This page contains comprehensive info about image copyright tags - guidelines and list on one page (via recursive transclusion).
This page presents comprehensive info about image copyright tags - transcluded from subpages on tags for free, PD, US gov't, non-free, deprecated, and other tags.
This is an
information page. It is not one of
Wikipedia's policies or guidelines; rather, its purpose is to explain certain aspects of Wikipedia's norms, customs, technicalities, or practices. It may reflect differing levels of
consensus and
vetting. |
Wikipedia takes copyright law very seriously. File description pages are tagged with the license and the source of the file. This makes it as easy as possible for readers, Wikipedians, IP addresses and creators of derivative works to know what they can and can't do with the files in our encyclopedia.
The following hypertexts link to specific lists of file copyright tags.
Note: A file released under an unnamed license, or under a named license not included in the links above, may still be suitable for Wikipedia. Copyright tags indicating more general usage rights can be found in the copyright template category to which this page belongs.
Creators of files can choose any acceptable free license. They can multi-license their files under different licenses. The license must not prevent commercial reuse or derivative works.
Creative Commons | Attribution-ShareAlike {{ cc-by-sa-4.0|details}} | This is one of several CC licenses. This version permits free use, including commercial use; requires that you be attributed as the creator; and requires that any derivative creator or redistributor of your work use the same license. The desired attribution text should be included as a parameter in the template. |
Attribution {{ cc-by-4.0|details}} | Similar to the above, but does not require that derivative works use the same license. | |
Free Art License | {{ FAL}} | A copyleft license for artwork; modification and commercial use area always allowed, provided derivative works carry the same license. |
Attribution | {{ Attribution}} | The copyright holder allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is properly attributed. |
Copyrighted Free Use | {{
CopyrightedFreeUse-Link | [http://... Your website }} | Same as above, but attribution is not required. However, as a courtesy, you would appreciate a link back to Your website. |
Public domain | {{ PD-self}}, {{ CC0}} | The creator permanently relinquishes all exclusive rights to the work. |
Wikipedia | {{ Wikipedia-screenshot}} | For screenshots of Wikipedia pages. |
Creators of a new file copyright tag representing a particular licence, should propose the created tag on Wikipedia talk:File copyright tags. Tag creators not familiar with how to create templates which add images to categories, please ask for assistance.
Each template should have a corresponding category that automatically contains all the files tagged with the template. On the description page for the category include the following:
{{File template notice|name-of-the-tag}}
where name-of-the-tag is replaced with the actual name of the tag. In addition, include the template in the category Wikipedia file copyright templates by adding the following:
<noinclude>[[Category:Wikipedia file copyright templates|{{PAGENAME}}]]</noinclude>
Free content is free as in freedom. This page links to some of the most popular licenses for releasing such content. This page can be reached via http://enwp.org/WP:ICT/FL when forwarding the full URL is not convenient. If an image is available under one of these licenses, it is acceptable to be used in Wikipedia.
Generally, a work licensed under a CC tag with more requirements cannot be integrated into a work licensed under a more permissive CC license (such as integrating a CC BY-SA work into a CC BY work), unless the entire target work switches to the less permissive license.
Other Creative Commons licenses exist but are non-free for use in Wikipedia. See Non-free Creative Commons licenses for a full list and explanation.
Note: The licenses in this section require reprinting the entire license text with any reuse of the image. If you created the image yourself, please consider using a different license. If one includes any of the content, the entire book/section goes under GFDL, unlike CC BY-SA.
See also https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Copyright_tags/General_public_domain
Remember that most images you find on the Web are not public domain, even if they list no explicit copyright information. Images only qualify as being in the public domain if they fall under certain specific categories described below – images ineligible for copyright protection, very old works, works by certain government employees, and works where an explicit disclaimer of copyright has been made in writing by the author.
For a simple chart on US Public Domain regulations (Wikipedia servers are located in the US and fall under US guidelines) see the chart here.
These tags are used for an author to attempt to release their work into the public domain, disclaiming any copyright. See Wikipedia: Granting work into the public domain.
{{
PD-user|username|language code}}
where the language code is the two-character
ISO 639-2 code (lowercase) that corresponds to the language of the Wikipedia where the user has an account.Whenever an image is tagged using one of these tags, the image description page should also contain some rationale as to whether and why the image is presumed to be in the public domain in the U.S. and other countries. See also {{ PD-US-1996}}, which can be used to state that the copyright on the image was not restored by the URAA.
Publications of the New Zealand government are mostly covered by Crown copyright, which in New Zealand has a 100-year term under Section 26(3)(b) of the Copyright Act 1994. This puts most recent material out of bounds. However, there is an exception to these provisions for some documents:
New Zealand Crown copyright used to only last 50 years, and copyright has expired for government works from 1944 or earlier. Regular copyright provisions (such as a 50-year term) apply to works by Crown entities and state-owned enterprises, not Crown copyright.
The following copyright tags are among those applicable to photographs and graphic images originating from the United States of America and created by people other than the uploader. Please see the text of each tag for specific disclaimers.
Copyrighted media files may be used in Wikipedia articles on a limited basis, provided they satisfy both the legal test for fair use and Wikipedia's own guidelines for non-free content, found at Wikipedia:Non-free content. Each image or audio file has a file page where any fair-use concerns must be addressed.
Please note: Copyrighted images that can reasonably be replaced by free images may not be used on Wikipedia.
For non-free content, each image page must include:
Fair use on Wikipedia only applies if it is not possible to replace such promotional image with a free image.
Fair use on Wikipedia only applies if it is not possible to replace such publicity image with a free image.
These tags cannot be used on their own. Any files using these tags must have one of the previously mentioned tags.
These tags are used to mark images which are deprecated, and which will eventually be deleted.
Do not upload images for which one of the tags in this section applies. They will be deleted.
Do not upload images for which one of the tags in this section applies. Instead, if it is your work, consider licensing the work under a Creative Commons License that is acceptable for use in Wikipedia or releasing it into Public Domain. See Wikipedia:Image copyright tags/Free licenses#Creative Commons.
This page contains comprehensive info about image copyright tags - guidelines and list on one page (via recursive transclusion).
This page presents comprehensive info about image copyright tags - transcluded from subpages on tags for free, PD, US gov't, non-free, deprecated, and other tags.
This is an
information page. It is not one of
Wikipedia's policies or guidelines; rather, its purpose is to explain certain aspects of Wikipedia's norms, customs, technicalities, or practices. It may reflect differing levels of
consensus and
vetting. |
Wikipedia takes copyright law very seriously. File description pages are tagged with the license and the source of the file. This makes it as easy as possible for readers, Wikipedians, IP addresses and creators of derivative works to know what they can and can't do with the files in our encyclopedia.
The following hypertexts link to specific lists of file copyright tags.
Note: A file released under an unnamed license, or under a named license not included in the links above, may still be suitable for Wikipedia. Copyright tags indicating more general usage rights can be found in the copyright template category to which this page belongs.
Creators of files can choose any acceptable free license. They can multi-license their files under different licenses. The license must not prevent commercial reuse or derivative works.
Creative Commons | Attribution-ShareAlike {{ cc-by-sa-4.0|details}} | This is one of several CC licenses. This version permits free use, including commercial use; requires that you be attributed as the creator; and requires that any derivative creator or redistributor of your work use the same license. The desired attribution text should be included as a parameter in the template. |
Attribution {{ cc-by-4.0|details}} | Similar to the above, but does not require that derivative works use the same license. | |
Free Art License | {{ FAL}} | A copyleft license for artwork; modification and commercial use area always allowed, provided derivative works carry the same license. |
Attribution | {{ Attribution}} | The copyright holder allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is properly attributed. |
Copyrighted Free Use | {{
CopyrightedFreeUse-Link | [http://... Your website }} | Same as above, but attribution is not required. However, as a courtesy, you would appreciate a link back to Your website. |
Public domain | {{ PD-self}}, {{ CC0}} | The creator permanently relinquishes all exclusive rights to the work. |
Wikipedia | {{ Wikipedia-screenshot}} | For screenshots of Wikipedia pages. |
Creators of a new file copyright tag representing a particular licence, should propose the created tag on Wikipedia talk:File copyright tags. Tag creators not familiar with how to create templates which add images to categories, please ask for assistance.
Each template should have a corresponding category that automatically contains all the files tagged with the template. On the description page for the category include the following:
{{File template notice|name-of-the-tag}}
where name-of-the-tag is replaced with the actual name of the tag. In addition, include the template in the category Wikipedia file copyright templates by adding the following:
<noinclude>[[Category:Wikipedia file copyright templates|{{PAGENAME}}]]</noinclude>
Free content is free as in freedom. This page links to some of the most popular licenses for releasing such content. This page can be reached via http://enwp.org/WP:ICT/FL when forwarding the full URL is not convenient. If an image is available under one of these licenses, it is acceptable to be used in Wikipedia.
Generally, a work licensed under a CC tag with more requirements cannot be integrated into a work licensed under a more permissive CC license (such as integrating a CC BY-SA work into a CC BY work), unless the entire target work switches to the less permissive license.
Other Creative Commons licenses exist but are non-free for use in Wikipedia. See Non-free Creative Commons licenses for a full list and explanation.
Note: The licenses in this section require reprinting the entire license text with any reuse of the image. If you created the image yourself, please consider using a different license. If one includes any of the content, the entire book/section goes under GFDL, unlike CC BY-SA.
See also https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Copyright_tags/General_public_domain
Remember that most images you find on the Web are not public domain, even if they list no explicit copyright information. Images only qualify as being in the public domain if they fall under certain specific categories described below – images ineligible for copyright protection, very old works, works by certain government employees, and works where an explicit disclaimer of copyright has been made in writing by the author.
For a simple chart on US Public Domain regulations (Wikipedia servers are located in the US and fall under US guidelines) see the chart here.
These tags are used for an author to attempt to release their work into the public domain, disclaiming any copyright. See Wikipedia: Granting work into the public domain.
{{
PD-user|username|language code}}
where the language code is the two-character
ISO 639-2 code (lowercase) that corresponds to the language of the Wikipedia where the user has an account.Whenever an image is tagged using one of these tags, the image description page should also contain some rationale as to whether and why the image is presumed to be in the public domain in the U.S. and other countries. See also {{ PD-US-1996}}, which can be used to state that the copyright on the image was not restored by the URAA.
Publications of the New Zealand government are mostly covered by Crown copyright, which in New Zealand has a 100-year term under Section 26(3)(b) of the Copyright Act 1994. This puts most recent material out of bounds. However, there is an exception to these provisions for some documents:
New Zealand Crown copyright used to only last 50 years, and copyright has expired for government works from 1944 or earlier. Regular copyright provisions (such as a 50-year term) apply to works by Crown entities and state-owned enterprises, not Crown copyright.
The following copyright tags are among those applicable to photographs and graphic images originating from the United States of America and created by people other than the uploader. Please see the text of each tag for specific disclaimers.
Copyrighted media files may be used in Wikipedia articles on a limited basis, provided they satisfy both the legal test for fair use and Wikipedia's own guidelines for non-free content, found at Wikipedia:Non-free content. Each image or audio file has a file page where any fair-use concerns must be addressed.
Please note: Copyrighted images that can reasonably be replaced by free images may not be used on Wikipedia.
For non-free content, each image page must include:
Fair use on Wikipedia only applies if it is not possible to replace such promotional image with a free image.
Fair use on Wikipedia only applies if it is not possible to replace such publicity image with a free image.
These tags cannot be used on their own. Any files using these tags must have one of the previously mentioned tags.
These tags are used to mark images which are deprecated, and which will eventually be deleted.
Do not upload images for which one of the tags in this section applies. They will be deleted.
Do not upload images for which one of the tags in this section applies. Instead, if it is your work, consider licensing the work under a Creative Commons License that is acceptable for use in Wikipedia or releasing it into Public Domain. See Wikipedia:Image copyright tags/Free licenses#Creative Commons.