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Wikipedia:Media copyright questions/Archive/2015/July

< Wikipedia:Media copyright questions

copyrights on photos

I have some photos to upload. They have been taken by my colleagues where we work. We have not filed any copyright documentation on these photos although we did list the photographers name in an instance of the photo being used in a presentation. What do I need to do so that these photos can be part of the article and are not deleted by the bots?. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Abandiz (talk • contribs) 00:01, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

You'll need permission from the copyright holder (whoever actually took the photograph) to release the photo under a free license. Note that does not just mean "permission to use on Wikipedia", but permission for anyone to use and modify the photos for any purpose, including commercial purposes, and to redistribute them. At that point, either they can upload them and release them under a free license, or you can upload them and the copyright holder can contact OTRS to confirm permission. You can find more detail at Donating copyrighted materials. Seraphimblade Talk to me 01:04, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

copyrights on photos

I have some photos to upload. They have been taken by my colleagues where we work. We have not filed any copyright documentation on these photos although we did list the photographers name in an instance of the photo being used in a presentation. What do I need to do so that these photos can be part of the article and are not deleted by the bots?. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Abandiz (talk • contribs) 00:01, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

You'll need permission from the copyright holder (whoever actually took the photograph) to release the photo under a free license. Note that does not just mean "permission to use on Wikipedia", but permission for anyone to use and modify the photos for any purpose, including commercial purposes, and to redistribute them. At that point, either they can upload them and release them under a free license, or you can upload them and the copyright holder can contact OTRS to confirm permission. You can find more detail at Donating copyrighted materials. Seraphimblade Talk to me 01:04, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

about my image uploaded in the following mention page.

dear

i uploaded one picture in critical mass page, with link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Critical_Mass_%28Kathmandu,_Nepal%29.jpeg and it showing some image copyright tags issues, i'm not able to do setup in wikipedia page, its my original picture and not published out of our Critical Mass Kathmandu in Facebook Groups.

how can i do sort out it, will u plz help me to resolve it.

waiting for prompt response.

Vijay Ratna Shakya (varsha.shakya) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Varsha.shakya (talk • contribs) 06:12, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

For uploading pic in article

Hi I want to upload pic of Sukhda Pritam in the article. The pic has been taken from the official website of The Chandigarh District Court and is available there for free viewership at http://chddistrictcourts.gov.in/ms.%20Sukhda%20pritam.jpg . Please suggest how to use it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Srin2015 (talk • contribs) 14:17, 2 July 2015 (UTC)

Sorry but we can't use that image because it is copyright unless you get permission from the copyright holder who is most likely the photographer. Free viewership is not freely licenced and most images you find on the internet are copyright. ww2censor (talk) 22:56, 2 July 2015 (UTC)

New Zealand Gazette and 'Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence'

There's a new official website for the New Zealand Gazette, which clearly gives the license as 'Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence' at https://gazette.govt.nz/footer/copyright/ Am I right in thinking that this means that we can cut and paste citations from there to biographies? Is there a template somewhere I can adapt to provide a decent ref, proper attribution and appropriate house keeping categories? Stuartyeates (talk) 10:47, 1 July 2015 (UTC)

Shouldn't be too difficult to use {{Cc-by-3.0-au}} as a blueprint and go from there. Nthep (talk) 11:00, 1 July 2015 (UTC)
Add, commons already has c:Template:Cc-by-3.0-nz, upload direct to commons and we don't need a local version. Nthep (talk) 12:18, 1 July 2015 (UTC)
On the commons c:Template:PD-New Zealand will apply to 100 year old NZ government works. ww2censor (talk) 23:24, 1 July 2015 (UTC)
Thanks ppl. Stuartyeates (talk) 00:11, 3 July 2015 (UTC)

Use of PD-USonly for images created by Iraqi citizens

There are quite a number of logos/flags of groups involved in the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. such as File:Logo of the Supreme Command for Jihad and Liberation.png which have been uploaded and licensed as {{PD-USonly}}. The claim is that "This work is made by Iraqi citizens in Iraq. Iraq was not a participant in the Berne Convention or any other treaty on copyright with the United States. Therefore the work is public domain in the U.S."

WP:NUSC#Countries without copyright relations with the United States, however, states that "it is longstanding Wikipedia policy to respect the copyright law of other nations, even if these do not have official copyright relations with the United States. What this means in practice is determined case by case, bearing in mind the goal of being able to freely distribute Wikipedia in the country an incorporated work originates from."

My question then is can it be assumed that images such at the one mentioned above as well as similar images like File:Badr_Organisation_Political_Logo.jpg, File:Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq flag.svg, File:Flag of the Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Forces.svg, File:Flag of the Hezbollah Movement in Iraq.svg, File:Flag of Faylak Wa’ad al-Sadiq.svg, File:ISCI flag.svg, File:Kata'ib Hezbollah logo.svg are automatically PD-USonly or does each image need to be separately discussed? - Marchjuly (talk) 02:47, 3 July 2015 (UTC)

Pertinent discussion, not sure if there is anything more recent. Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk) 13:44, 3 July 2015 (UTC)

Old wanted posters

I am preparing an article about a 1934 crime, whose main perpetrator escaped from jail in 1936 and was the subject of an intense manhunt for eight months, ending with his 1937 rearrest.

I would like to use an image of the perp's wanted poster. Last year's discussion about a contemporary wanted poster, for a criminal then on the lam, concerned different issues. In this case, the poster obviously dates from 1936 or 1937. There is no copyright notice, the only date mentioned is the date of escape, and no indication of authorship. There is one contact name, the case's lead detective, and the alternative of contacting the State Police in Harrisburg is mentioned.

So at this point I assume the author was some state or county agent, but by not being explicit, the original was PD under the old rules, and still is. In particular, I'm not worrying about information on the back of the poster or clipped just past the edge of the reprint image. Choor monster (talk) 14:36, 25 June 2015 (UTC)

As a possible workaround: are there any FBI posters of this case? As a federal work they would be clearly be PD. De728631 (talk) 22:02, 26 June 2015 (UTC)
It was a state crime tried in state court and involved an escape from a state jail, followed by the "largest manhunt in the history of Pennsylvania". I haven't come across any mention of FBI involvement. At the moment I believe it's covered by {{PD-Pre1978}}. Choor monster (talk) 12:56, 28 June 2015 (UTC)
  • I have a related question regarding old wanted posters. Do we have to worry that the issuing government agency simply took IP in order to have a good photograph? In the case I'm asking about, the perp is wearing ordinary business clothing, and could have been taken at his trial. Choor monster (talk) 21:34, 29 June 2015 (UTC)

I have now completed the article, Kelayres massacre, with three images, two with FUR, and the wanted poster is on Commons. If anyone thinks I made non-allowed assumptions and wishes to raise objections over there, let me know. Choor monster (talk) 17:30, 3 July 2015 (UTC)

120+ year old photograph

  • A photo taken in the United States sometime before 1849 by an unknown photographer is now Public Domain since it was created over 120 years ago … right? If so, what is the correct media copyright tag to use?--Orygun (talk) 07:54, 2 July 2015 (UTC)
Was the image published or not. If it was published before 1923 in the US, then {{PD-1923}} applies but if it was only created then and never published {{PD-US-unpublished}} will most likely apply though there are some exceptions so you should refer to c:Commons:Copyright_rules_by_territory#United_States for some more detail. ww2censor (talk) 12:05, 2 July 2015 (UTC)

Central American / South American photos

I need help and have tried other avenues but am stymied. The Copyright law of Brazil article tells me nothing and I cannot access the source. There is no Copyright law of Guatemala article, Nicaragua, Uruguay, etc. So, here is the situation. I wrote an article on Primer Congreso Interamericano de Mujeres and I would like to do a strip of photographs like were done on this article: Pan-American Conference of Women.

If anyone on here would like to help with this project, photos of any of the women in the article would be great. I asked a couple of editors on commons and no one knew the answers and suggested I post here. Some I am looking for specifically are: the very first Mexican movie star (Elena Sánchez Valenzuela); an MP in Canada (Beatrice Brigden); the first activist for disabled person's education (Eloísa García Etchegorken), Uruguayan; the first lawyer (not just first woman lawyer first lawyer) in Nicaragua (Olga Núñez Abaunza); Sue Bailey Thurman. Any help would be greatly appreciated SusunW (talk) 22:03, 1 July 2015 (UTC)
  • and a new one for Bolivia here SusunW (talk) 11:44, 3 July 2015 (UTC)
  • and a new one from Colombia [1]
No one seems interested or able to answer my questions. Any suggestions on who else I can ask? If I cannot upload them to commons, can anyone tell me if I upload with a fair use argument that the women are deceased, and I am unable to ascertain if free images are available due to them being from foreign country, to use on their personal articles, can I use them on the article of the conference as well? SusunW (talk) 16:23, 5 July 2015 (UTC)
You might have better luck at Commons:Village_pump--S Philbrick(Talk) 16:29, 5 July 2015 (UTC)
Thank you! I Truly appreciate the feedback. SusunW (talk) 16:52, 5 July 2015 (UTC)

Question regarding public art

Hello, I've taken a photo of an engraving on a steel plate that is mounted into the handrail of a bridge. It depicts a battle scene that took place in the area about 1000 years ago. Obviously the bridge is not that old. There is no obvious clue how old the engraving is, but the bridge is fairly new (less than 50 years old as a conservative guess). I was planning on using it in the article about the area where the bridge is located. But now that I think about it, the artwork takes up about 80% of the photo and is likely subject to copyright. Are there any rules/policies concerning photos of public art such as this?
On an unrelated note (which may not be able to be ansewered here), if I upload photos taken with my mobile phone, will my personal data be included in the file's metadata? If so, is it possible to remove it before or during the upload process? (I'm no expert on how these things work) Regards, AtHomeIn神戸 (talk) 01:58, 3 July 2015 (UTC)

Where is this bridge located? A lot of countries allow for reproductions even of copyrighted works when the original is permanently displayed in public. So depending on the country there's a chance that your bridge enjoys freedom of panorama.
As to the personal details that are possibly forwarded by your phone, I am not aware of any automated feature or app that would do this but you can check your files before uploading: if you are using Windows, open the Explorer and right-click on the file name. Select "Properties" -> "Details" (or the equivalent in your native language). This should open a list of metadata stored in the image file. Usually the date the time can be found in there but your name or phone number should not appear unless you actively changed some settings of your photo software. De728631 (talk) 18:53, 3 July 2015 (UTC)
Thanks for your reply De728631. I am in Japan and have found this page which suggests my photo is not suitable for uploading to commons. But how about an local upload to Wikipedia?
Also, thank you for your comments on the metadata issue. I will check on my PC rather than upload directly from my phone. Cheers, AtHomeIn神戸 (talk) 01:08, 6 July 2015 (UTC)

Image from the Argonne National Lab

Is this image copyrighted? http://www.ne.anl.gov/About/reactors/reactor-tree.shtml --Ysangkok (talk) 11:56, 6 July 2015 (UTC)

It appears to be a work from an US government agency. These are not copyrightable. Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk, contributions) 12:03, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
Not true. Some people employed in the national laboratories are employees of the DOE but the bulk of them are not - they are considered employees of the entity that runs the lab (University of Chicago in the case of Argonne), and as such, their works are not automatically PD-USGov. (they are work under contract per [2]) --MASEM (t) 13:44, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
Oh, thanks for the correction. Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk, contributions) 14:00, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
@Masem: should I send them an email at neinfo@anl.gov and ask them to send back the filled out commons:Commons:Email_templates and cc to permissions-commons@wikimedia.org? --Ysangkok (talk) 17:53, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
You certainly can try to ask them for CC licensing as you stated. Also consider that they also present data (names, dates, and ownership of reactors - far from copyrightable) in a manner that a freely-created version of the tree (maybe not as artistic but definitely showing the reactor lineage) is also well within possibility. --MASEM (t) 18:29, 6 July 2015 (UTC)

Looks like they share many images under a CC 02 licence (non-commercial) [3]; I forget what that means for hosting at Wikipedia (such reservation does prevent hosting on Commons). Alanscottwalker (talk) 18:41, 6 July 2015 (UTC)

It means they are "Non-free content" and need to abide by our Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria. Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk, contributions) 18:53, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
Yes, right, thanks - what I should have said is it's difficult do all the figuring for how NFCC applies in the abstract - because it depends on the use. Alanscottwalker (talk) 19:54, 6 July 2015 (UTC)

Finding Expired Copyrights for Existing Photos

Dcw2003 (talk) 16:48, 7 July 2015 (UTC) I would like to know how to find images using the Bain collection on the Library of Congress Website.

I would like to learn more about locating copyrights for existing photographs to determine if their copyright has been renewed. Or where to find photographs of boxers whose copyright is likely expired. Or photographs in general that have expired or non-renewed copyrights.

Images Deleted

I have been trying to place two images on a page I created. Each time, they are removed. I must be doing something wrong. The first image is that of a company's logo. I have permission from the company to use the logo-- and it is widely available on other websites. But I obtained mine from the original company.

The second image I want to use is that of a map. I purchased the map from Bigstockphoto.com and I have the rights to use it. A credit is given on Bigstockphoto to the original illustrator, but no copyright is mentioned. I altered the map and placed a smaller map with it as well as adding a circle on part of the map. If I have to give the original illustrator credit for it, I can, even though it has been altered. Since I paid for the original map and I have done the original alteration myself, I don't see any reason why I could not use it.

What am I doing wrong? Please let me know.

Thank you. Jheartfield (talk) 22:55, 7 July 2015 (UTC)

Please understand that images used on Wikipedia (with certain exceptions) must be released under free licenses. This means that not only must you have permission to upload them here for use in articles, but everyone else also has permission to use the images for most other things (beyond Wikipedia). So, it sounds like the images did not meet this criterion.
In the case of the company logo, it is generally accepted that most companies - even though their logos are available all over the web - rarely release their logos under free licenses. So, in this way, most company logos do not belong on Wikipedia. However, there are exceptions to this. Under the right conditions, "non-free" images like logos can be used in Wikipedia articles. Such conditions are explained here: WP:NFCC. If a certain image does meet these criteria, you can use it in an article. When you upload such an image, make sure you comply with this (and use one of the provided templates): WP:FUR.
The case of the illustrated map, is a bit more problematic. Purchasing the right (for yourself) to use an image generally does not allow others to also use it. Therefore, since others are not free to use the image, it cannot be used on Wikipedia. In the USA since 1989, asserting copyright by using a copyright notice is not necessary. A work is inherently protected by copyright by default when it is created. Also, altering the work typically does not change this. So it is very likely that the map image you tried to use is not free enough for Wikipedia. While I have not seen the image in question, I can assume that it would not meet the NFCC criteria, which require that no free equivalent can be found or created.
Hope this helps.
-Seidenstud (talk) 06:47, 9 July 2015 (UTC)
It appears from your commons talk page that you uploaded the images there and they were deleted there for lack of verification they were freely licenced. If you will use the logo in the infobox of the organisation then upload it here but it will need a fully completed template {{Non-free use rationale logo}} AND the copyright tag {{non-free logo}}. Click on the template link to see how to use them. If you provide a url to the Bigstockphoto.com image we can look at it but it is most likely not allowable here. However, maps can generally be created afresh and you can ask for help with that at: c:Commons:Graphic Lab/Map workshop. ww2censor (talk) 12:46, 9 July 2015 (UTC)

Poster watermarked with website - does this mean the website has rights?

File:Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night.jpg - file is watermarked with a URL "www.moviegoods.com". The file is used on the page for the movie of the same name. Does the watermark mean that the website retains some rights to the image and it can't be used on Wikipedia? Kidburla (talk) 15:11, 9 July 2015 (UTC)

Photograph of religious leader

How do I go about getting a photograph of a religious leader that is not copyrighted and is re-usable? Poiuytrewqvtaatv123321 (talk) 12:47, 9 July 2015 (UTC)

You have several possibilities. Go and take a photo of him yourself and release it under a free licence which is what we use here. Or find someone who can do it for you, or find someone who has already taken a photo and persuade them to release it as a free image. Find an image online or in a book that is verifiably freely licenced but be aware most images you will find on the internet are copyright and we can't use them without permission of the copyright holder who is usually the photographer and if you upload such an image it will be deleted. ww2censor (talk) 18:28, 9 July 2015 (UTC)

Thanks. The first option is the best and is the least controversial, and I could easily release it.

Copyright issue with a photo image from another website.

Hello,

On Saturday, July 11, 2015, I created a Wikipedia page for deceased American drummer Yogi Horton. The main issue I face after completing this new page is one of copyright regarding the image of Horton, which I took from a 2007 Modern Drummer online magazine tribute. I'm not sure what category this image fits into, regarding the appropriate template or designation that I must add in order to avoid the image being deleted. Doing a Google image search, the same picture of Horton is used on a few other websites/webpages (including Discogs), so I would really appreciate some help or suggestions to guide me in the right direction.

Matt Casebier — Preceding unsigned comment added by Matthewcasebier (talk • contribs) 06:41, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

Generally we only accept freely licenced images and the Modern Drummer image has no attribution or copyright status indication, so we have to presume it is in copyright. Occasionally we accept images of deceased persons under the terms of our strict non-free content policy and any such image will have to comply with all 10 of the criteria listed there. However, Yogi Horton appears to just be a session musician with no actual recording of his own and just the video he made, so I suspect his notability is in question and he fails to meet the criteria of WP:MUSICBIO. ww2censor (talk) 09:14, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

Freely available images

This image File:Robert_Griffiths_Communist_Party_General_Secretary_2015_BBC.jpg is freely available as a pupblic image on Google images, the BBC website and YouTube. So can you advise what I need to do to get copyright license for this image? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Garageland66 (talk • contribs) 09:31, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

This image File:Mike_Hicks_2011.jpg is freely available as a pupblic image on Google images and on this public website http://londoncommunists.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/mary-rosser-formidable-marxist-fighter.html. So can you advise what I need to do to get copyright license for this image? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Garageland66 (talk • contribs) 09:43, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

Freely available to view on the internet does not mean freely licenced which means that anyone can use the image for anything as permitted by the copyright holder. Most images you will find on the internet are copyright to someone and are not permitted here. Any such image needs to be verifiably free to use not just free to view. Neither of these images are freely licence and will be deleted unless the copyright holder sends us their permission to use the images. ww2censor (talk) 10:58, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

delete page

plz delete lailaaknoun.jpg — Preceding unsigned comment added by Popezo (talk • contribs) 17:20, 10 July 2015 (UTC)

  Done. File:Leila Maknoun.jpg was deleted by RHaworth as an obvious copyright infringement. De728631 (talk) 20:14, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

personal image deleted

Several years ago I placed an image of my house on the Revier-Carlisle page but somehow did not get the attribution of rights correct and it was deleted, before I noticed this a cousin was able to upload his image of the house and it has remained in place. I am wondering what I did or did not do to fail to keep my picture on the page. Can you help me with this misunderstanding of (I do not know what)?

thank you, RobeFRe — Preceding unsigned comment added by RobeFRe (talk • contribs) 04:03, 13 July 2015 (UTC)

If you are asking about File:Tubbs-Carlisle-RevierHouse July 14, 2005.JPG, a notice was placed on your talk page which explains that you uploaded a non-free image without providing a non-free rationale, so it was deleted. However, that image would not have lasted as a non-free because it would have been possible to replace it with a free image as was in fact done. If you wanted to you could have freely licenced that original image and then it would have stayed. You can still do that if you wish but if the current image suffices there is little point. You may find it useful to read my image copyright information page that explains this and other problems images encounter. Good luck. ww2censor (talk) 09:41, 13 July 2015 (UTC)

Joe Cotton photo

Hi There, I uploaded a photograph of my friend/employee, New Zealand celebrity Joe Cotton (Joanne Monique Cotton). This photograph is outright owned by myself, although I didn't take the photo I hired the photographer and paid all associated costs. I was happy to put this photo in the public domain.

I don't know what else to do but it has been deleted, a couple of years after it had put online. It seems petty.

I manage a band she and myself have performed in together for the last 15 years and I just wanted to put a picture on her wiki page. . . . I followed the rules, but I can't follow what the chap who deleted has said on my Talk page, so many options - I am sure to pick the wrong one. Sorry, its so incredibly convoluted. But I should like this photo to be allowed. If someone can direct me to the right action for a photo such as this which I 100% own the rights to.

The same photo is used on this page of my website: http://www.mermaids.co.nz/band-bios.html

Restawhile (talk) 12:08, 13 July 2015 (UTC)restawhile

I looked at the image, and I think the user that tagged it as having no permission did not catch that you had stated you had the rights. I reverted that deletion and put your name explicitly there, so you should be okay. You might want to send an email to the OTRS to affirm you are releasing the rights to the PD (with your real name, where it will be held confidentially), but that's not exactly required. --MASEM (t) 14:04, 13 July 2015 (UTC)

Clyde Tombaugh image

I just deleted the {{PD-USGov-NASA}} license at File:ClydeTombaugh2.gif and File:Clyde W. Tombaugh.jpeg. The images are of the famous one of Tombaugh back on his farm with his homemade telescope. It was certainly not US government work, and obviously NASA did not exist back in 1930.

I have no idea of what the actual IP status of the images is. They are used in several articles. What with media interest peaking regarding Pluto this week and in coming months, I think we should get this right sooner rather than later. Choor monster (talk) 16:53, 13 July 2015 (UTC)

The acknoledgement can be found here. In fact, the image is not a NASA work but courtesy of the New Mexico State University. So I tagged both files for speedy deletion at Commons. Next time, please do not just remove the licence unless you can provide a reliable substitute free licence. Images with a faulty licence should be nominated for deletion or tagged as a copyright infringement. 17:04, 13 July 2015 (UTC)
I apologize if I acted incorrectly. I removed the obviously wrong license and posted here, since the image is famous enough and I was certain someone would resolve the issue quickly and correctly. At worst, a bot would tag the image files. Choor monster (talk) 17:10, 13 July 2015 (UTC)

Personal watermarks on fair-use images

Thoughts welcome here: Wikipedia:Administrators'_noticeboard/Incidents#Sumit_naithani_SD_-_trip_.232 --NeilN talk to me 20:20, 13 July 2015 (UTC)

Apparent violation of fair use for press image of historical event

I came across File:Ghost_Goal_World_Cup_2010.jpg, which is an image from Getty depicting a "ghost goal" in the 2010 World Cup. The image is tagged with {{Non-free historic image}}. The template states that "Use of historic images from press agencies must only be of a transformative nature, when the image itself is the subject of commentary rather than the event it depicts (which is the original market role, and is not allowed per policy)." However, the image is used on Ghost goal and History of the England national football team to depict the event itself. It seems to me that (a) these two uses do not qualify for "fair use", and (b) the image should be removed, since the photo itself is not famous (there are multiple photos of the same event; it is the event which is famous) and is unlikely to ever be used in a "transformative" way per the template. What's the process here? 24.130.189.187 (talk) 13:37, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

Nominate the image for deletion at Files for deletion. I can't say for certain it will be deleted, but the reasoning is completely in line with NFCC as to not be appropriate NFC use. --MASEM (t) 23:13, 12 July 2015 (UTC)
Thanks for the info! After reading the notes at the top of that page, I decided to add a {{Dfu}} tag to the image instead. 24.130.189.187 (talk) 03:04, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

PD-USonly vs commons:template:PD-US-architecture

I just learned that architectural works finished before 1 December 1990 are not protected by copyright in the United States. This means also that such buildings outside the US were not granted any retroactive copyright term by the URAA. While there is a general freedom of panorama for buildings inside the US, should we not treat images of older buildings that are still copyrighted in other countries with no freedom of panorama as "PD-USonly"? Photos should have a free licence for the photograph itself and a tag indicating that the object shown is uneligible for copyright in the US (pre-1990 works), but still copyrighted in the country of origin. {{PD-USonly}} makes the entire image PD as the notice reads "This image is in the public domain in the United States". At Commons, however, there is a template:PD-US-architecture that explains the situation for architecture in the US without generalizing the PD licence to the entire image.

So I'm wondering whether to import this template from Commons. We could use it for local copies of images that would otherwise be unsuitable for Commons because the object is still unfree in the country of origin. Or should we treat such non-US buildings as non-free fair use at en.wikipedia regardless of their copyright status in the US? De728631 (talk) 20:31, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

We currently use {{FoP-USonly}} for pictures of buildings in countries without FOP. Strictly speaking, we should use {{PD-US-architecture}} for buildings completed before 1 December 1990 and {{FoP-USonly}} for buildings completed on 1 December 1990 or later, but I'm not sure that there is an immediate need to use two separate templates. The main difference is that {{PD-US-architecture}} can be used for any building whereas {{FoP-USonly}} only can be used for buildings which are ordinarily visible from a public place (i.e. almost all buildings). --Stefan2 (talk) 13:00, 15 July 2015 (UTC)
Thank you. {{FoP-USonly}} is actually what I was looking for. De728631 (talk) 20:19, 16 July 2015 (UTC)

Hemodynamic management

Can, please, somebody help me? I am the author of the article "Hemodynamic Management" submitted for publication at Wikipedia. Original objection was a use of a copyrighted images from hemodynamicsociety.org. I am the author of most of articles at the hemodynamicsociety.org web site. I have removed all copyrighted items published at hemodynamicsociety.org, so it does not contain any copyrighted items Since I am the author of both the article about hemodynamic management at hemodynamicsociety.or and the submitted article to Wikipedia, I have used the same phrases and words. I am teaching the same subject and, probably, also use the same phrases and words. So, what should I do in ordet not to be accused of copying the submitted article. Thanks in advance, Bo Sramek Bbosramek (talk) 01:15, 18 July 2015 (UTC)

Greetings, you may either license the content you own under a Wikipedia-compatible license or send a permission email to permissions-commons wikimedia.org. See also WP:IOWN for a more detailed version of our policy. Cheers! Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk, contributions) 10:42, 18 July 2015 (UTC)

creating of profile

sir, is it free to upload the profiles on wikipedia, please send the procedure for uploading a profile — Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.63.101.195 (talk) 12:20, 19 July 2015 (UTC)

Do you actually mean to "upload" (i.e., to put something into Wikipedia? Or do you actually mean to download (i.e., to copy them into a file of your own? If the latter, no problem: everything here is free to use and re-use, as long as you give us credit. If the former: it will depend on the status of the material - but the word "profile" often means something created for promotional purposes, without the requisite neutral point of view and reliable third-party sources. --Orange Mike | Talk 16:20, 19 July 2015 (UTC)
Additional to Orange Mike's comments, if you intend to add your own "profile", you need to understand exactly what Wikipedia is NOT. Specifically we are NOT a blog, a Web hosting service, social networking service, or memorial site and NOT a soapbox or other means of promotion, especially for yourself. Normally such pages will be deleted quite quickly. If the subject passes the notability guidelines then anyone can start a page about that subject so long as it is supported by independent third-party reliable sources. ww2censor (talk) 16:43, 19 July 2015 (UTC)

Artist's images

Hello, I have written a page for an artist and received images directly from her. She owns the copyright but they can go on the page, though not for commercial use. What is the most appropriate image license? Thanks much. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Katminerath (talk • contribs) 00:14, 21 July 2015 (UTC)

Unfortunately if the artist is the copyright holder and refuses to release the images under a free licence her article page will have to go without. You are not allowed to upload them here and they will be deleted if you do. The image you uploaded has already been tagged fro deletion. Perhaps you can find a freely licenced image elsewhere. ww2censor (talk) 08:51, 21 July 2015 (UTC)
The article in question is Jan Serr, yes? Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk, contributions) 08:54, 21 July 2015 (UTC)
That is the page this editor has been editing and whose image they have uploaded without copyright information or permission from the copyright holder, who may in fact be the photographer and not the artist herself. ww2censor (talk) 08:56, 21 July 2015 (UTC)

Uploading photo - how does one ascertain if a photo is copyrighted or not?

I wish to upload a photograph I have found of physicist Ludwig Hopf (1884-1939) for the Wikipedia article on him I have been contributing to and editing. He happens to be a relative of mine, in case that has any relevance. I found the photo in an article in the online scientific journal, Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics. A caption underneath the photo in the article says "Photograph courtesy of Deutsches Museum, Munich, Archive."

I don't know enough about copyright law to ascertain if something is free work or copyrighted, or to be able to confidently state that anything is not copyrighted. Therefore I can only legitimately check the third choice on the upload page. I believe, however, that if in fact it is copyrighted, uploading it would be "Fair Use," based on my reading of what that means on this site. I suspect that there is an easy and straightforward answer to this. Can someone help? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lake Mungo (talk • contribs) 12:23, 18 July 2015 (UTC)

Simplest answer: you should always assume that every image you find online is copyrighted, unless you know the specific reason that it isn't. DS (talk) 13:49, 21 July 2015 (UTC)

Claudia Cardinale

Could somebody check the licensing on File:Claudia Cardinale 1963.jpg (and, indeed, some of the other images mentioned in Talk:Claudia Cardinale/GA1)? It claims to be PD in Italy, but not necessarily PD in the US. As this is a biography of a living person, it's unlikely to be acceptable for fair-use unless it really is out of copyright. (and ping @Dr. Blofeld:) Ritchie333 (talk) (cont) 21:40, 18 July 2015 (UTC)

Crisco 1492? I'd be most upset to see that 1963 image go, it's a beautiful one!♦ Dr. Blofeld 21:43, 18 July 2015 (UTC)

I'm reading the commons language for the Italian PD claim and I can't get over this part "The simple photography must not have artistic merit or reflections of photographer creativity or personality." which I'm pretty certain that it is clear this image is one of clear artistic merit (putting the actress in a glamourous pose). As such, I think the claim on Commons is invalid, and this would have to be treated as non-free (as well as any that derive from released motion pictures - if it was a simple documentary, I would agree with that logic, but this is definitely artistic). That doesn't meant that it can't be used on a BLP (more than enough years have passed to make a possible stake for showing the actress in her on-screen youth), but there does need to be a strong commentary about the appearance of her to justify it. --MASEM (t) 14:10, 21 July 2015 (UTC)
The conclusion I came to was that the images were clearly produced by an Italian company with Italian copyrights, with no obvious evidence that the copyright was ever registered in the US. I don't believe the images will work as non-free on a BLP as there are several free ones; indeed one may argue that File:Claudia Cardinale, Women's World Awards 2009 b.jpg, which is free, is a better fit for the infobox (though I felt the current one, File:Claudia Cardinale 1963.jpg better described her appearance at the peak of her career and how the world would be more likely to recognise her). Hence why we hoped we could really clarify one way or the other. Ritchie333 (talk) (cont) 14:26, 21 July 2015 (UTC)
Using a Copyright table, it sounds like the image falls in the general "published outside US without the required US formalities" between 1923 and 1977, so the question is left if the work is in the Italian PD or not (meaning that it is PD or 95 years from 1963, respectively), and I would again argue that while Italy does have a PD of photographs/stills that lack artistic merit, this frame definitely has metric, so to call it PD under the Italian language is realllly stretching it. We should be treating this as non-free. Again, if you can find discussion of her beauty/appearance for that specific film or as at the height of the career, it certainly could be argued to be used as non-free on a BLP page (since clearly her appearance in 2009 is far far different). --MASEM (t) 17:09, 22 July 2015 (UTC)
In my opinion this is a snapshot made during the preparations for filming a scene of The Pink Panther. Any glamorous poses, costumes and the like weren't directed and arranged by the photographer but appear to be part of the film set. That makes it a simple photograph under Italian law, being out of copyright since 1984 (no URAA either). So it it wasn't registered for copyright in the US, there's nothing wrong with having this image at Commons. De728631 (talk) 17:25, 22 July 2015 (UTC)
True, it does look like a behind-the-scenes snap (capturing a bit of motion blur/camera shakiness), as opposed to a glamour shot (not a soft filter), though I do not know to what extent of the Italian law goes to as even if it was behind the scenes, I could reasonable argue it is a well-composed shot even if it wasn't part of the film proper and would have artistic merit that way. That may be a better question to get some experts on Italian copyright law to weigh in. I would love to see us keep that for all the reasons given, but I'm playing devil's advocate here on the possible non-free aspect. --MASEM (t) 17:37, 22 July 2015 (UTC)

File:Jameswhitcombriley4.jpg

I'd like to use this lovely photo in a presentation. The licensing seems to permit it, but what about the "For use by wikipedia and highschool reports only" comment? What's the best way to handle this? Thanks. ReverendWayne (talk) 15:30, 22 July 2015 (UTC)

If that is the license term by the original photographer (the upload summary suggests so), it would make it non-free content that has to abide with the Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria - and I have some doubts that #1 is met given that it's a photography of an US cemetery. Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk, contributions) 15:47, 22 July 2015 (UTC)
Wikipedia only is a restriction making it non-free so I'll nominate it for deletion at it is clearly possible to make a new image. Have a look around Flickr and elsewhere to see if you can find a freely licenced image. There have to be some wikpedians who live close enough to the cemetery to take a photo. ww2censor (talk) 17:01, 22 July 2015 (UTC)
This image File:James Whitecomb Riley grave closeup.JPG might well suit instead. ww2censor (talk) 21:53, 22 July 2015 (UTC)
Thanks. I also found this on Flickr (CC-BY-SA 2.0) so I should be all set. ReverendWayne (talk) 16:47, 23 July 2015 (UTC)

Great-grandfather's photo

I recently had a photograph of my great-grandfather removed by a bot, because there was no licence status provided. The image comes from a book he published privately in 1922 via the University Press Dublin. There are no statements about copyright in the volumne. Please advise how I should annotate the image so that I can re-upload it. It was a file called John_Henry_Bernard.jpg intended to illustrate the page John Bernard (bishop). Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bernardboase (talk • contribs) 18:56, 22 July 2015

Under Irish copyright rules anonymous images are public domain 70 years after publication so the image would have been PD in it's country of origin on 1 Jan 1993. And, as it was published in 1922 it is also PD in the US, relevant because Wikipedia images are hosted in the US. As you've uploaded it again I'd retag it with {{PD-Ireland|commons}} and {{PD-US-1923-abroad|pdsource=yes}}. Nthep (talk) 16:58, 23 July 2015 (UTC)
Actually I added an information template and {{PD-EU-no author disclosure}} plus {{PD-1923}} which I think are more appropriate but change to your suggestion if you disagree. If you use {{PD-US-1923-abroad}} then it will not be moved to the commons but it is clearly PD in the US and Ireland, so I see no point of keeping it local only. ww2censor (talk) 17:45, 23 July 2015 (UTC)
The move to Commons bit is why I specified the |pdsource=yes to {{PD-US-1923-abroad}} as it quashes the bit about not moving to Commons. Between {{PD-Ireland}} and {{PD-EU-no author disclosure}} I've no preference. Nthep (talk) 18:18, 23 July 2015 (UTC)
Something new every day! I was not aware of the |pdsource=yes parameter. Thanks ww2censor (talk) 18:22, 23 July 2015 (UTC)

Meeting WP:NFCC#1, and privacy concerns of fair-use images

I'm writing an article Electromagnetic articulography and it would drastically improve the article by having a picture. However no free images exist that I can find. There are published images on google images. My questions are:

  1. Can any of these images be used? (as in, am I able to use an image I found on google images if I properly cite it)
  2. Since articulographs exist, can I satisfy WP:NFCC#1 and, if so, how would I?
  3. If I am able to use an image, would/should I use an image that doesn't have an easily identifiable person in it?

Thanks in advance for your help. Wugapodes (talk) 06:15, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

I don't think a fair use claim can be made, as this kind of image could be made and released with a free image. You may have to ask someone with a machine to prepare something for you. Also the subject should grant permission. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:37, 25 July 2015 (UTC)

Dawson Charlie

 

I wish to upload images(s) of Dawson Charlie either here as non-free {{Non-free historic image}} or PD to commons as an old photo from sources: [4][5] to help make Discovery Claim amazing.

Please advise.

Many thanks. :) Anna Frodesiak (talk) 07:28, 25 July 2015 (UTC)

A photo of Dawson Charlie would make sense on the article about him, but fair use would be hard to justify on Discovery Claim. How would it help understanding of Discovery Claim? Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:28, 25 July 2015 (UTC)
Well, Graeme, dang namit! Consarn it! Hi Graeme! Long time. :) Yep. That's how those folks talked back then. Yes, no. It wouldn't help with Discovery Claim. What about PD? It's an oldie. What's the dern law in these here parts? I ferget. Yee Haaaaaaa! There's a snake it ma boots! Anna Frodesiak (talk) 08:57, 25 July 2015 (UTC)
Welllll lookie here: Template:PD-Canada! Is it PD now? Anna Frodesiak (talk) 09:02, 25 July 2015 (UTC)
The pic from 1898 and also the other would be PD-Canada, due to "it was a photograph created before 1949"; or "where the creator is unknown, the work was published before 1965 or (if not published) created before 1940.". I don't know about US, but it is probably PD there too due to pre-1923. It should be pretty safe to upload them as PD. I see your name daily so I would say see you soon! Graeme Bartlett (talk) 09:31, 25 July 2015 (UTC)
Awwwww, you're supposed to talk like an 19th century prospector. :( Anyhow, I uploaded it to commons with similar rationale. I got some advice also over the IRC (a thing like the telegraph but for these new computers devices). So, I'm satisfied with the one I got. If you think this is 100% safe, I'll upload it too. It is at the MacBride Museum so if there's a chance it is owned by them, I won't touch it. Thoughts? Anna Frodesiak (talk) 09:47, 25 July 2015 (UTC)

Thank you kindly Graeme. The article Discovery Claim is now great! Finally, we have an image of everyone. Best wishes, Anna Frodesiak (talk) 10:34, 25 July 2015 (UTC)

National anthems, a special case of fair use

Wikipedia:Lyrics and poetry indicates that national anthems are a special case of fair use and that, contrary to our general approach to limited excerpt of song lyrics for critical purpose, the lyrics of national anthems should be included in articles. This guidance was added in 2005 by now-retired User:Duncharris. User:Stefan2 rightly asked for a source in 2013. User:Mitch Ames questioned if the tag was needed on the talk page of the guidance page, but otherwise nobody has ever responded to offer citation. (I'll note that this guidance is contrary to the official guideline of Wikipedia:Do not include the full text of lengthy primary sources, which does suggest including national anthems if out of copyright.)

I'm considering taking up the removal of this uncited bit of advice, which runs contrary to WP:NFC policy & guideline, but figured that you brilliant people might be able to assist. :) Is there some precedence establishing that in US law national anthems are a special case of fair use? Or is this folklore, like the mythical 10%? --Moonriddengirl (talk) 11:14, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

Of course putting the words of national anthems would be fair use in an article about the national anthem. So PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE the advice. The nation anthems are supposed to be widely spread, hopefully the actual copyright and what permission have been granted is also discussed in the article. If this permission can be identified, then fair use claim does not need to be made, but naturally copyright is then not the same as CC-BY-SA-xx for the rest of the text. So it needs to be clear what is what. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:34, 25 July 2015 (UTC)
I found this to be an interesting legal issue, leading me to spend a few hours searching Westlaw, reviewing relevant copyright literature, and examining the U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use Index. I also examined the national policies of the few nations whose national anthems remain under copyright protection.

First the bad news: no provision of U.S. copyright law grants special fair use dispensation to foreign national anthems, nor has (so far as I was able to determine) any U.S. judicial decision carved out a special exemption for the fair use of foreign national anthems.

However, there is some good news. Having read quite a few fair use decisions, I am quite comfortable saying that, regarding the incorporation of the entire lyrics of a national anthem into a Wikipedia article about that anthem, anything other than a finding of fair use would not be consistent with previous case law due to Wikipedia's noncommercial status, the very public nature of national anthems, and the complete absence of an effect on the market (while it sounds kind of ludicrous, to be safe I actually checked and so far as I am able to determine, no country whose anthem remains copyrighted has taken steps to establish a "market" for their copyrighted national anthem lyrics). In addition, I'm fairly confident this would also apply to U.S. commercial re-users of Wikipedia's articles.

So I think we're safe in saying that, unlike the general case of copyrighted lyrics, national anthems are indeed "special" in the sense that Wikipedia's reproduction of their lyrics would be fair use under U.S. copyright law. So it really comes down to what policy Wikipedia wants to adopt. We can, and have, adopted a policy for images that is stricter than U.S. copyright law requires; we could do the same with national anthems should we so choose. —RP88 (talk) 09:52, 25 July 2015 (UTC)

Thanks, RP88! I appreciate your time investment there. :) It sounds to me like there is no codified special allowance for national anthems, but that we may choose to make them an exception to the prohibition against replicating lyrics of copyrighted songs.
Graeme Bartlett, even if we choose to make this a special case of fair use for Wikipedia, I fear that stating that it's a special case of fair use without contextualizing that it is so "for us" or supporting that there is legal precedence that make it so "for everybody" can mislead users. If we determine to permit national anthems regardless of copyright status, Wikipedia:Do not include the full text of lengthy primary sources should be made consistent with that, Wikipedia:Lyrics and poetry should be clarified to note that this is our standard and not necessarily a special legal allowance, and I believe it's also worth considering adding a bit to WP:NFC. With regards the second, this is the responsible thing to do for our users and reusers, since they take liability for their actions. Even though we cannot give legal advice, many of our copyright policies and guidelines basically do - and I think we need to make sure any guidance we offer is accurate and clear. --Moonriddengirl (talk) 19:07, 25 July 2015 (UTC)

Wilhelm Holec photo copyright

Is the 1938 photo of Wilhelm Holec at [6] still under copyright? The relevant country is Austria; the page lists "Weltbild" as its author; List of countries' copyright lengths makes mention of 70 years as a general rule for Austria, which might put this out of copyright. Thanks. Seattle (talk) 00:43, 26 July 2015 (UTC)

Image:NataliaLuis.JPG.

RE: Image:NataliaLuis.JPG. I have uploaded this picture, I own the image, I took the picture, what do I need to do for this image to be re uploaded to the article Natalia_Luis-Bassa box? Thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by Urregoluis (talk • contribs) 20:10, 26 July 2015‎

Exactly which image are you talking about? I cannot see that you uploaded the image as named here. From this log I see you uploaded an image to the commons named c:File:NLB.jpg but it was deleted because no permission was provided for 10 days. If you did take the picture yourself and did not copy it from the internet, then you can release it under a free licence such as, {{PD-self}}, {{Attribution}}, {{cc-by-4.0}} or {{cc-by-sa-4.0}} as you choose. Click on the template links to see how to use each one. ww2censor (talk) 23:42, 26 July 2015 (UTC)

Need advice...

Copyright issue..


I am someone who has in his possession some old artwork from Ukrainian musicians in the early 1990s and before the collapse of the Soviet Union. I have uploaded the following image: OP-NovaRevolyutsia-Cover.png This is a picture of the cassette's outer artwork.

I know I can get any permission possible from the copyright holder, but I would like to know the following. Is it better that if went to into WikiCommons as I did for the following image: Ross_Shtyn.jpg submitted not too long ago to WikiCommons.

The copyright holder of the first mentioned image is Ross_Shtyn and I could get permission to get this into a fair use type of situation without a problem.

Please advise me as I'm new to WikiPedia, but I would like to share my knowledge of contemporary Ukrainian music to the English speaking world.

With respect,

William Pawlowsky Wpawlowsky (talk) 23:21, 28 July 2015 (UTC)

@Wpawlowsky:: Greetings. Remember that Commons does not allow fair use images. I think this is essentially a proof-of-permission situation - are these images published somewhere else as well? Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk, contributions) 08:38, 29 July 2015 (UTC)
As far as I know the only place this image exists in any electronic form is the one I just created. The image is from a cassette liner, a cassette released in 30,000 copies and which disappeared off the market in Ukraine in 1991, prior to Ukraine's independence that very same year. I just want to gain a better understanding of how to tag this piece. I know the musicians who hold the copyright, would it be easier for them to somehow release the right of using this graphic image? Wpawlowsky (talk) 14:55, 29 July 2015 (UTC)
What really matters is when the image was published and if, and when, the author/designer/photographer died. According to this you are pretty much out of luck which says copyright expires 70 years pma. The only situation that might allow the use of a cassette cover, and maybe not even the liner notes, image would be as a non-free image in an article about the specific album that was being portrayed. You may find it useful to read my image copyright information page that covers many of the problems images encounter. ww2censor (talk) 17:35, 29 July 2015 (UTC)

photo

Hi, I had a photo taken about me, who is copyright owner? I should think it is enough to indicate the name of the photographer and the year it was taken. Is that right? The image is uploaded with the knowledge of the maker. Thanks for your reply, kind regards, Alica Árvay — Preceding unsigned comment added by 185.10.124.126 (talk) 17:42, 29 July 2015 (UTC)

Well actually no, unless you made a contract with the photographer that included the transfer of the copyright of the photo to you, then the photographer, as the creator of the image, owns the copyright. You either need to get their permission under a free licence or obtain the copyright from them otherwise you cannot upload it here. They would need to follow the procedure found at WP:CONSENT. Sorry, but copyright can be quite complicated and sometimes seems at odds with what seems logical. ww2censor (talk) 17:51, 29 July 2015 (UTC)

Copyright question regarding an image from a 1887 UK publication

I wish to publish an image (a map) from a book first published in the UK in 1887. However the image comes from a reprint of the original publication that was published by the Naval and Military Press Ltd in the UK in 2004. I have received a message from the Naval and Military Press stating that "We have no objection to you using this map, but would ask for an acknowledgement of the reprinted book".

When I uploaded the image to the Wiki Commons I was offered a list of copyright options from which to select the most appropriate, however none seem to fit this particular circumstance. As for selecting an appropriate copyright "tag", this is an even bigger minefield that I have no idea how to negotiate.

If you can you offer me any guidance as to whether and how I might succeed in getting this image accepted onto the Wiki Commons, I'll be very grateful. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lao-ke (talk • contribs) 11:09, 30 July 2015 (UTC)

For commons images it is actually best to ask there but in you user name on the commons I do not see any uploads since 2912, so we need to know the name of the image so we can help you. Did you use a different username there? Have you checked if the original book is available elsewhere? It is certainly public domain in the US and you can use {{PD-US-1923-abroad}} but that is only if you upload it here, otherwise you need to be sure it is also freely licenced in the UK which depends on the author's death if known (see c:Commons:Copyright rules by territory#United_Kingdom) but most likely it is in the public domain. ww2censor (talk) 11:41, 30 July 2015 (UTC)

Copyright help

Can someone please help me tag

  • Where did this image come from?
  • Who created it?
  • Who holds the copyright to this image?

for this file File:KissAnime_Homescreen_30_July_2015.png please?--Iady391 | Talk to me here 17:14, 30 July 2015 (UTC)

One thing I would do is to trim the image horizontally to cut out the Bleach ads, as derivative works that may complicate the copyright aspect here. (The other thumbnail images are small enough to be considered de minimus and thus not affecting the overall copyright.
As to your questions then, in order:
  • "It is a screencapture of the KissAnime website (insert URL here) made by myself" answers the first two questions.
  • "The website design is copyrighted by KissAnime." Your action of making the screenshot is considered a mechanical capturing of a 2D work with no new copyright possible on that, so the image is copyright to KissAnime (or if it has a parent company, that company). --MASEM (t) 17:22, 30 July 2015 (UTC)
Thanks--Iady391 | Talk to me here 18:36, 30 July 2015 (UTC)
This image also requires a fair-use rationale and this {{Website screenshot rationale}} is the one you need to use in the summary section instead of a duplicate {{Non-free web screenshot}}. Click on the template linke to see how to use it. ww2censor (talk) 21:30, 30 July 2015 (UTC)
@Ww2censor: Thanks I just added that too.--Iady391 | Talk to me here 21:34, 30 July 2015 (UTC)

File:Minecon logo.png

Should this be converted to {{PD-simple}} or stay fair use? – czar 07:09, 29 July 2015 (UTC)

Question 1: If the letters were created specifically for this purpose, do they still constitute a "typeface", therefore utilitarian and not copyrightable? – Wdchk (talk) 16:25, 29 July 2015 (UTC)
Question 2: Geometric shapes have been added, and the letters distorted, to give an impression of perspective. Does this amount to "just" geometric shapes (not copyrightable) or has sufficient artistic / creative input been applied to pass the threshold of originality? – Wdchk (talk) 16:25, 29 July 2015 (UTC)
Do you mean these as rhetorical questions? Because I have the same questions. I'd say there is nothing inherently artistically creative about the lettering. I don't think the "tilt" would make it pass the threshold of originality. But I'm here for second opinions. – czar 17:58, 30 July 2015 (UTC)
Not rhetorical, for my education I'm interested to hear other editors' answers on these two points. I feel I know enough to identify what needs to be considered and I thought it might be helpful to the discussion if I split it out this way – but I don't have enough experience of these discussions to know what the consensus is likely to be. – Wdchk (talk) 03:28, 31 July 2015 (UTC)
If you haven't seen it already, I thought c:Commons:Threshold_of_originality#United_States was the most helpful page when learning about pd-simple and the threshold of originality. Has a bunch of legal cases. @Masem, your thoughts on this? – czar 03:42, 31 July 2015 (UTC)
it is a relatively simple 3D effect (can be done by most basic graphic programs) so I would consider this PD-USonly. The base font appears generic enough. --MASEM (t) 04:39, 31 July 2015 (UTC)
USonly because its creator, Mojang, is Swedish (logo needs to be PD in both U.S. and country of origin for Commons)? Would it not pass the threshold of originality there? – czar 06:21, 31 July 2015 (UTC)

Twitter image

I wish to upload a photo shared to me on Twitter directly from the owner who happens to be a popular musician. Can I upload it as my work or do I still need to write to the Commons Permission team? OluwaCurtis The King : talk to me 23:07, 31 July 2015 (UTC)

How could a photo sent to you possibly be your own work? AndyTheGrump (talk) 23:13, 31 July 2015 (UTC)
Advice on what rationale to use OluwaCurtis The King : talk to me 23:15, 31 July 2015 (UTC)
Both those options are nonstarters. Only the owner of the copyright can release the rights required for general Wikipedia use; that would ordinarily be the photographer or whoever commissioned the photo. The Big Bad Wolfowitz (aka Hullaballoo) (talk) 23:23, 31 July 2015 (UTC)
Thanks @Hullaballoo Wolfowitz:, I'll contact the photographer then OluwaCurtis The King : talk to me 23:27, 31 July 2015 (UTC)
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