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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 the GFDL, an acceptable Creative Commons 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.; {{GFDL-self}}), 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.

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Railroad Photographs[edit]

  • Am I right in believing these two photographs ... Photo 1 and Photo 2 ... can be used in Wikipedia with proper attributions? They both come from this on-line site ... Boxcar photo web-site. The railroad that these railcars were part of is now defunct, so they may qualify for fair use if used in an article specifically about that defunct railroad, but I would rather upload them into common if that is appropriate.--Orygun (talk) 20:48, 26 March 2019 (UTC)
The first is clearly CC-BY so that is OK. The second says photographer unknown, so any copyright release is likely unauthorised. If the second is replaceable by the first, then you cannot use it under fair use. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 03:15, 30 March 2019 (UTC)
  • Thanks! All I need is one.--Orygun (talk) 05:31, 31 March 2019 (UTC)

Image for Ireland Baldwin's infobox in the aforementioned article[edit]

Hi, I was unsure whether I can use this image from Flickr. I did a reverse image search and found several images that feature broken links. I also couldn't find any free alternatives that featured her. Bunnies959 (talk) 13:25, 31 March 2019 (UTC)

No, it is tagged CC-BY-NC or free for only non commercial works, which is non free for WP. As she is still alice, we expect a free image can be found or made. --Masem (t) 13:52, 31 March 2019 (UTC)

I've looked on various sources and haven't been able to find a free alternative, Where would I be able to find one? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bunnies959 (talk • contribs) 14:21, 31 March 2019 (UTC)

https://vimeo.com/187882462 says it is {{CC BY 3.0}} which is OK but I notice at Commons:Deletion requests/File:Ireland Baldwin for True Religion.png it was speculated that the director of photography was unlikely to hold the copyright and so would be unable to license it. This is arguably the reverse of our usual speculation. It was also claimed the licence itself was unsatisfactory but (if this is the same photo) that does not seem to be the case. Thincat (talk) 11:08, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Thincat the file was also confirmed by Ronhjones. I think that’s the closest thing we have to a free alternative at this stage. Thanks for your help in the matter Bunnies959 (talk) 15:41, 2 April 2019 (UTC)bunnies959

The License Review on commons says "... who confirmed that it was available there under the stated license on that date" - at https://vimeo.com/187882462 the license links is to https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ - I note that one of the comments in c:Commons:Deletion requests/File:Ireland Baldwin for True Religion.png by Lacrymocéphale was that "The creator doesn't seem to have released it under a licence compatible with Wikimedia Commons", that's because vimeo makes it very hard to find the license link, unless you know where to look - you need to click the "MORE" link to show a pop-up with some more information including the CC symbols. However it also appears that the uploader has a history of bad uploads. Ronhjones  (Talk) 16:06, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

@Ronhjones that’s how I found the license as well, I think I’ll start an undeletion request Bunnies959 (talk) 23:52, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Copyright of an Old Portrait[edit]

Hi, I would like to know if the portrait of Jane Polk that I found at the Tennessee Portrait Collection is copyrighted and if it can be uploaded to Wikipedia. The portrait was created between 1830 and 1845, according to the National Society of the Dames of America in Tennessee.

16:26, 31 March 2019 (UTC) User:G._Moore User Talk:G._Moore

Hi G._Moore. Age-wise I think the painting would be {{PD-Art}} per c:COM:PD-Art, but the frame complicates things per c:COM:PD-ART#When the photograph shows a 2D work of art within a 3D frame because photos of paintings with frames tend to be WP:Derivative works subject to a copyright separate of the painting itself. It would probaby be better if you can find another source which shows the photo without any frame; otherwise, the frame will likely have to be removed. If you don't think you can do a good job in removing the frame yourself, you can probably upload the file to Commons and then add c:Template:Non-free frame to the file's page. -- Marchjuly (talk) 05:20, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

Looking for help with fair-use image tag[edit]

Hello, I uploaded File:The 35th Annual National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Suncoast Chapter Emmy Award Winners.pdf to Wikipedia. This is a list of the NATAS Suncoast Chatper Emmy Award Winners in 2011. This list is so important. The Suncoast Chapter does not archive before 2013. They gave me this list via Facebook Messenger. I have reached a stopping point in the process of uploading the file. Would you please consider helping me with this file with a fair-use image tag? I need the help. Thank you,--Wyn.junior (talk) 17:53, 31 March 2019 (UTC)

Hi Wyn.junior. Why do you need to upload a non-free file of a 15-page pdf file of a list when the information contained in the list could simply be added to the article and supported by a citation(s) to a reliable source per WP:FREER? In general, Wikipedia doesn't really want WP:TEXTASIMAGES types of files, but it's particularly hard to justify non-free files like this per WP:NFCC#1 and WP:NFCC#8. Another problem is that non-free content needs to have been previously published per WP:NFCC#4 to verify original authorship and also authenticy. So, I don't see how this can be justified per WP:NFCCP. If the list is so important, perhaps you should ask the Suncoast Chapter to post the pdf file somewhere on their official website so that you can then at least try to cite that website as a source just like you would cite any reliable source. -- Marchjuly (talk) 05:08, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
Good advice. I asked them to post this on their website. They said they have no plans to do this. I volunteered to upload these to their website.--Wyn.junior (talk) 18:15, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

Utilising non - free image for Ireland Baldwin Article[edit]

Hi,

I currently cannot find any free files for identification purposes for the aforementioned article. Is it possible that a non - free image could be utilised for this? currently there's two images on the article that are facing deletion.

Thanks, Bunnies959 (talk) 11:52, 1 April 2019 (UTC)bunnies959

Pretty much a non-free image a still living person is never going to be allowed to be used for primary identification purposes per WP:NFCC#1 (WP:FREER) because it's deemed reasonable to expect that a free equivalent can either be found or created which can serve the same encyclopedic purpose as a non-free one. Baldwin comes from a well-known family of actors/actresses/models and is also a actress/model herself. There are free images being used in the articles of many of the members of the Baldwin family; so, it's not unreasonable to expect that someone someday may take a photo of her when she's at some event or even when she's out at about in public either on her own or with a member of her family, and then upload that photo to Wikimedia Commons under an acceptable free license. The current general consensus is not to allow a non-free file to be used by default until a free one can be found, so I don't see how an exception can be made in this particular case. -- Marchjuly (talk) 01:49, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
I replied above to your earlier enquiry. Thincat (talk) 11:11, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Creative Commons (Attribution) Licensed media outside Wikimedia Commons[edit]

I am creating an article for a movie theater that was built in 1928 in my sandbox. How do I use media from outside the Wikimedia Commons? I found a photo of it from before opening day on the Cinema Treasures website. I am not familiar with how to use media from outside the Commons, and I would like to use that particular photo in the article.

The photo of the theater[edit]

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5859/photos/225028

The link to my sandbox article[edit]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:MrManiac3/sandbox/State_Theatre_(Oroville,_California)

I would also like to ask for some feedback on the article, but that is unrelated to my question.

MrManiac3 (talk) 19:22, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Hey MrManiac3. The website indicates that the media is published under a CC-BY-SA 3.0 license, although this is potentially incorrect and the image may be public domain in the case that it was published without a copyright notice (see c:Template:PD-US-no notice), or if it was published with a copyright notice but it was not renewed (see c:Template:PD-US-not renewed). Either way, the file would be compatible with Commons and could be uploaded. GMGtalk 19:29, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
Hello, thanks for responding GreenMeansGo. Where would I find information on how to upload the file? — Preceding unsigned comment added by MrManiac3 (talk • contribs) 19:37, 2 April 2019 (UTC)
Hey MrManiac3. See instructions at c:Commons:First steps/Uploading files. GMGtalk 21:37, 2 April 2019 (UTC)

Philippine currency images[edit]

There's a discussion ongoing at c:COM:VPC#Category:Coins of the Philippines which might be of interest to those who frequent deal with file copyright issues. -- Marchjuly (talk) 00:44, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

Zee Keralam[edit]

Can't understand, why all the time Zee Keralam page had been rejected!!! Please allow this page here in Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Zee_Keralam — Preceding unsigned comment added by WikiWiki5678 (talk • contribs) 12:53, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

Hi WikiWiki5678. This noticeboard is for asking questions about image use and image copyright related matters; it's not for asking about why drafts are rejected. The best place for you to do that would be on the user talk pages of the AfC reviewers who have declined the draft (their names can be found at the top of the draft) or at WP:AFCHELP. Just a general observation though is that drafts only tend to be rejected by AfC reviewers when the subject is not deemed to be Wikipedia notable enough for a stand-alone article to be written. Simply existing is not enough for an article to be written. -- Marchjuly (talk) 13:00, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

Railway images[edit]

I'm writing articles on railways in Angola, and wanted to illustrate the articles about the stations with images of their former buildings, most of which have been pulled down. There are loads of pictures on the web, like this one or this one, but there is no way for me to find out who the photographer is. They appear on old blogs which aren't updated anymore. Does this classify as fair use? Trinaliv (talk) 22:03, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

File:Mariam Aslamazian.jpg[edit]

This local non-free file is shadowing out the just uploaded freely licensed c:File:Mariam Aslamazian.jpg. I'm not sure about the Commons file's licensing (see c:COM:VPC#File:Mariam Aslamazian.jpg), but if it turns out to be OK, then the non-free file is no longer needed per WP:NFCC#1. Lysteriabot keeps trying to add the Commons file to Wikipedia:Inter WikiWomen Collaboration/Women from Armenia missing in itwiki, but because of the shadowing the non-free is being added; so, the file keeps getting flag for a WP:NFCC#9 violation. Is it worth {{Rename media}} to stop this from happening? -- Marchjuly (talk) 02:31, 5 April 2019 (UTC)

File:Tomica Dandy.jpg[edit]

This file and a number of other files has been uploaded as {{Non-free 3D art}} for use in Tomica. These photos are of toy cars, and Tomica is based out of Japan which means that c:COM:TOYS may apply here to the toys themselves. The packaging, however, might be a different matter per c:COM:PACKAGING, which means that pictures of toys in boxes may need to be deleted per WP:NFCC#1 if the packaging isn't considered to be incidental or otherwise c:COM:DM. -- Marchjuly (talk) 07:16, 5 April 2019 (UTC)

The U.S. (which law en-wiki follows) usually does consider toys non-utilitarian and copyrighted. They would be copyrighted in the U.S. regardless of copyright thresholds in other countries. I don't see much copyrightable on the packaging itself though on this photo, and that is probably incidental anyways. Per Ets-Hokin, a photo would have to be focusing on a copyrightable part of the packaging for the photo to be an issue -- which can get in a more difficult area when the packaging is entirely a graphic work or a photo itself, but I don't think it's an issue for packaging like this. Carl Lindberg (talk) 07:49, 5 April 2019 (UTC)
Thanks for the input Carl. Do you think this file could be moved to Commons? Commons does have c:Category:Toy automobiles which seems to include quite a number of similar files, even though, as you point out, "toys" are not usually considered utilitarian in the U.S. -- Marchjuly (talk) 08:02, 5 April 2019 (UTC)

Scanned pamplet dated 1931 - advice please[edit]

I have a scanned school handbook, author unknown, but citing clearly the (closed) school to which it refers.

The scan contains factual and unique information relating to the subject of my article.

How should I respond to the license category please?

Gedgmoss (talk) 14:44, 5 April 2019 (UTC)G.MossGedgmoss (talk) 14:44, 5 April 2019 (UTC)

Is it a scan of the entire pamphlet and is there a copyright notice? c:Commons:Copyright rules by territory/United States may help you. Also, when did it close? Mojoworker (talk) 17:56, 5 April 2019 (UTC)

Its difficult to tell if its the entire booklet because I don't have the paper copy, and there is no visible copyright I can see on the scanned (part) I have. Does that help? The school closed in 2005.

Gedgmoss (talk) 22:06, 5 April 2019 (UTC)G.MossGedgmoss (talk) 22:06, 5 April 2019 (UTC)

I looked at the suggested regulations but this is not a US document and certainly not US Government one. Gedgmoss (talk) 22:08, 5 April 2019 (UTC)

Is there no way to lay hands on the document which was supposedly scanned? Purported scans of documents, clippings, etc. are particularly iffy topics in this age of Photoshop. I see "documents" all the time in gaming and media-fandom circles which appear perfectly legit on the surface, until you start spotting in-universe references, whether they be Miskatonic University or Sunnydale, California or Arkham Asylum. --Orange Mike | Talk 22:54, 5 April 2019 (UTC)
Gedgmoss, sorry for the US centric link above. Looking at your edit history, c:Commons:Copyright rules by territory/United Kingdom may be more helpful. The good news is that it appears that if it truly is an anonymous work then the UK copyright expired in 2001, 70 years after publication. However, the bad news is that it is not yet in the public domain in the US, and so can't be uploaded to Wikipedia. It appears from WP:Non-U.S. copyrights that the restored US copyright of the UK work will last until the end of 2026, 95 years after publication. It seems the UK has an implicit copyright and doesn't need it to be explicitly declared with a copyright notice (see [1]). So it seems you'll need to wait 6+ years unless you can somehow find the author's estate and have the work explicitly released to the public domain. Mojoworker (talk) 06:26, 6 April 2019 (UTC)

Music Albums[edit]

I've been reading up on how to properly place album images in an infobox but I'm still a bit confused. I have this image from the band's site: Picture. Am I to use the form here to upload the album cover first before placing it on its appropriate Wiki page? Or am I to simply place it on the Wiki page since its considered "fair use"? Thanks. Bahiagrass (talk) 13:06, 6 April 2019 (UTC)

The second option on that page is what you should use to upload the image because it is a copyright image. The image can only be used to identify that specific album in that album's article in order to comply with on strict non-free policy (see WP:NFCC. Is there such an article? If so fine as it is normally not permitted to use album covers in the band's onw articles. If you don't do it properly it will most likely be deleted for lack of a rationale. Then insert the image in the infobox. ww2censor (talk) 15:10, 6 April 2019 (UTC)

A plain document from news source[edit]

Is this document has copyright per se? I'm confused beacuse it was captured from a news source. However, it may be in public domain as well. --Horus (talk) 13:07, 6 April 2019 (UTC)

London Languages Map[edit]

Would any version of this map (about) be usable here or on Commons? The geographic data, including the tube lines, is available from OpenStreetMap (which I know we use elsewhere) under the Open Database Licence and the census data is available under the Open Government Licence. I don't do much image stuff so I was just going to take a screenshot unless someone has a better idea. ─ ReconditeRodent « talk · contribs » 16:23, 6 April 2019 (UTC)

I Believe This Logo falls Beneath the Threshold of Originality - Is it Okay to Transfer to Wikimedia?[edit]

I uploaded a logo for a development in south Florida under a fair-use rationale, because I initially believed it to be copyrightable. However, looking into the matter further has made me doubt this is the case, as:

a) The Virgin Group logo appears on the Wikimedia commons and therefore appears to fall beneath the threshold of originality b) The only addition to said logo in the variant I uploaded is a simple gray line of text reading, "MiamiCentral"

Thus, I now believe it is merely a trademarked symbol, and not a copyrighted one. Would it be okay to transfer it over to Wikimedia, then? If so, how would I go about doing so? Jadebenn (talk) 17:35, 6 April 2019 (UTC)

I've transferred it to Commons as c:File:Virgin MiamiCentral logo.png. — JJMC89 (T·C) 19:56, 6 April 2019 (UTC)
source: https://web.archive.org/web/20190412000751/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Media_copyright_questions

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