Privacy & Confidentiality

PRIVACY POLICY

To build and maintain a relationship of trust

This Privacy Policy was last updated on February 12, 2023.

Welcome to the website www.aadistrict11.ca. Let us handle the paperwork – please familiarize yourself with our Privacy, Confidentiality and Cookie Policy, as well as our Terms of Use regarding copyright and other proprietary matters that apply to the content on our website.

This policy explains how London-Middlesex AA​​ District 11 collects, uses, shares and protects your personal information (that is, information that personally identifies you or that can be used with other sources of information to identify you). This policy applies to the personal data you submit to us and other data we collect about you when you interact with our website or London-Middlesex AA 11, as described below.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE WEBSITE OR PROVIDING INFORMATION TO LONDON-MIDDLESEX AA DISTRICT 11 THROUGH ANY OTHER MEANS.

Certain apps and activities may be subject to additional or different privacy notices, which will be shared in connection with the relevant apps and activities. Those notices are incorporated into this Privacy Policy by reference, but where they conflict with this policy, the supplemental notices control.

London-Middlesex AA District 11 may modify this Privacy Policy at any time by posting an updated policy on this page. If London-Middlesex AA District 11 makes any material changes to this Privacy Policy, it will indicate the date the Privacy Policy was last revised at the top of this page.

​1. Personal Information We Collect

Information You Submit

You may submit certain personal information in connection with your use of our website, download and use of our apps, and participation in activities. For example, if you purchase products on our website, make a contribution or register for one of our events, you may be asked to enter your name, email, phone number, credit card information and address. You may also submit personal information when you request information, customer service or other assistance, sign up to receive Daily Reflections or newsletters or communications from us, submit your personal story, or otherwise communicate with us.

* You are not required to provide the Social Insurance Number or Social Security Number, but it does facilitate your identification with credit-reporting agencies. In addition, it is required for tax purposes, especially if an account generates income. 

If you submit personal information on behalf of someone else, you must ensure and you have their authorization and consent to provide London-Middlesex AA District 11 with their personal information.

We may receive personal information about you from our third-party service providers, software or applications, who enable us to deliver our website, apps and online content to you, to process your orders and contributions, to manage events, and to provide other activities offered by London-Middlesex AA District 11.

Our service providers are contractually bound to use your personal information only in accordance with our instructions and this Privacy Policy. With your consent, the service providers may use your personal information for other purposes as stated in that provider’s privacy policy.

Information Collected Automatically

In order to improve our website and to tailor our web services to your needs, London-Middlesex AA District 11 may also automatically collect information about you when you use our website. The type of information collected includes information about your computer, mobile device, or other device that you use to access the website or other application(s), which may also include, for example, IP address, geolocation information, unique device identifiers, browser type, browser language, and other transactional information. We may also collect information about your use of our website and application(s), which may include, for example, a reading history of the pages you visit on our website.

Information Collected during our Conferences and Events

We may take photographs at our conferences and events. (Every effort is made to protect the anonymity of AA members in all photographs or notices.) You may withdraw your consent at any time.

Information from Local Groups, Intergroup/Central Offices & Area Committees

Local groups, intergroup/central offices and area committees are not part of London-Middlesex AA District 11, and do not share information about you with London-Middlesex AA District 11, unless you expressly consent to be listed in our internal directory of contacts for the groups, intergroup/central offices or area committees, to be used for purposes of sending notifications and updates about the Fellowship.

​2. Use of Cookies

Like many websites, London-Middlesex AA District 11 may use cookies, which are files stored on your device that help London-Middlesex AA District 11 identify users and optimize their website experience. Most browsers accept cookies automatically but allow you to disable them. We recommend that you leave cookies enabled so we can offer you a better experience. London-Middlesex AA District 11 will not drop cookies or other tracking methods that are persistent and cannot be erased from your device. Your IP address, searches, and other usage information may be collected by Google analytics, but only to generate aggregated data to help us improve our website. You can disable the use of cookies on your browser. If you disable the use of cookies on your browser, you may not be able to access certain functions of our website. To learn more about our use of cookies, please consult our Cookie Policy.

Our third-party providers may occasionally drop cookies on your device. For example, London-Middlesex AA District 11 also uses Google Ads to help third-party vendors serve their ads, based on your prior visits to our website or other websites. London-Middlesex AA District 11 does not control these cookies, and these cookies fall outside the scope of this policy. To opt out of the personalized advertising from Google please visit https://www.google.com/settings/ads  or to opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info .

​3. Our Use of Information

We may use your information to provide and improve our website, apps, orders and activities, and to personalize your experience with the website, apps, orders and activities. For example, we may use your personal information to:

• process and fulfil orders, contributions and other transactions;

• organize and coordinate your participation in events, including travel arrangements and special accommodations that you request;

• communicate with you about your account or information you have submitted, respond to your inquiries and requests for customer service or other assistance or information;

• send Daily Reflections, newsletters and other communications that you have requested;

• notify you about changes to our policies;

• optimize or improve our website, apps, content, products, events, activities, communications and operations;

• let you know about websites, apps, content, products, events, activities, promotions, features and functionality that we think might be of interest to you; and

• detect, investigate, and prevent activities that may violate our terms or policies, applicable law or regulations, or the rights of any persons, organizations or entities.

​4. Retention of Information

We delete your personal information as soon as we no longer need it in connection with the purpose for which it was submitted or collected, unless we are required by law to retain it for a longer time and we only retain it in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

When you cancel an order, contribution or registration for an event, or stop participating in an event, or using a product, application, feature, activity or promotion, the service provider who processed your personal information may not automatically delete your personal information they have previously received, if information is still needed for the purpose for which it was collected.

We encourage you to read the privacy notices of these service providers, organizations and companies to make sure that you understand how they may use the personal information you provide to them. You can engage directly with the service providers if you have any concerns about the way they process your personal information.

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5. Disclosure of Information

We will only disclose your Personal Information to other organizations, companies and individuals as described in this Privacy Policy.

Service Providers

London-Middlesex AA District 11 occasionally engages third-party contractors and agents that provide services to London-Middlesex AA District 11, such as credit card processing, order fulfilment, marketing, database hosting, web analytics, and providing customer service. These entities may have access to personal information in order to perform their functions. We do not authorize them to use the information we share with them for any other purpose.

Legally-compelled Disclosures

London-Middlesex AA District 11 may disclose personal information to government authorities and other third parties when compelled to do so by law, including, without limitation, in response to court orders and subpoenas.

Emergency Situations

London-Middlesex AA District 11 may disclose personal information if required to do so or in the good-faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to (i) protect and defend its rights or property, the website or its members, and (ii) act under emergency circumstances to protect the personal safety of LONDON-MIDDLESEX AA DISTRICT 11 personnel, its members, or others.

Affiliated Entities

We may disclose personal information to our parent, subsidiary and other affiliated organizations, including the General Service Board, and AA Grapevine.

Change of Organizational Structure

We may transfer personal information to another entity in connection with any change of organizational structure or similar transaction, such as, for example, a transfer to an entity with which AA has merged. Under such circumstances, London-Middlesex AA District 11 will require the transferee to agree to follow the practices described in this Privacy Policy, as it may be amended from time to time.

Limited Publications

If you participate as an AA speaker at one of our events, your first name, last initial, and limited biographical information will be included in the event programs, which are distributed to other event attendees and speakers, and copies retained in our archives. If you submit a personal story, memoir or correspondence and expressly consent to allow us to publish such, we may include them (in whole or in part), including such personal information as you have authorized us to publish, on our website and in digital and print publications, in accordance with the consent granted. Copies of the published stories will be retained in our archives.

​6. Security

We use appropriate technical and organizational measures to keep your personal information secure.

For example, payment card information is transmitted via Secure Socket Layer (“SSL”) technology and then encrypted into our payment gateway provider’s database only to be accessible by those authorized with special access rights to such systems, and are required to keep the information confidential. Once a transaction is complete, your payment information will be deleted from our servers.

Though London-Middlesex AA District 11 takes reasonable steps to protect the security and integrity of all personal information provided to London-Middlesex AA District 11, due to the nature of the Internet, no transmission of data over the Internet is guaranteed to be completely secure. It may be possible for third parties to intercept or access transmissions or private communications unlawfully, including when you contact London-Middlesex AA District 11 by email or a “contact us” or similar feature on the website. Accordingly, London-Middlesex AA District 11 cannot guarantee that information, during transmission through the internet or while stored on its system or otherwise in its care, will be absolutely safe from intrusion by others, such as hackers.

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7. Children

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and London-Middlesex AA District 11does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 13 years of age. If you are under 13 years of age you should not use this website, and under no circumstance should you provide personally identifiable information to London-Middlesex AA District 11.

​8. Referrals

London-Middlesex AA District 11 may refer you to other websites, organizations or entities, in which case this Privacy Policy may not apply to information that you submit or make available to such websites, organizations and companies. We encourage you to read the privacy notices of those websites, organizations and companies before submitting or making available any information to them.

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9. Notice to Persons Outside of the United States

Please note that:

•         the personally identifiable information you provide to London-Middlesex AA District 11 will be transferred to the United States for processing in accordance with this Privacy Policy, for which we will obtain your express consent, to the extent required by law;

•         you have the right to access your personal information upon request, to have it corrected as necessary, to have it deleted when you no longer want to use our website, download or use our app, participate in activities, or communicate with us, or to have it transmitted to anyone you choose;

•         you also have the right to share your concerns if you have any about how we use and protect your information.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected].

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may file a complaint with your national data protection authority.

​10. Questions?

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at [email protected].

Cookies Policy

This Cookies Policy was last updated on February 12, 2023.

The LONDON-MIDDLESEX AA DISTRICT 11 websites make use of cookies to optimize and improve the functionality of our websites. As we want to ensure your privacy and improve the user-friendliness of your visit(s) to our website, we feel it is important that you know how and why we use cookies. This policy provides information about our use of cookies across all our platforms.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small and simple text files that are stored by your computer or mobile device when you use one of our websites or apps. Nearly all existing websites make use of cookies.

By using cookies, we can make sure that, for example, it is easy for you to browse our website, that when you visit our website, you are not presented with the same information repeatedly. Cookies also enable us to measure how our website is being used and how to further improve it.

Your options

We can only place cookies if your browsers allow the use of cookies. It is your choice to either accept or refuse the cookies and there is always the option to revoke your permission to place cookies by means of the banner request on our landing page.

If you do not want to receive cookies at all, you can adjust the settings of your Internet browser to fully block the use of cookies. In this case, some functionalities on our website will be deactivated. You can, however, consult the website for information. You can also adjust the settings of your Internet browser to be informed by your browser when a cookie is placed.

Third party cookies

Our website also allows the placement of third-party cookies. In the event that other companies use cookies, the privacy and cookie policies of the relevant company apply.

Analytical cookies

We may use Google Analytics cookies to collect statistics of the use and users of our website. By measuring the use of (specific parts of) the website, we can improve our website for the benefit of the users. We further use these statistics to measure the amount of our visitors and the duration of the visit of each visitor, to determine how visitors navigate through the different pages on our website, to consider which sections of our website need adjustments/should be revised, and to optimize our website in general.

The Analytics cookies provide us with the following information/data that will be stored in our web analytics system:

• The IP-address anonymized;
• Traffic source or campaign that explains how the user reached the site;
• Which (sub)pages are visited on the website;
• The duration of the visit/use of the website and its subpages. The following analytics cookies used on our websites are:
   

Browser settings

If you do not want our websites to store cookies on your computer you must adjust your browser settings. You will then be given a warning before cookies are placed. You could also adjust your settings to the extent that your browser refuses all cookies or only those from third parties. You can delete cookies that have been placed. Please note that you have to adjust the settings for each browser and computer you use.

Please note as well that we cannot guarantee that our website will function properly if you do not want to accept cookies. It could be that some functions of the site are lost or that you will not see certain pages at all. In addition, rejecting cookies on this website does not mean that you will not be shown any related ads on other platforms. You have the option to opt out of the personalized advertising from Google. Please visit https://www.google.com/settings/ads or to opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.

Deleting cookies

Deleting cookies in Internet Explorer

Go to the menu Extra > Internet options > General. Under Browsing History, click on Delete. It could be that you do not want to delete everything. Just make sure that the Cookies box is ticked and click on Delete.

Deleting cookies in Firefox

Go to Extra > Options > Privacy. Click on Delete your recent history. Under Details you can indicate exactly what you want to delete. In any case tick the Cookies box. You can also indicate how old the cookies should be. Then click on All.

Deleting cookies in Chrome

Click on the icon with the 3 lines in the top right corner. Click on More tools > Clear browsing data. Make sure that the “Delete cookies and other site and plug-in data” box is ticked. You can also indicate how old the cookies should be. Then click on All.

Deleting cookies in Safari

Click on the radar icon in the top right corner. Click on Preferences, go to Privacy and click on Remove All Website Data. You can also click on Details and remove selected data.

 Questions

If you have questions or complaints about the use of cookies by London-Middlesex AA District 11, or would like to respond to our cookie policy, please contact London-Middlesex AA District 11 by emailing us at [email protected].

You can find additional information on cookies on the following sites:

• Microsoft.com: Information about Cookies
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
• Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA)

Social Media Platforms and Third-Party Sites

We are present on some social media services. When you interact with us via social media, you do so in accordance with the conditions and policies of these platforms.

Our online services may contain links to websites and services that are not ours. When you leave our online services, this statement therefore ceases to apply.

We invite you to carefully read the privacy policy of the social media platforms, other websites and services before you provide them with any personal information.

Amendments To This Statement

We reserve the right to update this statement at any time. Any changes would then take effect on the date of the most recent update indicated above. By continuing to use our services after this date, you accept any changes made to the statement. We recommend that you re-read this statement from time to time to remain aware of all its conditions.

If you have any questions about this statement and our practices, please email us at [email protected].

Content Use Policy

A. Personal Use

B. Educators

GUIDELINES FOR USE OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC AND LONDON-MIDDLESEX AA DISTRICT 11 COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and London-Middlesex AA District 11 copyrights are held in trust for AA as a whole.  London-Middlesex AA District 11 has a responsibility to protect these valuable AA assets both in terms of content and preserving the integrity of the AA message.  In order to meet this responsibility, London-Middlesex AA District 11 must ensure that AA’s copyrights remain undiminished by infringing activities.  Further, as a practical matter, and in order to meet such responsibility, blanket or non-specific permission is not granted.

Any request that does not fit within the parameters of the listed conditions and guidelines should be directed to the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous or . London-Middlesex AA District 11

Contact IP Policy to obtain a “Request for Permission to Reprint” form.

A.     PERSONAL USE

Some uses of AA copyrighted literature and other copyrighted AA materials are allowed by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and London-Middlesex AA District 11 if the following conditions are met:

Use must be for non-fiction commentary, news reporting, parody, summarization or similar. For use in creative/fiction writing, please submit a completed “Request for Permission to Reprint” form.

Use must be on a one-time basis only and not replace a sale of the work or diminish the market for, or value of the work.

These usages are not allowed:

1. Must not be used for novelty items such as bumper stickers, t-shirts, mugs, greeting cards, etc. as these types of items tend to trivialize the AA program.
2. Use must not be commercial (i.e., not for sale) or used in any type of advertising.

Guidelines and Limitations for acceptable use of AA Copyrighted Literature and other copyrighted AA material:

1. Individual printing or photocopying of a single copy or a brief excerpt of AA literature and/or AA material.
2. A single reproduction of a brief excerpt of audio DVDs, CDs, etc. or video works, e.g., film, film clips, public service announcements/PSAs, etc. (up to 10% of the total work or three minutes, whichever is less.)
3. Individual printing or photocopying of a brief excerpt of printed AA literature and/or AA material from the AA Website.
4. A single reproduction of a brief excerpt portion of audio DVDs, CDs, etc. or video works, e.g., film, film clips, public service announcements/PSAs, etc. (up to 10% of the total work or three minutes, whichever is less) from the AA Website.
5. Saving Alcoholics Anonymous literature or other AA material on a computer hard drive.
6. An entire work of Alcoholics Anonymous copyrighted material must not be posted or/uploaded to any website, online discussion boards or any social media formats, whether AA or non-AA, without written permission from London-Middlesex AA District 11.

B.     EDUCATORS

When Is Permission Required?

1. When an individual intends to use the material repeatedly.
2. When the material is intended to be used for commercial purposes.
3. When an individual wants to use a work in its entirety.

No permission to reprint need be submitted to Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 if all of the following conditions and guidelines are met:

1. Text of Alcoholics Anonymous copyrighted literature shall be presented as-is, with no amendments, changes or editing permitted.
2. An educator may make one copy of the following items for purposes of scholarly research, or for use in teaching or preparing to teach a class: one chapter from a book, one article from a periodical, one short essay, one chart/graph (unless otherwise noted).  Copying shall not be used to create, replace, or substitute for anthologies, compilations or collective works.
3. An educator may make multiple copies of AA material, not to exceed more than one copy per pupil in the course, provided the amount of material copied is sufficiently brief.  Each copy should include the following notice of copyright:

This photocopy was reproduced with the permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 for inclusion in a course package. Permission to photocopy this material does not mean Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 1 has reviewed or approved the contents of this course package, or that AA necessarily agrees with the views expressed herein.

Educators are permitted to provide web links to AA material on the AA Website.

C.        AA ENTITIES

The AA Service Manual in the sections “Area Newsletter or Bulletins” provides guidance to AA entities regarding the reprinting of Alcoholics Anonymous copyrighted material.  The section states:

 “Local AA publications are permitted to reprint the Steps, Traditions, and/or the Concepts, and to quote a phrase, sentence or brief paragraph excerpted from AA literature such as the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, The AA Service Manual and Conference-approved pamphlets without a prior, written request to do so.  When this occurs, the proper credit line should be included to ensure that the copyrights of AA literature are protected.  After a quotation from a book or pamphlet, the credit line should read: Reprinted from (name of publication, page number), with permission of AA World Services, Inc.”

D.     THE BLUE PEOPLE ®

The Blue People graphic is a copyrighted design and registered trademark of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc, with all rights reserved for use exclusively by the AAWS Board, AA Grapevine Board, the General Service Board of U.S./Canada, and General Service Office of U.S./Canada.

E.     FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Additional information regarding what material can and cannot be used within the AA Fellowship that would not constitute an infringement of AA’s copyrighted material is provided in the following Frequently Asked Questions:

Who owns the copyrights to AA Conference-approved literature?

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 hold the copyrights of AA material in trust for AA as a whole.

Do we have to formally request permission to reprint AA literature?

As a general rule no one has the authority to reproduce AA Conference-approved literature without prior written permission from Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11. However, given the nature of our Fellowship, our experience indicates that AA groups and entities, and only AA groups and entities, should have the authority to reproduce limited amounts of AA Conference-approved material. In no case should this material be amended or modified.

Can we upload an AA Conference-approved book or pamphlet to our local AA Website?

AA entities are permitted to provide web links to AA Conference-approved literature on www.aa.org instead of uploading.

Can we print a copy of AA material from www.aa.org?

If the material is in HTML, it can be printed. Some PDFs, including most service material, may also be printed.

Can we include brief excerpts from AA material in a mobile app?

Permission to reprint AA material must be obtained by contacting the Publishing Department at IP Policy. Additionally, AA material should represent only a small segment of material in the entire mobile app.

Can we obtain a license from AA to include an entire publication in a mobile app?

No, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 do not issue licenses to reproduce their copyrighted material on mobile apps, etc.

Can you give us a few other examples of requests for which G.S.O. does not grant permission?

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 do not grant permission to reprint AA material on novelty items such as bumper stickers, t-shirts, mugs, greeting cards, etc., as these types of items tend to trivialize the AA program.

What is the copyright status of the Big Book?

The First and Second Editions of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, are in the public domain in the United States only.  The Third and Fourth Editions remain copyright protected worldwide, including the United States.  Given that the Internet is a worldwide medium, permission must be requested from Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 for all Internet postings of all editions of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.

Can I reprint excerpts on a daily basis from AA material and distribute them electronically?

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 do not grant permission for anyone to continuously reprint excerpts of AA material through the Internet or electronic devices, etc.

Do I need permission to reprint the Serenity Prayer and the St. Francis Prayer?

As the Serenity Prayer and the St. Francis Prayer are not copyrighted by Alcoholics Anonymous and, as such, cannot grant or deny reprint permission.

Where can I find information regarding the use of AA’s trademarks?

On the AA Website, www.aa.org, in the section entitled “Intellectual Property Policies” and see in The AA Service Manual, under the section entitled “Trademarks, Logos, and Copyrights.”

Can we use the “blue people” graphic from the home page of www.aa.org on our local AA website?

The Blue People graphic is a copyrighted design and registered trademark of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc, with all rights reserved for use exclusively by the AAWS Board, AA Grapevine Board, the General Service Board of U.S./Canada, and General Service Office of U.S./Canada. Therefore, Alcoholics Anonymous does not grant permission to use the Blue People to any other AA entity and/or to create a derivative of The Blue People for any use.

Can AA entities use pamphlet cover graphics?

Yes, AA entities have permission to reprint thumbnail or larger-sized graphics of AA pamphlet covers for AA purposes only. Place the copyright symbol © next to the graphic and include the following credit line: The above graphic is [graphics are] used with permission of AA World Services, Inc.

If your specific concern is not addressed in these Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 Fair Use Guidelines, you may wish to direct your question to the G.S.O. Intellectual Properties desk.

For information on AA Grapevine’s Copyright and Reprint Policy, see The AA Service Manual, under the section entitled “General Guidelines for Reprinting Art and Articles from the AA Grapevine,” or www.aagrapevine.org/copyright-and-reprints-policy.

Revised February 13, 2023

London-Middlesex AA District 11 Policy on it’s Website

The purpose of the Website is:

1. To serve the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.
2. To serve as a resource for AA members, those seeking help from AA, professionals working with alcoholics, the media, and the public at large.
3. To provide accurate and consistent information about Alcoholics Anonymous.
4. To provide information about services coordinated by Alcoholics Anonymous generally.
5. To encourage participation of AA members, groups and committees in AA services and activities.

Additionally:

1. Oversight of the Website, including new releases of apps, websites or any other additional AA. technology, will be the London-Middlesex AA District 11, acting in accordance with the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.
2. London-Middlesex AA District 11 will provide both annual and quarterly reports regarding Website activity to its members and applicable service boards.
3. The Website will provide, whenever practical, information in English.
4. The Website will make available access to existing AA materials whenever practical.
5. The Website will provide contact information to the membership by listing and linking to existing websites.
6. The Website will provide access to contact information and assistance by including a list of Intergroup/Central Offices and Answering Services in the U.S. and Canada, international General Service Offices, and online intergroups, including website and email links where applicable.
7. The Website will include a disclaimer before linking to any external web page.
8. The Website will include selected Archives information and material.
9. The Website will welcome visitors to make suggestions about the Website design and content.
10. This Policy will be reviewed annually by the London-Middlesex AA District 11 Service Board.

Approved by London-Middlesex AA District 11 February 28, 2023.

Intellectual Property Policies

AA’s Copyrights

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 holds numerous copyrights in trust for AA as a whole in the many written works, videos, cassettes, CDs, and other materials produced and published by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 both in English, as well as in other languages.

Licensing Policy

Generally, AAWS limits licensees for the publication and distribution of AA literature, to General Service Offices (GSO.s) in other countries and literature committees around the world. The “Current Conference Charter” provides guidance in the matter: “In countries where a General Service Structure exists, the United States/Canada Conference will delegate sole right to publish our Conference-approved literature to the General Service Board of the structure.”

Reprint Policy

Our reprint policy, however, is different from our licensing policy. As stated in The AA Service Manual: “Local AA publications are permitted to quote a phrase, sentence or brief paragraph excerpted from AA literature such as The Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, The AA Service Manual and Conference-approved pamphlets without a prior, written request to do so…, (accompanied by a credit line (that) should read: Reprinted from (name of publication, page number), with permission of AA World Services, Inc.)” Non-AA individuals and entities may not reprint AA copyrighted materials without prior approval granted pursuant to a written request. Please send your request to reprint Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc and/or London-Middlesex AA District 11 material to [email protected] or [email protected]

Trademarks and Logos

AA World Services and the Grapevine have registered a number of trademarks and logos, and the guidelines for using them are based partly on legal considerations and partly on the nature of AA

The following is a complete list of registered trademarks and service marks that symbolize Alcoholics Anonymous, its work and its purpose: AA; Alcoholics Anonymous; The Big Book; Box 4-5-9; The Grapevine; AA Grapevine; GV; Box 1980, La Viña.

Use of these marks on goods or services that do not emanate from AA, and have not been approved by AA, both infringes upon and dilutes AA marks, in legal terms. The resulting harm is that the marks and AA itself, since AA is what the marks symbolize, will come to be associated with a variety of products and services that are not part of AA, and are not consistent with AA’s purpose. This will cause the marks to lose their meaning and significance as symbols of Alcoholics Anonymous.

–ends-