The text and images on this website are copyrighted and protected by United States and international copyright conventions.  Reproduction in any print or electronic form, except for small portions for quotations and reviews, without the written permission of Ian Poyntz, is prohibited.  Email messages sent by Ian Poyntz to public distribution lists and private individuals are also protected by copyright laws.  

    Permission to reproduce major portions of text on other websites is normally denied since this website is a living document and constantly subject to updating and correction.  Linking to a text is the most acceptable option since it relieves the linker of responsibility for the changing content of the master copy of the document. 

    If you do not understand copyright and intellectual property law, apply a simple rule of courtesy:  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.    Due to the ease of theft on the internet, international copyright laws are being tightened.  The penalties for copyright infringement can be severe.

    For a better understanding of copyright and related ethical issues, you may wish to explore these links:

Copyright Issues, by Cyndi Howells (of Cyndi's List fame)
U.S. Copyright and Genealogy, by Michael Goad.
Restoring Ethics to Genealogy, by Barbara A. Brown.