I recently published an ebook, arguably the first one ever to ship on a flash drive, and I wrote my own copyright page, as shown below. It’s not eligible for the contest, as it wasn’t written specifically for it. However, I published it on my blog last December (http://fleeglesblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/copyright-for-21st-century.html).

It has been well-received, and I like to think that others might copy and use it themselves.

Human Copyright for the 21st Century

With the exception of the pictures that are in the public domain, almost everything in this book is under copyright. When something is copyrighted, it means that it belongs to someone else. In this instance, unless specifically acknowledged otherwise, all the words and images are under copyright by me, the author. However, it?s my firm belief that information is meant to be shared, not bound by legal stricture. I resent blanket copyright declarations that forbid the readers from using or reformatting the knowledge in any meaningful way. Thus, I?ve devised my very own copyright permission page that spells out what you, the reader, may do with the contents herein.

You may scan, print, copy, or otherwise convert the contents to other formats in any way you wish, as long as your purpose is entirely personal. You can, for example, make backup copies of the DVD; output the contents to your printer; transfer the DVD to your hard drive; or paint excerpts on the back of your pet gerbil. You need no permission from me to do so. These permissions do not extend to making copies of this work, or any substantial part thereof, for your friends. If you are wondering about the word ?substantial,? and how it might apply to what you want to do, please contact me directly and we?ll discuss it.

You may share an excerpt for non-commercial purposes, for example, to help a friend; incorporate into a blog post; or contribute to a private group; without my express permission. Please do assign credit, however. The credit line should read: Photo/text/video courtesy of Susan Stevens, used with permission. In the cases where the photos or text are the property of someone else, you will need to contact them directly to arrange permissions.

You may not share any part of this book for commercial purposes without permission and remuneration. This does not mean you may not share the information in the book. It does mean that, if you are teaching a class and printing copies of the contents, I expect some form of payment as well as credit, because in these instances, I am the teacher standing behind you as you instruct the class. A Starbucks gift card, an Amazon credit, or a small donation to PayPal is not too much to ask, considering the time that I?ve spent assembling this missive. Again, in the cases where the photos or text are the property of someone else, you will need to contact them directly to arrange terms.

If you are an ongoing commercial enterprise, for example, a magazine, other arrangements will have to be made. In these cases, I expect fair payment commensurate with your other contributors. Please contact me to discuss terms and conditions.

There are no reserved foreign rights. We are all of one world, thanks to the Internet.

I have made arrangements for this book to be put into the public domain after my death for use by anyone and everyone under all circumstances. I refuse to sequester the information in the name of copyright when I am no longer around to benefit from it.

Although this copyright page is copyrighted (see Department of Redundancy Department), I herein give express permission for it to be reused in any format by anyone who shares the same information philosophy I do. If you intend to use this page as an example of How Not to Write a Copyright Statement, the reprint and excerpt fee is One Million Dollars, US. And I will pursue you legally if I find out about it.