Terms of Use

Effective December 1, 2025

Welcome to Cowboy Libretto

These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of westernswingmusic.com (the "Site"), operated by Ron Thompson ("Cowboy Libretto," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using this Site, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

Copyright and Intellectual Property

Ownership of Content

All content on this Site, including but not limited to text, articles, research, photographs, graphics, audio recordings, video, databases, software, and other materials (collectively, "Content"), is the property of Ron Thompson/Cowboy Libretto or its licensors and is protected by United States and international copyright laws.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Original research and historical scholarship

  • Articles and essays on Western Swing music and culture

  • Archival research and documentation

  • Photographs and multimedia materials

  • Exhibition materials and digital presentations

  • Published works, including "Western Swing as a Cultural Indicator: Migration, Identity, and the Evolution of American Music in the American Southwest"

  • Website design and arrangement of materials

Copyright Notice

© 2024 Ron Thompson. All Rights Reserved.

Permitted Uses

You may:

  • View and access Content for personal, non-commercial, educational purposes

  • Share links to our Content on social media or other platforms

  • Quote brief excerpts (generally no more than 300 words) with proper attribution for purposes of commentary, criticism, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, in accordance with fair use principles

Prohibited Uses

You may NOT, without our prior written permission:

  • Reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, or publicly perform any Content from this Site

  • Use Content for any commercial purpose or for any public display (commercial or non-commercial)

  • Remove, alter, or obscure any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights notices

  • Use automated systems (including robots, spiders, scrapers, or offline readers) to access or collect Content from the Site

  • Republish, redistribute, or repurpose substantial portions of our research, articles, or other materials

  • Frame or link to Content in a manner that suggests endorsement or association without permission

  • Use Content in any manner that infringes upon our intellectual property rights or the rights of third parties

Attribution Requirements

When referencing or quoting Content from Cowboy Libretto under fair use principles, you must provide clear attribution:

Format: Ron Thompson, Cowboy Libretto, westernswingmusic.com, [Year of Publication]

Example: Ron Thompson, Cowboy Libretto, westernswingmusic.com, 2025

Permissions and Licensing

For permission to use Content beyond the scope of fair use, including:

  • Reprinting articles or substantial excerpts

  • Using photographs or multimedia materials

  • Commercial licensing

  • Academic or educational republication

  • Exhibition or display purposes

Please contact us through our contact page with details about your intended use.

Third-Party Content

Some Content on this Site may include materials in the public domain, materials used under license, or materials used under fair use. Where applicable, we have made reasonable efforts to identify and credit such materials. If you believe any Content infringes your copyright, please see our DMCA Notice below.

User-Generated Content

If you submit comments, feedback, or other materials to the Site ("User Content"), you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such User Content throughout the world in any media.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Notice

If you believe that Content on this Site infringes your copyright, please provide our designated Copyright Agent with the following information:

  1. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or authorized agent

  2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed

  3. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material

  4. Your contact information (address, telephone number, email address)

  5. A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner

  6. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner

Copyright Agent: Ron Thompson, Contact us through our contact page

Disclaimer

The Content on this Site is provided for informational and educational purposes. While we strive for accuracy, we make no warranties or representations regarding the completeness, accuracy, or reliability of any Content.

Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting to the Site. Your continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New Mexico, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Contact

For questions about these Terms of Use or to request permissions, please contact us through our contact page.