Wikipedia:Media copyright questions: Difference between revisions

Media copyright questions

Welcome to the Media Copyright Questions page, a place for help with image copyrights, tagging, non-free content, and related questions. For all other questions please see Wikipedia:Questions.

How to add a copyright tag to an existing image

1. On the description page of the image (the one whose name starts File:), click Edit this page.
2. From the page Wikipedia:File copyright tags, choose the appropriate tag:
   • For work you created yourself, use one of the ones listed under the heading "For image creators".
   • For a work downloaded from the internet, please understand that the vast majority of images from the internet are not appropriate for use on Wikipedia. Exceptions include images from flickr that have an acceptable license, images that are in the public domain because of their age or because they were created by the United States federal government, or images used under a claim of fair use. If you do not know what you are doing, please post a link to the image here and ask BEFORE uploading it.
   • For an image created by someone else who has licensed their image under an acceptable Creative Commons or other free license, or has released their image into the public domain, this permission must be documented. Please see Requesting copyright permission for more information.
3. Type the name of the tag (e.g.; {{Cc-by-4.0}}), not forgetting {{ before and }} after, in the edit box on the image's description page.
4. Remove any existing tag complaining that the image has no tag (for example, {{untagged}})
5. Hit Publish changes.
6. If you still have questions, go on to "How to ask a question" below.

How to ask a question

1. To ask a new question hit the "Click here to start a new discussion" link below.
2. Please sign your question by typing ~~~~ at the end.
3. Check this page for updates, or request to be notified on your talk page.
4. Don't include your email address, for your own privacy. We will respond here and cannot respond by email.

Note for those replying to posted questions

If a question clearly does not belong on this page, reply to it using the template {{mcq-wrong}} and, if possible, leave a note on the poster's talk page. For copyright issues relevant to Commons where questions arising cannot be answered locally, questions may be directed to Commons:Commons:Village pump/Copyright.

Click here to start a new discussion

(For help, see Wikipedia:Purge)

This talk page is automatically archived by Werdnabot. Any sections older than 14 days are automatically archived to Wikipedia:Media copyright questions/Archive. Sections without timestamps are not archived.

Logos for Australian Government Departments

Is it okay to upload the logos of Australia Government Departments if the image is properly labelled as a Fair Use:logo.

Example: Image:Attorney aust gov.jpg

Probably, but you do need to include a fair use rationale. If you have any other questions update them here. - cohesion 17:19, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

specify creator?

I added an image that is about 120 years old that has an unknown photographer. I made the perhaps hasty assumption that this image would be out of copyright by now and tagged it as such, but I keep getting a message saying I need to specify the image's creator. I'm not sure how to do this.

The best way is probably to say that the author is unknown, but also to include the information regarding the first published date so that it can be verified. - cohesion 17:23, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

How many images?

There's been a minor edit war on the WNBC image over the existnece of a image of fair use logos. The person who keeps putting them back in claims that they're needed, but that gallery has 11 images and I count at lesat 4-5 more images scattered throughout the article. Isn't 15 images taking fair use for a ride? Hbdragon88 23:37, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

These images do not have any detailed fair-use rationales. As such, they should all be marked with {{subst:nrd}} and then deleted seven days later, I think (though this depends on when they were uploaded). They are not being used to provide critical commentary on the logos and as such, are in violation. We can't just place a gallery of fair-use images on a page, this is not adhering to WP:FU. One logo can certainly be justified as fair-use but a whole gallery requires much more extensive rationale. --Yamla 23:49, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

Google

If you get an image from google images and post it on wikipedia, is that copyright infringement?--Hamdrew 01:40, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

Probably, same as any other image from the web. Google doesn't host the images, it just indexes them. TCC (talk) (contribs) 02:49, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

Deleting image

This image requires deletion. I have sorted it out and uploaded again under a slightly different title.

--Amandajm 12:14, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

To delete images like this in the future you can add the tag {{db-author}} and someone will get to it. I've deleted this one already though :) - cohesion 06:18, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

How do I add in the requested information?

I thought all I had to do was add in an attribution, which I did immediately after uploading the image...

You have added the attribution information but you still need a source. A source is the place where you got the image. Are you the image creator? If so please note that on the article description page. If you have any other questions please update them here. - cohesion 06:24, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Image:DukeHamilton.jpg copyright

This was a picture released by my family in the 1930's to the international press for use following my grandfather's flight over Everest. It has never been copyrighted. What tag should I put on the picture ? Brendandh 13:41, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

Copyright occurs when the image is created, there is no requirement beyond that. Based on that publication date it is not public domain, so we would need more details about who has the copyright now to answer your question. - cohesion 06:32, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

PD self, or GFDL self?

What's the difference between these two tags, and which one would seem the most appropriate for this image? --AAA! ^{(talk • contribs)} 23:55, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

They are significantly different, I would suggest reading public domain and GFDL for more information. If you are the creator of the image it is up to you to choose whichever license you prefer. Both GFDL images, and public domain images are acceptable for use in wikipedia. - cohesion 06:35, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Question Question re: a government source (Venezuela)

Don't know what copyright tag to put [1] --Flanker 19:11, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

This is all rights reserved as per the bottom of the website where it was found. Also it most likely fails the first fair use criteria, "No free equivalent is available or could be created that would adequately give the same information." Most images online cannot be freely used in wikipedia. - cohesion 17:44, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm sorry after looking at the image more it seems this image illustrates a historic event, the pro-Chavez demonstrations around his election. As such it is not replaceable, and a valid fair use claim can be made. You can contact the newspaper if you think they would license it under a free license, but that is not required. In the future if you include more information on the image description page about what the image is depicting it helps with issues like this. I will update the image description page also. - cohesion 17:49, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Not replaceable? Plenty of people took pictures that day, it's not a unique event, and how are you defining "historic" - it's not Iwo Jima? Sandy (Talk) 17:56, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

It is somewhat a unique event, and it's not replaceable in that no one can go, now, and take a freely licensed image of the event. My interpretation of historic fair use images may be nonstandard though, I'm not unwilling to discuss it :) - cohesion 18:42, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

copyrighting

If someone didn't get their image copyrighted, are they allowed to put it on here?

Copyright in all countries today is automatically granted to the creator, if the work is copyrightable (as with photographs and drawings). Andrew Levine 20:51, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Massive Deletion

An admin, User:Betacommand, today deleted several hundred fair use images, including many that were marked with the {{Replaceable fair use disputed}} tag. There is no indication that User:Betacommand considered any of the reasons for the disputes on the images talk pages before proceeding with what looks to be a blanket torching of these images. Now, many of these images had, I think it's fair to say, fair use issues... but many were entirely appropriately sourced, tagged, with copyright and source information, etc. My question: Is this deletion in accordance with Wikipedia policy? Jenolen 07:06, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Images that do not meet all of the each of Wikipedia's fair use criteria — including the first, that unfree images can not be used if it is possible to create a free alternative — can and should be deleted through various processes. You're right, of course, that administrators should always read disputes on talk pages before making a decision. I see that you've just left a message on Betacommand's talk page; that is the right thing to do. In the interests of getting your dialogue off on the right foot, though, you may want to rephrase your message there to take a less demanding tone. You'll also have more luck getting answers if you ask him about the deletions of a few specific images. Give him the filenames so that he can go back, take a look, and explain his decision. ×Meegs 07:46, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Ah, Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard#Massive Image Deletion; maybe you weren't wrong to assume he wasn't giving the images any consideration. ×Meegs 09:58, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Image for Band Page

I have permission to use this image from a band member himself. I was asked to make this page and I don't understand why this image isn't working

Image:DuckyBoys4.jpg

Can someone please fix this for me...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ducky_Boys

Looks like it's working to me.

If you have permission to use the image in a less restricted sense than on Wikipedia only -- for example, if the band authorized it in terms compatible with a free license such as the GFDL -- then you can tag it accordingly instead of as an album cover, which is fair use. If we still need to use it under a free use theory, be sure to supply appropriate rationale in the image description. TCC (talk) (contribs) 00:19, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Summaries not appearing

I've uploaded several images and had them tagged for deletion. When I looked at the images, I noticed that I did include the appropriate copyright information (so far as I understand) and it shows up in the file history, but it never showed up on the page. This happened for the following images: Image:Qmqtvid.jpg, Image:Beyonce - Check On It.jpg, Image:Torturavid.jpg, and Image:Anom video.jpg. When I uploaded these files, they replaced other images; is this why I'm having a problem? — ShadowHalo 02:37, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, see the info on top of the page. If you overwrite an existing image the info for the existing image is kept. You need to manualy edit the image page to update the copyright info and stuff. --Sherool (talk) 06:30, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Ah, I had been assuming that the summary from uploading would overwrite the one for the old one. Thanks! — ShadowHalo 07:12, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Company Logos

Image:modulex_logo.jpg Where do logos of companies fall under according to media copyright?

They fall under fair use (when used in the article about the company. Use the {{logo|Company logos}} tag, or one of the more spesific logo types depending on what type of company it is. --Sherool (talk) 11:23, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Author for screenshots

Who is considered to be the "author" of a screenshot of a video, the one who takes the screenshot or the one who makes the video? As such, is it required that video screenshots licensed under fair use say who did the screenshot? — ShadowHalo 20:24, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

The video and any derivative still images are copyrighted by the creator of the video. You do need a source for the screenshot though. Please make sure any screenshots of copyrighted videos adhere to all the criteria at WP:FUC. If you have any questions as to whether they do feel free to ask them here. - cohesion 22:49, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Coat of arms not marked as depreciated

User:OrphanBot marked Image:Bordeaux10.png as having a depreciated copyright tag, but Template:Coat of arms is not marked as depreciated. What is going on? Please respond to User talk:Remember the dot.

Responded. - cohesion 20:00, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Korean G-7

A brand new editor is at work on this page. I noticed the image was in Commons, and was surprised since the editor is so new, so I searched Google images and found it here. I don't know how to deal with these issues, but it appears to have been incorrectly added to Commons. I hope someone can take care of it. Sandy (Talk) 19:34, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Thank you, it has been tagged on commons now, possibly someone that speaks korean can make sure it's a copyvio, then it will be orphaned and deleted. - cohesion 20:21, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Creative Commons

I'd like to add an image on Flickr that I found here licensed under the Creative Commons 2.0 Attribution License. Is this the same as the 2.5 Attribution License, and what copyright information do I need to include in the image summary/license template? —ShadowHalo 01:54, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

It's not the same, but it is still ok for wikipedia. The correct tag is {{cc-by-2.0}}. You need to include the source, that tag, and attribution. Attribution is usually the flickr username, and a link back to the flickr page. Please include the source separately from the attribution (if you decide to do the attribution within the tag) Thanks! :D - cohesion 03:20, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

How do I find the copyright info?

Image:heralayout.gif and Image:heraruins.gif These two came from the same site. How do I find out about their copyright statuses? Can anyone else help me?

The credits page gives the info you need to start - contact the author of the web page to find out where she got the images from, and work your way back to find the actual author and see if they have released or will release them under a free license. --Davepape 19:08, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Concerning North Dakota articles

If your working group has any further issues with images on pages whose talk pages are tagged by WikiProject North Dakota, please issue a notice at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject North Dakota. --AlexWCovington (talk) 07:53, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

I can say I personally will probably be able to do this, but just so you know, the people that answer questions here, the people that tag different types of images, and the people who delete them are are somewhat, but not entirely overlapping groups. Some people tag only specific types of images also, so even thinking about people that tag images as a coherent group is not that true. Anyway, your best bet it to make the template really clear that you want to be contacted. - cohesion 21:27, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Default copyright status for screenshots of GPL software

If a screenshot is made of software that is licensed under the GNU General Public License, does it have some form of free license by default, or is it up to the author to choose one, as with other images? On a slight tangent (and one that might be obvious), the author is the person who took the screnshot, right? The initial question was triggered by this edit to Image:Dcplusplus hublist.png which changed the license to {{GPL}} with the edit summary "No, this is not copyrighted Windows. It's GPL!" --TheParanoidOne 10:32, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Screenshots of free softwear are likely GPL and long as they don't contian copywritten elements for non free programs. The author would be the author(s) of the software and would need to be credited under the GPL.Geni 10:49, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Professional Sports Players' Official Photos

I uploaded an image (Image:779.jpg), of a professional soccer/football player Gary Caldwell. I obtained this image from the official Celtic website, www.celticfc.net. I have no clue how to determine the copyright status of this image, but it seems logical that since I am promoting one of their players, posting his official photo on wikipedia seems like I can't possibly be doing something wrong. Is there a precedent for this or does anyone have any better ideas than emailing the organization and asking for permission? I don't want to have to send an email request for every player's picture I post...esp when they play for different teams. Please respond on my Talk Page, the Orphan Bot has already started a conversation there. Captkrob 00:21, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Replying on your talk page. Megapixie 01:07, 4 December 2006 (UTC)