Copyright and Permissions

1. Our Principle

Knowledge acquires public value when it can be encountered, examined, discussed, and transmitted. At the same time, intellectual work depends upon recognition of authorship, context, labor, and rights.

Famuya Wale So and FWS Publishing therefore seek a balanced practice: reasonable access and responsible use, joined with clear protection against appropriation, distortion, unauthorized commercial exploitation, and false attribution.

2. Ownership of Materials

Unless a page or work states otherwise, original material published through FWS or FWS Publishing is protected by copyright and other applicable rights. Rights may belong to:

• Famuya Wale So or FWS Publishing;
• an individual author, artist, photographer, researcher, translator, or contributor;
• a publisher, archive, partner institution, licensor, or other identified rights holder; or
• more than one of these parties under an agreement.

The FWS name, emblem, Builders Council name and emblem, page design, institutional language, publications, research, graphics, photographs, maps, illustrations, audio, video, and downloadable resources may carry different ownership or licensing conditions. Publication online does not place a work in the public domain.

3. Uses That Generally Do Not Require Prior Permission

Subject to applicable law, accurate attribution, and any notice accompanying a particular item, prior written permission is generally not required to:

• share a normal link to a publicly available FWS webpage;
• quote a reasonable portion for scholarship, teaching, criticism, commentary, reporting, review, or public discussion;
• cite an FWS work in a paper, article, presentation, bibliography, or research project;
• print or save a reasonable number of copies for personal study;
• use a brief excerpt in a noncommercial classroom handout or presentation; or
• describe or discuss an FWS argument in your own words while identifying its source.

The amount used must remain proportionate to the purpose. A series of excerpts that reproduces the substance of a complete work may require permission even when each individual excerpt is brief.

4. Uses Requiring Prior Written Permission

Please request permission before:

• republishing a complete article, chapter, essay, report, image, table, graphic, recording, or substantial excerpt;
• including FWS material in a book, anthology, course pack, database, commercial training product, paid newsletter, exhibition, film, broadcast, or other distributed work;
• translating, adapting, abridging, dramatizing, recording, or materially transforming a work;
• using material for advertising, fundraising, merchandising, endorsement, or another commercial purpose;
• systematically downloading, scraping, archiving, indexing, redistributing, or creating a dataset from FWS content beyond ordinary search-engine or research use permitted by law;
• using protected FWS content to train, fine-tune, evaluate, or commercialize an automated or artificial-intelligence system where authorization is legally or contractually required;
• altering or removing a copyright, credit, source, provenance, or rights notice; or
• using an FWS name or emblem in a manner that could imply sponsorship, partnership, approval, or official status.

Possession of a copy, access to a webpage, or technical ability to download material does not itself grant permission.

5. Attribution and Citation

A responsible citation should identify, where available:

• the author or creator;
• the title of the work;
• Famuya Wale So or FWS Publishing as the publisher or source;
• the publication date;
• the page address or publication details; and
• the date accessed when required by the chosen citation style.

Suggested web citation

Quotation marks, ellipses, brackets, editing, translation, and paraphrase should be used transparently. Do not present an adapted or translated passage as the author’s exact words.

6. Translation, Adaptation, and Context

Translation is an intellectual responsibility, not merely a mechanical substitution of words. Permission is required before publishing or distributing a translation or adaptation when FWS or another identified rights holder controls that right.

An authorized translation should preserve meaning, identify the translator, name the original author and source, disclose that it is a translation or adaptation, and avoid changes that misrepresent the work. FWS may request review of a proposed translation before publication.

7. Photographs, Artwork, Maps, Audio, and Video

Visual and audiovisual materials may be owned or licensed separately from the surrounding webpage. A credit line, caption, metadata notice, or source page may identify the rights holder. Do not assume that permission to quote accompanying text includes permission to reproduce an image, cover, map, recording, performance, or artwork.

Where FWS does not control the relevant rights, we cannot grant permission on behalf of the owner. The requester must obtain authorization from the identified rights holder.

8. FWS Names, Emblems, and Institutional Identity

“Famuya Wale So,” “FWS,” “FWS Publishing,” “The Builders Council,” their emblems, and associated institutional identities may not be copied, redrawn, altered, combined with another mark, or used to imply endorsement, affiliation, fundraising authority, or official representation without written authorization.

Ordinary factual reference to FWS, accurate reporting, academic discussion, and linking to the official website do not require permission, provided the reference is not misleading.

9. Authors, Contributors, and Moral Rights

FWS respects the rights and legitimate interests of authors and contributors. Publication or contribution agreements may allocate particular rights differently from the general rules on this page. Those agreements govern the relevant work.

Authors and creators should receive appropriate credit, and their work should not be subjected to misleading attribution or distortion. Where legally recognized, moral rights remain respected according to applicable law and agreement.

10. Requesting Permission

A permission request should include:

• your full name, organization, and contact information;
• the exact FWS work, page, image, or passage you wish to use;
• the author or creator, if identified;
• the portion and format you propose to reproduce;
• the purpose, audience, language, territory, distribution method, and expected number of copies or views;
• whether the proposed use is commercial, nonprofit, educational, or freely accessible;
• the title and planned publication date of your new work; and
• any deadline for a response.

Please allow reasonable time for review. A request is not approved until written permission is issued by FWS or the relevant rights holder. Permission may be limited, conditioned, credited, licensed for a fee, or declined.

11. Reporting a Copyright Concern

If you believe material on an FWS website infringes your copyright or has been attributed incorrectly, please send a clear notice identifying:

• the protected work;
• the FWS page or material concerned;
• the location of the material;
• your relationship to the rights holder;
• the nature of the concern; and
• reliable contact information.

FWS will review a sufficiently detailed notice in good faith and may temporarily restrict material while ownership, authorization, attribution, or lawful use is clarified. Deliberately false or misleading claims should not be submitted.

12. Contact

Questions about rights, credit lines, classroom use, republication, translation, media use, or licensing may be directed to the addresses above. For faster review, identify the work and proposed use precisely in your first message.

These guidelines supplement the Terms of Use. They do not replace rights or exceptions established by applicable law.