diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9f54140ccb..f1e22452de 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.PHONY:  json-to-xml clean help api-deps rebuild-apis
+.PHONY:  json-to-xml clean help api-deps rebuild-apis license
 .SUFFIXES:
 
 include Makefile.helpers
@@ -7,14 +7,14 @@ VENV := virtualenv
 VENV_DIR := .pyenv
 PYTHON := $(VENV_DIR)/bin/python
 PIP := $(VENV_DIR)/bin/pip
-MAKO_RENDER := ./etc/bin/mako-render
+MAKO_RENDER := etc/bin/mako-render
 TPL := $(PYTHON) $(MAKO_RENDER)
 
 MAKO_SRC = src/mako
 API_DEPS_TPL = $(MAKO_SRC)/deps.mako
 API_DEPS = .api.deps
-API_SHARED_INFO = ./etc/api/shared.yaml
-API_JSON_FILES = $(shell find ./etc -type f -name '*-api.json')
+API_SHARED_INFO = etc/api/shared.yaml
+API_JSON_FILES = $(shell find etc -type f -name '*-api.json')
 MAKO_LIB_DIR = $(MAKO_SRC)/lib
 MAKO_LIB_FILES = $(shell find $(MAKO_LIB_DIR) -type f -name '*.mako' -or -name '*.py')
 
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ help:
 	$(info api-deps     -   generate a file to tell make what API file dependencies will be)
 	$(info rebuild-apis -   clear out all generated apis, and regenerate them)
 	$(info help-api     -   show all api targets to build individually)
+	$(info license      -   regenerate the main license file)
 
 $(PYTHON):
 	virtualenv $(VENV_DIR)
@@ -40,6 +41,11 @@ api-deps: $(API_DEPS)
 
 include $(API_DEPS)
 
+LICENSE.md: $(MAKO_SRC)/LICENSE.md.mako $(API_SHARED_INFO)
+	$(TPL) -io $<=$@ --data-files $(API_SHARED_INFO)
+
+license: LICENSE.md
+
 rebuild-apis: clean-apis apis
 
 clean: clean-apis
diff --git a/etc/api/shared.yaml b/etc/api/shared.yaml
index fed2e4156b..e82eb9e638 100644
--- a/etc/api/shared.yaml
+++ b/etc/api/shared.yaml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ api:
   templates:
   # all output directories are relative to the one set for the respective API
     - source: README.md
+    - source: LICENSE.md
     - source: cargo.toml
       # output_dir:  optional - not there if unset
 cargo:
@@ -23,7 +24,14 @@ cargo:
   repo_base_url: https://github.com/Byron/google-apis-rs
   doc_base_url: http://byron.github.io/google-apis-rs
   authors:
+    # don't forget to possibly add them to copyright authors
     - Sebastian Thiel <byronimo@gmail>
   keywords: [google, protocol, web, api]
   # All APIs should live in the same repository
   repository_url: https://github.com/Byron/google-apis-rs
+
+copyright:
+  # should at some point be 2015-2016 ... 
+  years: '2015'
+  authors:
+    - 'Sebastian Thiel'
diff --git a/etc/bin/mako-render b/etc/bin/mako-render
index 2150eaf5fb..84b3a99c67 100644
--- a/etc/bin/mako-render
+++ b/etc/bin/mako-render
@@ -308,13 +308,14 @@ def cmdline(argv=None):
         try:
             result = template.render(**data_converted)
             if output_file:
-                if not os.path.isdir(dirname(output_file)):
-                    os.makedirs(dirname(output_file))
+                dir = dirname(output_file)
+                if dir and not os.path.isdir(dir):
+                    os.makedirs(dir)
                 fh = open(output_file, "wb")
-                fh.write(result)
+                fh.write(result.encode('utf-8'))
                 fh.close()
             else:
-                print(result)
+                print(result.encode('utf-8'))
         except:
             _exit()
     # end for each input file
diff --git a/src/mako/LICENSE.md.mako b/src/mako/LICENSE.md.mako
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..85eee7a881
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mako/LICENSE.md.mako
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+## -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+The MIT License (MIT)
+=====================
+
+Copyright © `${copyright.years}` ${', '.join("`%s`" % a for a in copyright.authors)}
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person
+obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation
+files (the “Software”), to deal in the Software without
+restriction, including without limitation the rights to use,
+copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following
+conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
+included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
+EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES
+OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
+NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT
+HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
+WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
+OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/src/mako/README.md.mako b/src/mako/README.md.mako
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..81758ca48a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mako/README.md.mako
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<%! import util %>\
+<%namespace name="lib" file="lib/lib.mako"/>\
+The `${util.library_name(name, version)}` library allows access to all features of *${canonicalName}*.
+
+<%lib:docs />
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/mako/deps.mako b/src/mako/deps.mako
index a1bd62ebff..4dc6e7ceec 100644
--- a/src/mako/deps.mako
+++ b/src/mako/deps.mako
@@ -1,15 +1,13 @@
 # DO NOT EDIT !
 # This file was generated automatically by '${self.uri}'
 # DO NOT EDIT !
-## ${util.to_api_version('v3')}
-## here <%util:to_api_version v="v3"/>
+
 <%api_info=[]%>\
 % for a in api.list:
 <%
 	import util
-	version = util.to_api_version(a.version)
-	gen_root = directories.output + '/' + a.name + version
-	api_name = a.name + version
+	gen_root = directories.output + '/' + a.name + util.to_api_version(a.version)
+	api_name = util.library_name(a.name, a.version)
 	api_clean = api_name + '-clean'
 	# source, destination of individual output files
 	sds = [(directories.mako_src + '/' + i.source + '.mako', gen_root + i.get('output_dir', '') + '/' + i.source) 
diff --git a/src/mako/lib/lib.mako b/src/mako/lib/lib.mako
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..788120fea4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mako/lib/lib.mako
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<%def name="docs()">\
+TODO: Library level fully fledged documentation, incuding **summary** and **usage**.
+</%def>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/mako/lib/util.py b/src/mako/lib/util.py
index e871dc52ea..a069146c98 100644
--- a/src/mako/lib/util.py
+++ b/src/mako/lib/util.py
@@ -11,3 +11,7 @@ def rdc(s):
 def to_api_version(v):
 	assert len(v) >= 2 and v[0] == 'v'
 	return v[1:]
+
+# build a full library name (non-canonical)
+def library_name(name, version):
+    return name + to_api_version(version)