Privacy policy
Last updated: 20 October 2026
Who we are
Library of Living Stories ("LLS", "we", "us") is a writing program made by Jonathan Webb, trading as Library of Living Stories. We are the controller of the personal data described here. Contact: contact@libraryoflivingstories.co.uk.
The short version
- The program keeps your writing on your own computer. We never receive your manuscripts, notes, Story Bible or anything else you write in it.
- At the moment we collect only what you send us by email. Later we will collect only what we need to send you the newsletter (if you ask for it), deliver your Kickstarter rewards, activate your licence, and answer your messages.
- We don't sell your data, we don't use advertising trackers, and our website doesn't use cookies.
1. The Library of Living Stories program
The program stores everything you write in a single library file on your own computer. It has no account system and sends us nothing about your writing or how you use it. There is no usage tracking ("telemetry") in the program.
The program connects to the internet only when you ask it to, or have switched on a feature that does:
| Feature | What is sent, and to whom | When |
|---|---|---|
| Licence activation and checks (see section 4) | Your name, email address, licence key, an anonymous device identifier, your computer's name, your operating system and the program's version, to our licence server | When you activate, and a quiet check when the program opens and every six hours while you are online |
| Update check | A plain request for a small file from our website. Nothing about you or your library is included; like any web request it reveals your IP address to our host | Only if you press "Check for updates" or switch on weekly checks (off by default) |
| Downloading a model for the Librarian | A download request directly to Hugging Face, Inc., which publishes the model files. We are not involved and receive nothing. Hugging Face's own privacy policy applies | Only when you choose to download a model |
| Ollama (optional) | The program talks to Ollama on your own computer only | Only if you use Ollama |
| Grammar server (optional, off by default) | The text of the scene being checked, sent to the address you enter (usually a LanguageTool server on your own computer). We receive nothing | Only while you have it switched on |
| The Custodian (planned, not yet built) | If built, it would send only what you approve to the AI provider you choose, using your own API key, and log every transmission on your computer. We would not receive your text | Only after your explicit consent for each project |
2. Our website
Our website (libraryoflivingstories.co.uk) does not use cookies or similar technologies and does not include advertising or social media trackers. It is hosted by Cloudflare, Inc., which acts as our processor. Like any web host, Cloudflare handles the technical details of each visit (your IP address, the page requested, the date and time, and your browser's identifying string) to deliver the site and protect it from attacks. We have not switched on Cloudflare's visitor analytics, and we do not keep or look at these logs ourselves.
Lawful basis: legitimate interests (running a secure website).
If we ever add analytics, we will use a privacy-friendly service that doesn't identify you, tell you about it here, and give you a simple way to opt out, as the law requires.
3. The newsletter ("Letters from the Library")
The newsletter has not opened yet, and the website does not collect sign-ups. This section describes how it will work; we will complete and update it before sign-up opens.
If you sign up, we collect your email address, and your first name if you choose to give it, together with the date, time and IP address of your sign-up and your confirmation (we use double opt-in: you must confirm by clicking a link we email you). We use this to send you news about Library of Living Stories, including the Kickstarter campaign. We have switched off open and click tracking, so we don't record whether you open our emails or which links you click. If we ever want to switch it on, we will tell subscribers first and update this policy.
Lawful basis: your consent. You can withdraw it at any time with the unsubscribe link in every email, or by emailing us. We then stop sending and delete your details within 30 days, keeping only a record that you unsubscribed so we never email you again by mistake.
Our newsletter will be sent by a provider acting as our processor. We will name it here before sign-up opens.
4. Licences and activation
Licences are not on sale yet. This section describes how activation will work.
When you activate a licence, our licence server stores: the email address and name the licence belongs to; a one-way scrambled ("hashed") copy of your licence key and its last five characters; the order reference and plan; and, for each computer you activate, an anonymous device identifier (a one-way hash of your computer's own identifier, so the identifier itself is never sent), the computer's name as set in your operating system, the operating system, the program version, and the dates of activation and last check.
We use this to confirm your licence, allow two computers at a time, and help you if something goes wrong. Your computer's name may contain your own name (for example "Sam's laptop"); you can change it in your operating system before activating if you prefer.
The licence server sees your IP address while it answers a request and uses it, only in memory, to stop abuse (too many requests); it does not store it. Our hosting provider may log it (see section 7).
Lawful basis: contract (providing the licence you have bought or received as a reward).
How long: for as long as the licence is active, and for 2 years after its last use, then deleted. Records of deactivated computers are deleted after 2 years.
5. Kickstarter backers and rewards
The campaign has not launched yet. This section describes how it will work.
If you back our Kickstarter campaign, Kickstarter (and its payment processor, Stripe) collects your account and payment details as an independent controller under their own privacy policies. We never see your card details.
Kickstarter gives us your name, email address, pledge and reward, and the answers you give in our backer survey (for example the name you want in the Founders' Roll, if any, and your operating system). We use this to deliver your rewards, issue your licence key and keep you informed about the project.
Lawful basis: contract (delivering the rewards you pledged for); legitimate interests for backer updates about the project you supported.
Credits are optional. Your name appears in the Founders' Roll, the About screen or the Sponsors page only if you ask in the survey, in the form you choose (a pen name is fine). You can change or withdraw it until the version containing it is released; after that we will remove it from future versions, but copies already downloaded cannot be changed.
How long: reward records for as long as needed to fulfil rewards and support your licence; financial records for as long as tax law requires (at least 5 years after the 31 January filing deadline for the relevant tax year).
If we later sell licences through an online shop, the shop's payment provider ("merchant of record") will act as an independent controller for payments and tax, and will tell you how it uses your data. We will name it here first.
6. When you contact us
If you email us (contact@libraryoflivingstories.co.uk), message us on social media, report a bug or send feedback (beta testers: feedback@libraryoflivingstories.co.uk), we use what you send to reply and to improve the program.
Lawful basis: legitimate interests (answering you and improving the program).
How long: 2 years after the conversation ends, unless it relates to a complaint or a legal matter.
We will only quote your feedback publicly (for example on the campaign page) with your written permission, and in the form you agree.
7. Who else handles your data
| Who | What for | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare, Inc. | Hosting the website and the update file; forwarding email sent to our addresses | United States, with servers worldwide |
| Microsoft (Outlook.com) | Storing the email forwarded to our inbox | United States and other countries |
| Kickstarter, PBC and Stripe | The campaign and payments (independent controllers), once it launches | United States and others |
| Our professional advisers (accountant, solicitor) | Only where needed for legal and tax compliance | United Kingdom |
Before we use any other provider (for the newsletter, the licence server or backer surveys), we will add it to this table.
Freelance developers who work on the program never receive backers' or subscribers' personal data.
We do not sell personal data and do not share it for advertising.
8. International transfers
Some providers are outside the UK. Where data goes to the European Economic Area, it is covered by the UK's adequacy regulations. Where it goes to the United States or elsewhere, we rely on the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (for certified companies) or on the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum, as appropriate. Cloudflare and Microsoft take part in the Data Privacy Framework, including the UK Extension.
9. Security
We keep personal data to a minimum, use providers with recognised security standards, protect our accounts with strong passwords and two-factor authentication, store licence keys only in hashed form, and limit access to what each task needs.
10. Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- access the personal data we hold about you;
- have it corrected if it is wrong;
- have it erased in some circumstances;
- restrict or object to our use of it in some circumstances (and always object to marketing);
- data portability for data you gave us under consent or a contract;
- withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on it.
Email contact@libraryoflivingstories.co.uk. We will reply within one month (this can be extended in limited circumstances, and we'll tell you if so). We don't charge for this.
We do not make decisions about you by automated means that have legal or similarly significant effects.
11. Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, please complain to us first at contact@libraryoflivingstories.co.uk. We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, look into it, and tell you the outcome without undue delay.
If you are not satisfied, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint, 0303 123 1113.
12. Children
The program and newsletter are not aimed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their data. Kickstarter requires backers to be adults.
13. Changes
We will update this policy when what we do changes, and show the date at the top. If the change is significant, we will tell newsletter subscribers and backers.