Terms of use
In plain language, these terms explain how the free book and website may be used.
Effective 2026-07-22. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.
Read, share, adapt
The text and illustrations of When the Machines Were Young are offered under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. You may copy, print, translate, redistribute, and adapt the work, including commercially, provided that you give appropriate credit, link to the license, identify changes, and share adaptations under the same license.
Copyright and related rights can differ by jurisdiction. The license applies to the extent that such rights subsist. Nothing here limits uses already permitted by law.
Suggested attribution
No endorsement
Reuse must not imply that Nell Watson, Young Machines, or any organization named on the author page endorses an adaptation, translation, product, or service unless separate written permission has been given.
Information and warranties
The fables and supporting material are provided for education, discussion, and enjoyment. They are not legal, medical, financial, or engineering advice. The site and downloads are provided as available, without warranties to the extent permitted by law.
Children, links, and availability
The site has no accounts, purchases, or user submissions. Adults remain responsible for deciding how linked external material is used with children. External sites have their own terms. Pages, files, and these terms may be corrected or updated as the edition develops.
Creative provenance
The book’s end matter describes its collaborative writing and image production process. That disclosure is part of the edition and should remain available in substantial reproductions.