how to cite information, it answers what is fair and what is not in the world of copying information.
What Is Copyright?
Defines the statutes of the Bern Convention and general automatic copyrights that apply to all works whether registered or not.
Brad Templeton's 10 Copyright Myths
A good to-the-point page about US copyright laws and how they affect the normal user.
Canadian Intellectual Property Office
Defines the terms and conditions under which this site, and most other sites, are protected by law. Though I chose the Canadian copyright office, due to the Rome Convention and Bern Convention, it applies to most countries.
World Intellectual Property Organisation
Name speaks for itself. The source of the previous link's authority.
Opinions? Questions? Complaints? Send to:
Tomekeeper
tomekeeper@xyzoccultmail.com
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