I
hereby release my copyrights to, and place into the public domain, all of the following:
The hundreds of articles I’ve posted on this website since it launched.
The articles I’ve published in my newsletters.
The podcasts and interviews I’ve posted done on Blogtalk Radio and other syndicated sites.
The videos I’ve created and posted to my YouTube account.
Unless I explicitly state otherwise, all future content I personally create and publish on www.lisamhayes.com shall not be copyrighted and shall belong to the public domain.
Exceptions
The www.lisamhayes.com website design is copyrighted, including the CSS code and the look and feel of the site, so don’t copy the design of the site itself. Don’t create a site that might be confused with www.lisamhayes.com.
Larger works that include a copyright notice shall remain copyrighted.
Anything material in products or programs I charge for is not up for unconditional grabs. Feel free to quote it, use it, or share it, but a proper credit is required in writing.
If I decide to copyright something new that I create, I’ll include a copyright notice within the work.
What Does This Mean?
This means that you have more rights to use my uncopyrighted work in various ways.
Here are some of the things you can do with my uncopyrighted material:
Repost it on your own website as much as you want
Translate it into other languages
Transfer it to different media (articles-> audio, articles -> books, etc.)
Make money from what you create (sell it in ebook form, post it on your website and make money from advertising)
Create derivative works based on the content (i.e. books, movies, software, etc.)
Here are some more specific examples of what you can do:
Package any subset of articles into an ebook, and give it away free or sell it
Create a website to share my content in another language, translating as much of it as you desire
Republish some of my articles in your company newsletters
Turn some of my articles into an audio program
Create an app based on my content
Develop a workshop or seminar based on my content
Permission
You don’t need to directly ask my permission to do this. You can simply go ahead and do it.
If you’re not sure about something, consult your inner guidance and make whatever decision you believe is right. Or talk to a lawyer if you’re concerned about legalities.
Definitely don’t ask me to do anything that would involve lawyers, contracts, exclusivity, or obligations. I cannot grant you any special rights for content that is now in the public domain.
If I see something really cool being developed (based on my subjective judgment), then I may even help to promote it if I feel it would strongly benefit people. Just don’t expect me to agree to anything in advance before you actually do the creative part.
Moral Rights
While I am giving away the copyrights to my work, I am retaining the moral rights to my work.
Moral rights include the right to attribution and the right to preserve the integrity of the work.
These rights are basically common sense, and they’ll help both of us avoid unnecessary headaches if you choose to use my work.
Attribution
If you do reuse my work, you should give proper credit, such as by including a note like “Lisa M. Hayes wrote this” or “Republished from www.lisamhayes.com” when republishing my content.
My work is already out there, and there’s a high probability that it will be recognized when republished. Many people do not take kindly to trying to pass off someone else’s work as your own.
Giving attribution is simply the smart thing to do. It won’t cost you anything, and including my name on the work may even help your sales if you’re selling a product.
Although it isn’t a requirement, I’d appreciate it if you’d include a link to my website or mention the URL www.lisamhayes.com when you re-use my work. That’s just good form when republishing someone else’s content.
If you create a book or product based partly on my material, use your best judgment as to whether or not you feel I deserve an official credit for the content or ideas you used. It would be greatly appreciated and probably won’t go unnoticed.
Integrity of the Work
Another aspect of moral rights is the right to preserve the integrity of the work.
It’s fine with me if you want to edit some of my work, especially to shorten or simplify it. You can also include my work as part of a larger work with other contributors.
However, please do not attribute words to me that I didn’t actually communicate, especially if it seems likely that I wouldn’t agree with them.
Use Good Judgment
I encourage you to use my uncopyrighted material in creative and expansive ways. As you do so, please exercise good judgment. Don’t create headaches for me by doing something sketchy or deceptive.
For example, don’t make it look like I’m recommending or endorsing a product when I didn’t explicitly do so. Don’t quote me inaccurately. Don’t try to pass off my personal stories as your own.
Making Money
You can make money off my work if you so desire. If you can introduce more people to ideas that will benefit them, I see no reason why you shouldn’t be compensated for your efforts.
If you make money from my work, either from places we’ve gone in our coaching relationship or from material I’ve produced and made public, there’s no obligation to pay me a portion of what you earn. However, if you feel good about doing so, I’d certainly be grateful if you did share some of the earnings, either on a regular basis or as an occasional donation. This makes it easier for me to sustain what I’m doing and to expand this work in new directions.
Why Am I Doing This?
I like helping people. Uncopyrighting my work makes it easier for people to share these ideas. I believe we can create more positive ripples this way.
I don’t like fighting piracy. I’d rather spend my time creating and sharing fresh ideas instead of defending my past creations. Over the years people have made it obvious that they want to reshare, translate, and republish my work. I figure it makes more sense to see them as allies than as enemies.
Sharing my work is more important to me than owning it.
This page was inspired by Steve Pavlina.