This template facilitates creating a non-free or fair use media rationale with the necessary components. Please read Wikipedia:Non-free use rationale guideline for the relevant policies.

This template is used by the Wikipedia:File Upload Wizard. Its parameter fields are designed to match the upload questionnaire and to correspond to the criteria defined in WP:NFCC. The upload wizard will fill in some fields with standard values, but will prompt for specific input in cases where rationale elements are typically not predictable and must be explained individually.

Usage

edit

If you want to use this template manually, you can find its parameters below. Don't forget to add a separate non-free file copyright tag, such as {{Non-free fair use}}, {{Non-free logo}}, {{Non-free book cover}} etc.

{{Non-free use rationale
<!--Obligatory fields-->
| Description =
| Author = 
| Source = 
| Article = 
| Purpose = 
| Replaceability = 
| Minimality = 
| Commercial = 
<!--Optional/expert fields-->
| Date =
| Publication =
| Replaceability_text =
| Other information =
}}
Description
A description of the copyrighted material.
Author
The original author and/or copyright holder of the non-free work.
Source
The immediate source, i.e. where you found this file.
Publication
(optional) The original source, i.e. where and how this non-free work was first published. Important in some cases where parts of the non-free use justification may depend on this information, e.g. in the case of some historical photographs.
Date
(optional) The date of publication.
Article
The exact name of the Wikipedia article in which the media is to be used (without the [[  ]] brackets).
Purpose
What function this file will serve in the article. This explanation must make it clear how and why the file will significantly increase the reader's understanding of the topic, in such a way that its absence would be detrimental to the article (cf. WP:NFCC#8). Do not copy generic rationale verbiage from some templated rationales elsewhere. State in clear, plain words what this particular file will be doing in this particular article. Be specific and concrete.
Replaceability
Why there couldn't be a freely licensed replacement that would adequately serve the same purpose (cf. WP:NFCC#1). Please bear in mind that this is not merely about replacements that actually exist and are readily available, but also about the mere possibility that such a replacement could realistically be created.
Replaceability_text
(optional) Note that though this template field has been implemented as optional, Wikipedia policy requires that its consideration is satisfied (see WP:NFCC#1).
If necessary,[1] explain why it wouldn't be possible to adequately treat the encyclopedic content with freely licensed text alone.
Minimality
Add any necessary explanation how there won't be more non-free content used than necessary. Minimality means: Use low-resolution files rather than high-resolution files; don't use a larger portion of a work than necessary or an entire work if only a small portion would be sufficient; don't use more non-free items if a single one would be sufficient.
Portion
How much copyrighted material is used? The amount used must not make the work as a whole less valuable to the copyright holder.
Low resolution
Is the material in a lower resolution that would be unlikely to impact the copyright owner's ability to resell or otherwise profit from the work? For raster images, this would be strictly the resolution (in pixels) of the picture used; for vector graphics, this would involve the level of detail in the image; for audio, this would be the bit rate and sample resolution used.
Commercial
i.e. "Respect for commercial opportunities": explain why our use of the file will not unduly infringe on any commercial interests of its copyright holders, by competing with the work's original market role.
Other information
(optional) any other information that is relevant to the sourcing, copyright information and non-free use justification.
  1. ^ If in doubt, specific queries should be raised at Wikipedia talk:Non-free content.

Example

edit
{{Non-free use rationale
| Article           = Strong Poison
| Description       = Book cover of ''[[Strong Poison]]''.
| Source            = Derived from a digital capture (photo/scan) of the book cover (creator of this digital version is irrelevant as the copyright in all equivalent images is still held by the same party). Copyright held by the publisher or the artist. Claimed as fair use regardless.
| Portion           = Book cover only, a small portion of the commercial product.
| Low resolution    = Yes
| Purpose           = The image serves as the primary means of visual identification of the subject (the book). It illustrates educational articles about the book from which the cover illustration was taken.
| Replaceability    = There is no free equivalent of this book cover, so the image cannot be replaced by a free image.
| Other information = The use of the cover will not affect the value of the original work or limit the copyright holder's rights or ability to distribute the original. In particular, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the book.
}}
Non-free media information and use rationale true for Strong Poison
Description

Book cover of Strong Poison.

Source

Derived from a digital capture (photo/scan) of the book cover (creator of this digital version is irrelevant as the copyright in all equivalent images is still held by the same party). Copyright held by the publisher or the artist. Claimed as fair use regardless.

Article

Strong Poison

Portion used

Book cover only, a small portion of the commercial product.

Low resolution?

Yes

Purpose of use

The image serves as the primary means of visual identification of the subject (the book). It illustrates educational articles about the book from which the cover illustration was taken.

Replaceable?

There is no free equivalent of this book cover, so the image cannot be replaced by a free image.

Other information

The use of the cover will not affect the value of the original work or limit the copyright holder's rights or ability to distribute the original. In particular, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the book. The illustrations on the cover are not copyright, because they are photos of very old artwork. The title of the book is not copyright either.

Fair useFair use of copyrighted material in the context of Strong Poison//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Non-free_use_rationale/doctrue

See also

edit

Maintenance categories

edit

Tracking categories

edit

This template uses the following tracking categories:

TemplateData

edit
This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Non-free use rationale in articles based on its TemplateData.

TemplateData for Non-free use rationale

Template for images or content that can be uploaded via Wikipedia's fair use policy, meant to facilitate creating non-free use rationales with the necessary components. Please read Wikipedia:Non-free content for the relevant policies. This template is used by the Wikipedia:File Upload Wizard. Its parameter fields are designed to match the data produced by the upload questionnaire. They are also designed to correspond to the original criteria as defined in WP:NFCC. The wizard will fill in some fields with standard values, but will prompt for specific input in those cases where rationale elements are typically not predictable and must be explained individually.

Template parameters

ParameterDescriptionTypeStatus
Special_headerSpecial_header

no description

Unknownoptional
DescriptionDescription description

A description of the copyrighted material.

Stringrequired
AuthorAuthor author

The original author and/or copyright holder of the non-free work.

Stringoptional
SourceSource source

The immediate source, i.e. where you found this file.

Stringrequired
PublicationPublication publication

The original source, i.e. where and how this non-free work was first published. Important in some cases where parts of the non-free use justification may depend on this information, e.g. in the case of some historical photographs.

Stringoptional
DateDate date

The date of publication.

Stringoptional
ArticleArticle article

The exact name of the Wikipedia article in which the media is to be used (without the [[ ]] brackets).

Stringrequired
PurposePurpose purpose

What function this file will serve in the article. This explanation must make it clear how and why the file will significantly increase the reader's understanding of the topic, in such a way that its absence would be detrimental to the article (cf. WP:NFCC#8). Do not copy generic rationale verbiage from some templated rationales elsewhere. State in clear, plain words what this particular file will be doing in this particular article. Be specific and concrete.

Example
This non-free art will be the primary form of identification of the subject of the article in the infobox used in the article.
Stringrequired
Replaceability - Why not free image?Replaceability replaceability

Why there couldn't be a freely licensed replacement that would adequately serve the same purpose (cf. WP:NFCC#1). Please bear in mind that this is not merely about replacements that actually exist and are readily available, but also about the mere possibility that such a replacement could realistically be created.

Example
Because this work is non-free, any free substitute would either be a copyright violation or misinterpret the work.
Stringrequired
Replaceability - Why not just text?Replaceability_text replaceability_text replaceability text

If necessary, explain why it wouldn't be possible to adequately treat the encyclopedic content with freely licensed text alone. Note that though this template field has been implemented as optional, Wikipedia policy requires that its consideration is satisfied (see WP:NFCC#1).

Stringoptional
Minimal useMinimality minimality

Add any necessary explanation how there won't be more non-free content used than necessary. Minimality means: Use low-resolution files rather than high-resolution files; don't use a larger portion of a work than necessary or an entire work if only a small portion would be sufficient; don't use more non-free items if a single one would be sufficient.

Stringrequired
PortionPortion

The portion of the non-free file used

Example
The whole work is used to prevent misinterpreting the work
Unknownoptional
Low resolutionLow resolution Low_resolution Resolution

Indicate that this file has low resolution.

Example
This image's size and resolution is sufficient enough to provide identification of the work. But the low resolution would make it unsuitable for stolen versions and reproduction/replication elsewhere.
Unknownoptional
Respect for commercial opportunitiesCommercial commercial

Explain why our use of the file will not unduly infringe on any commercial interests of its copyright holders, by competing with the work's original market role.

Stringrequired
Other infoOther information other information Other_information other_information

Anything else that needs to be added?

Stringoptional