These are the general terms and conditions under which AES Ltd agrees to conduct business, related to issues of copyright and ownership of product. These provide clients with a simple outline where an agreement is not provided as part of project documentation or a contract. Where a contract covering these issues is agreed the terms and conditions of that contract will replace these. It is a condition of employing the services of AES Ltd that these default terms and conditions cover all instances related to our work for clients except where a contract or written agreement varying them has been signed.

The Client owns copyright on the information and pictures which the client has provided to enable AES Ltd to build a particular solution. In a web site the client owns the rights to the data supplied by the client which we would use to build the web site. Similarly the client owns the rights to any text and pictures which the client has produced for the puposes of our authoring a brochure, interactive CD or other media or IT product.

AES Ltd owns the copyright of the design and source code for all its media solutions for example the look and feel of an interactive CD and the JAVASCRIPT, PHP, HTML and other codes (excepting the those copyrighted by third parties eg Microsoft™, Adobe™ etc ) used to design a web site or other software product as well as the format of the layout of a brochure.

While the content remains the copyright of the client the layout and positioning and code to deliver that content is the property of AES Ltd. AES Ltd maintains this approach to copyright for three reasons: Firstly it reduces the cost to the client not having to buy source code or copyright . Secondly it protects the client because AES Ltd have no right to publish the client's material without permission (copyright on the original information). Thirdly there are situations where AES develops complex code which is confidential to AES Ltd and which if disclosed to another supplier of a client might disadvantage AES Ltd .

When working with products which require data input by the client's Users AES Ltd recommends that clients take normal precautions to avoid problems in the event of erros in entry or hardware failure. This includes keeping a dated record of essential material which is being entered, and regularly backing up the data in the system.

Note that closing down operations may be a costed activity, On request AES can supply a cost for transferring domain names, provision of web site code, purchase of source code (where this is not AES Ltd company confidential) for use with other suppliers, or costs for use of designs and layouts or to cover the copyright of production of software items by other suppliers.