Terms and Conditions of Use

These materials are provided by iterations as a service and may be used for informational purposes only. We make no representations about the suitability of these materials for any other purpose. Single copies may be downloaded and printed subject to the provisions below. By downloading or printing any materials from this site, you agree to these terms. If you disagree, do not use this family of sites or download any materials from it.

The websites covered by the terms and conditions specified herein include the domains:

iterations.com
mgtaylor.com
knowhereinc.com
knowherestore.com
aiboulder.com
knetweb.com
matttaylor.com
gailtaylor.com
camelot-sail.com
knowherepress.com
whitewolfllc.com
tomorrowmakers.org

iterations owns the intellectual property (IP) in which most of the presently existing IP associated with the MG Taylor "Family of Organizations," System and Method resides. MG Taylor Corporation (MG Taylor) is licensed to develop and market certain expressions of this IP in the form of specific services and products including: DesignShops, NavCenters, CyberCon, PatchWorks Designs, WorkFurniture and, 7 Domains, Weak Signal and CHOICE Workshops. Atheneaum International (AI) and knOwhere, Inc. (knOwhere), are licensed by MG Taylor to provide a mix of products and services that stem from this IP. In addition, they have certain expressions of it, in various service/product mixes, for their own exclusive use, some of which is protected by IP of their own.

AI retains ownership of specific WorkFurniture designs and related methods, trade marks and design and utility patents. knOwhere, Inc., has ownership in certain products and services and Yolke, Inc. in certain computer programs and applications.

MG Taylor has licensed the DesignShop® process to Ernst & Young, LLP (E&Y) for commercial application, as well as to a variety of client organization NavCenter™ environments for internal use. Other product/service licenses with various organizations are in progress.

This Intellectual Property is protected by a variety of means:

Trade & Service Marks

are trade and service marks of iterations and licensed to MG Taylor. These marks may be used publicly only with permission.

are trade and service marks of iterations and licensed to knOwhere, Inc. These marks may be used publicly only with permission.

are trademarks of iterations and licensed to Athenaeum International (AI). These marks may be used publicly only with permission.

As a licensing agent of iterations, MG Taylor has invested a great deal of time, energy, and resources in these trademarks and service marks, and in intellectual property in general. The proper legal usage of these marks is critical to building and maintaining the brand of the respective organizations. Misrepresention of trademarks and service marks can result in loss of these marks and the respective organization's distinct brand recognition. "Kleenex" "xerox," "styrofoam" and "coke" are just a few such examples.

So that you may help protect this intellectual property, we ask that you download our "TRADEMARK DOs AND DON'Ts," and the current "LIST OF REGISTERED MARKS," two PDF documents that provide guidlines for correct mark usage.

Persona

The Persona of Matt and Gail Taylor and CAMELOT, the sailing vessel, are established and protected. MG Taylor has certain right of use to this Persona by contract.

Trade Dress

The look, sense, touch and feel - the Trade Dress - of Taylor environments, processes and subsystems are established in the “mind of the customer” and protected from “unfair competition.” MG Taylor, AI and the knOwhere Stores have certain right of use of this Trade Dress. E&Y has right of use of the Trade Dress for the development and use of the DesignShop process in certain applications.

Explicit Trade Dress elements are being established for each environment, product and service - as example, the FoundationSeries WorkFurniture units, the knOwhere stores and NavCenter environments.

Trade Secret

All processes related to this IP and its use except where publicly disclosed is held in Trade Secret. This includes processes related to facilitation, design, fabrication, building, installing and the use related to physical environments, work processes, computer systems, technical infrastructures, work augmentation tools, language means, mediums of networking and exchange, transportation of physical and virtual goods, operation of value webs and supply chains, etc.

A System and Method Manual is in progress that describes both Patent and Trade Secret materials. This Manual will be used as the basis for all licenses, capability transfer, education and training processes.

Patents

A Patent (6,292,830) related to 6 subsystems of the System and Method was awarded to Matt and Gail Taylor in September 2001 and subsequently assigned to iterations. This patent involves several levels of language and a process-architecture based on iteration, recursion and feedback of agents acting in an environment of agents. The patent involves a language that describes and operates the processes and is itself patented.

Ownership of Materials

Except as otherwise noted, the information and/or software within this website ("Materials") are the exclusive property of the individuals and organizations as noted. All Materials are copyrighted and protected by worldwide copyright laws and treaty provisions. Except as noted, they may not be copied, reproduced, modified, published, uploaded, downloaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way, without written permission. Except as expressly provided herein, the owner of this intellectual property grants no express or implied rights to you under any patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade names, or trade secret information.

Summary of IP Strategy

In total, our IP strategy is comprehensive and aggressive. The purpose it not to attempt an exclusive use over some future section of the knowledge-economy - the purpose is to establish a way to steward a body of ideas into useful products and services while legally protecting the emerging Value Web® community that invests, develops and employs them. Certain aspects of the patent is expected to be issued within the coming year.

Philosophically, we have a strong leaning toward “open source” development. In many realms that we work, however, there is question if the culture and operational traditions are in place (yet) for this to work in the short term. As IP protection is becoming a weapon in many organizational strategies, we intend to have it and then act differently in regards what we do with it. Open Source is well covered by Eric Raymond in “The Cathedral and the Bazaar” - his web page is:

http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr

It is the intention of iterations, MG Taylor, AI, knOwhere, and Yolke to partner with each other and Value Web members and organizations to develop this IP into a number of products, services and organizations by a systematic process of Intellectual Capital creation. The primary strategy for doing this will be the employment of the system and method itself in the creation and facilitation of these enterprise opportunities.

Each form of IP has its own set of rules. Rules by which IP is created and held. The notion of what can be protected has undergone a radical change in scope in the last few years. Many business processes can now be patented, for example. Persona and Trade Dress protection has become quite strong. Some IP is established by government franchise: patent, trademark, copyrights are examples. Other IP has to be established in the market place: Persona, Trade Dress are this way. These never exist by a certificate of “ownership” - they are established first in the minds of the public and, then, in the successful litigation of “unfair” competition. Trade Secret is assumed as long as an organization exercises diligence in protecting it.

What is across the board different about IP - from other kinds of law - is that ownership has the burden of protecting it. Ownership cannot be passive. Extreme diligence is required. IP is hard to get and easy to lose. For this reason, MG Taylor exercises a high level of diligence in protecting this IP. This is sometimes misunderstood. It can be seen as harassing and nit picking. However, how a trademark is presented on a page can lead to loosing of that mark. This is just the way it is. In the future, a new game will emerge and we intend to be part of it. In the mean time we also intend not to be excluded from the very work we have invented.

Many firms today process patents, register trademarks and the like, and think that they are exercising robust IP. This is rarely adequate in today’s environment. Few firms are up to date on the subject and fewer have a comprehensive IP strategy. Intellectual Property is likely to be one of the most competitive arenas as we enter the 21st. Century. One thing is sure, if you have it you can always give it up. If you do not have it you are unlikely to recover it in the future.

Policy for Use of Web Site Materials

All Materials of these websites are protected by copyright. You can use the non-password protected contents by meeting four conditions:

1. Notify iterations via email prior to usage,

2. Maintain the integrity of the whole document, including the copyright notice,

3. Share with us what you learned about this Material by using it,

4. We reserve the right to use, copy, distribute, etc. any of the information provided under condition (3).

Fiduciary Responsibility

All members of the MG Taylor ValueWeb™ community must act as a fiduciary to other members of the community and to the MG Taylor ValueWeb system itself. Persons within the MG Taylor Value Web community are advised of their fiduciary obligations to the communty. Briefly, these obligations include:

I. DUTY OF CARE -- that is an obligation to act prudently under the circumstances.

II. DUTY OF LOYALTY -- that is an obligation to act in the interests of ValueWeb. In other words, those within the community should not seek to obtain undue advantage from the experience.

III. DUTY OF CONFIDENCE -- that is a recognition that everything that you hear during an event is confidential. You may not pass this information on to others without express consent. Any documentation that you receive during an event should be treated confidentially as well.

Persons within the MG Taylor Value Web community are expected to understand and fulfill these obligations. If you have any questions concerning these obligations, please contact MG Taylor.

Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

The user of this site assumes all responsibility and risk for the use of this site and the Internet generally. The Materials are provided "as is," without any express or implied warranty of any kind including without limitation warranties of merchant ability, fitness for a particular pupose, non-infringement of intellectual property, and freedom from errors, viruses, bugs, or other harmful components. In no event shall iterations, MG Taylor, knOwhere, AI, Yolke, or any individual therein, be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of the use of or inability to use the Materials or any hyperlinked website, even if iterations, MG Taylor, knOwhere, AI, Yolke, , or any individual therein, has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall iterations, MG Taylor, knOwhere, AI, Yolke, or any individual therein, total liability to you for all damages, losses, and causes of action exceed the amount paid by you, if any, for accesing these sites.

Goods and services neither manufactured nor rendered by iterations, MG Taylor, knOwhere, AI, Yolke, or any individual therein, are the sole responsibility of the manufacturer or provider of those goods or services; iterations, MG Taylor, knOwhere, AI, Yolke, CAMELOT or any individual therein, also bears no responsibility for those goods or services. iterations, MG Taylor, knOwhere, AI, Yolke, or any individual therein, does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information, text, graphics, links and other items contained on this site. iterations, MG Taylor, knOwhere, AI, Yolke, and individuals therein reserves the right to make changes and updates to any information contained within this site without prior notice.

Applicable Laws

These sites are controlled and operated from offices within the United States of America. iterations, MG Taylor, knOwhere, AI, Yolke, or any individual therein, makes no representation that the Materials inthe site are appropriate or available for use in other locations, and access to them from territories wherer their contents are illegal is prohibited. Those who choose to access this site from other countries do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with applicable local laws. You may not use or export the Materials in violation of and U.S. export law or regulation. Any claim relating to the Materials shall be governed by the substantive law of the State of California, applied without regard to its choice of law rules.