Elliot Jay Stocks

Copyright

The basics

Let’s keep this simple. I own the copyright to almost everything on this site (see below for exceptions), and usage of any elements without my written consent constitutes a copyright violation. If, for example, you use my background image on your own website, I will contact you to request its removal; if you then refuse this request I will contact your web host and have them take down your site. So please don’t steal. It’s unoriginal, it’s a waste of everyone’s time, and it burns holes in the ozone layer.

Exceptions to the rule

Words are a bit different from pictures. You may quote written material from this site on your own site as long as it is used within the context of a quotation and not passed off as your own work. If you wish to quote me in a printed publication, please contact me first. If you do quote me, it’d be great if you could let me know.

There are some things on this site that I don’t own the entire copyright to; for instance, most the small icons are modifications of those created and distributed (for free) by Fam Fam Fam. So go ahead and reuse my modifications if you like (like the red arrows, for instance). Other things like the application icons and magazine covers… it goes without saying that I don’t own the copyright to these. Maybe I shouldn’t even be using them myself! But seeing as how I’m promoting products by using their icons and covers, I can’t imagine anyone having a problem with that.

Code

Ah, it’s a tricky one, this. Can I copyright my code? Not really. All I’d say is that if you look at the source, learn from it; don’t just steal. And if you start writing code a certain way because, for example, you saw how I used some CSS to get a particular effect, then please consider blogging about it and sharing some link love. That kind of thing goes a long way.

Although claiming ownership over code is hard, I will still take action (a la the first paragraph on this page) if I see sites that look like mine in terms of layout, colour, typography, etc. but with different imagery. Don’t be lazy; you’re only showing yourself up.