This is a work in progress
Images on Wikipedia must be tagged to help adhere to copyright laws and identify free material for use.
For general Rules of Thumb on uploading images, see EBWiki:Image use policy.
Here are some image tagging guidelines:
- Please tag images on the image description page with one of the tags below so we can keep track of its status. For information on where to put the tags in the image description page, see Template messages. The tags should be put on a line of their own.
- When marking an image as one of the vaguer categories (such as CopyrightedFreeUse), try to specify somewhere what the actual license or other permission states.
- If you tag an image as requiring attribution, please specify who needs to be attributed! Note that the GFDL requires attribution.
- If multiple categories apply to an image, add all that apply.
- Along with a tag, specify the source or copyright holder information. Provide as much detail as possible.
- Please put more thought to the file naming of images as well.
- Finally, scroll down to see the whole set of tagging options.
- See also en:Wikipedia:Template messages/Image namespace
Tagging options
For image creators
If you are the photographer, designer, or otherwise the creator of an original work, you don't need to sort through this whole list. Ideally, we would like you to license your work under a "free" license -- with as few restrictions as possible. The licenses in this section are designed not so much to restrict use of your work, but to keep it free. Some people group these under the generic term en:Copyleft.
Each license takes the form of a template, a short snippet of text that causes a license box to be displayed under your image. Copy the whole thing, including the {{double braces}}, and paste it in along with your description when you upload your work. You can also use the new drop-down menu.
- {{cc-by-sa-2.5}} -- Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike. 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.
- {{pd-self}} -- Public Domain. There is some question whether it is possible under existing law to release one's work into the public domain; but this is still the "license" of choice for some.
Note that many creators license their works under more than one of these free licenses. There is no limit to the number of license tags you may apply -- although some may contradict one another.
There are many other licenses you may choose to grant to your own work; please see below. Please remember that our intent is not to add a burden to you; we appreciate your willingness to allow your work to be published. For legal purposes, we do need a legal license.
If you have any questions or need any help, please feel free to ask any member of this Project. Here is a list of members who have volunteered to help do this vital work.
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 — very old works, works by certain government employees, and works where an explicit disclaimer of copyright has been made in writing by the author.
General public domain images
- {{PD}} - for when author has put into the public domain or the author died over 70 years ago (pre-1935). Consider first using the following subtags:
- {{PD-flag-US}} - for images of national, governmental, or historical flags out of copyright in the United States
- {{PD-flag-50}} - for images of national, governmental, or historical flags out of copyright in those countries with copyright terms of life of the author plus 50 years
- {{PD-flag-70}} - for images of national, governmental, or historical flags out of copyright in those countries with copyright terms of life of the author plus 70 years
- {{PD-flag-100}} - for images of national, governmental, or historical flags out of copyright in those countries with copyright terms of life of the author plus 100 years
- {{PD-ineligible}} - for images that are inherently ineligible for copyright protection because they are based exclusively on common knowledge. An example would be
.
- {{Military-Insignia}} - for images of any national military rank.
- {{PD-old}} - for images where the author died more than 100 years ago (1905). (Note: not where the work or image is 100 or more years old)
- {{PD-old-50}} - for images where the author died more than 50 years ago (1955). (Note: not where the work or image is 50 or more years old)
- {{PD-old-70}} - for images where the author died more than 70 years ago (1935). (Note: not where the work or image is 70 or more years old.)
- {{PD-stamp}} - for postage stamps known to be in the public domain for whatever reason, such as age, or because the issuing authority explicitly puts stamps in the public domain (US before 1978, Faeroes).
Public domain dedications
These tags are used for an author to attempt to release their work into the public domain, disclaiming any copyright. However, if you use this, consider also using a license tag such as {{CopyrightedFreeUse}}, in case this is ineffective in your jurisdiction; see EBWiki: Granting work into the public domain.
- {{PD-release}} - when the creator has made a statement releasing the work to public domain
- {{PD-link}} - a statement intended to release a contributor's own work into public domain and request an entirely optional link back to Wikipedia from anyone reproducing it
- {{PD-self}} - a statement intended to release a contributor's own work into public domain
- {{PD-user}} - a statement intended to release a particular user's own work into public domain by a Wikipedian
Public domain art
- {{PD-art}} - for images of works of art where the artist died more than 100 years ago. But if the person or organization who digitized it has released it under another license, list that other license as well as this one.
- {{PD-art-life-50}} - for images of works of art where the artist died more than 50 years ago. But if the person or organization who digitized it has released it under another license, list that other license as well as this one.
- {{PD-art-life-70}} - for images of works of art where the artist died more than 70 years ago. But if the person or organization who digitized it has released it under another license, list that other license as well as this one.
- {{PD-art-US}} - for images of works of art published in the United States prior to 1923. But if the person or organization who digitized it has released it under another license, list that other license as well as this one.
Template:Wikipedia:Image copyright tags/USA
Other countries' public domain images
- {{Iraqcopyright}} - for works first published in Iraq before Iraq signed a copyright treaty with the United States.
- {{PD-AustraliaGov}} - for works published by the Australian government more than 50 years ago.
- {{PD-Australia}} - for photographs published 70 years after the life of the creator, or photographs taken prior to 1955.
- {{PD-Australia-CC}} - for photographs held under Crown Copyright in Australia and published more than 50 years ago.
- {{PD-BritishGov}} - for images created by the British Government and published prior to 1955.
- {{PD-China}} - for photographs taken in China over 50 years ago, or for non-photographic images where the author died more than 50 years ago.
- {{PD-India}} - for photographs first published by Indian citizens or the Indian government prior to 1945-01-01. [1].
- {{PD-IndiaGov}} - for photographs that comes from an Indian Government site. Information published by Indian government websites are in Public Domain under the Right to Information Act.
- {{PD-Iran}} - for works first published in Iran where all the authors have died more than 30 years ago, or photos or movies first published in Iran and published more than 30 years ago.
- {{PD-Pakistan}} - for photographs taken in Pakistan over 50 years ago, or for non-photographic images where the author died more than 50 years ago.
- {{PD-PakistanGov}} - for works created in Pakistan that are public records as defined by the Freedom of Information Ordinance of Pakistan.
- {{PD-Philippines}} - for works whose copyrights have already expired, released into the public domain, or ineligible for copyright as stated by Philippine copyright law.
- {{PD-PhilippinesGov}} - for all works created in the Philippines by the Philippine government.
- {{PD-Poland}} - for Polish photographs published in Poland without a copyright notice prior to May 23 1994.
- {{PD-PolishGov}} - for Polish government documents, materials, signs and symbols.
- {{PD-RU-exempt}} - exempt from copyright protection under the Russian law as per tag text.
- {{PD-SAGov}} - For works published in South Africa that are more than 50 years old.
- {{PD-UA-exempt}} - exempt from copyright protection under Ukrainan law as per tag text.
- {{PD-USSR}} - for works published by the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics before 27 May 1973.
- {{PD-BY-exempt}} - exempt from copyright protection under the law of the Republic of Belarus. [2]
Other public domain images
Free licenses
"Any-purpose" copyright
- {{ABr}} - A photo copyrighted by Agência Brasil, that can be freely reproduced as long as credit is given to the source and the reporter.
- {{AMI}} - For images digitized by the Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland. Can be used freely as long as the source is stated.
- {{Attribution}} - For images that require attribution.
- Deprecated: consider using {{cc-by-2.0}}, below, instead.
- {{CACTVSGIF}} - For images of chemical structures created with the GIF/PNG-Creator for 2D Plots of Chemical Structures, a product of the NIH/University of Erlangen-Nuremberg CACTVS collaboration.
- {{CopyrightedFreeUse}} - The image is copyrighted, but is free to use for any purpose. See also {{NoRightsReserved}} below.
- {{CopyrightedFreeUse-Link}} - The image is free to use for any purpose, but requests an entirely optional link back to Wikipedia.
- {{CopyrightedFreeUse-User}} - A particular Wikipedia user is the copyright holder, but releases all rights to it.
- {{CopyrightedFreeUseProvidedThat|restrictions}} - For example, provided that credit is given and copyright is attributed. Note that non-commercial or educational use restrictions are not allowed as provisions in this tag. Consider using {{GFDL}} or one of the Creative Commons licenses below, instead of trying to make up your own restrictions.
- {{EU image}} - Images from the website of the European Union are copyrighted, but reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged and unless otherwise stated.
- {{FinnishDefenceForces}} - for media copyrighted by the Finnish Defence Forces. See [4]
- {{Flphoto}} - Images from the Florida Photographic Collection, allowable if credit is given.
- {{NoRightsReserved}} for images to which the authorhas released all rights - essentially a more explicit version of {{CopyrightedFreeUse}} above.
- {{Sejm}} - images from the website of Sejm, the lower house of Polish Parliament and is copyrighted. Sejm allows it to be used for any purpose, if the source of the picture [5] is given.
- {{SocEur}} - images from the [soccer-europe website] may be used if credit is given
- {{Trainweb}} - Images from TrainWeb, allowable if www.trainweb.com is printed near the photo.[6]
- {{WorldCoin}} - for images from the World Coin Gallery (see [7])
- {{XGSC image}} - images from the Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center. Free use granted with attribution.
- {{money-EU}} - for images of the official currency of the EU. These are copyrighted but may be reproduced as long as they cannot be confused with real currency.
BSD licenses
Free Art license (License Art Libre)
German government copyright
{{GermanGov}}: Almost everything is covered by normal copyright (70 years protection after the death of the author), but there is a "panorama" permission (UrhG § 5(2)) to reproduce material provided that the source is credited and the material is not modified. These provisions also apply to work created by the governments of the German Democratic Republic and the Third Reich.
GNU licenses
MIT license
- {{MIT|Copyright holder}} — MIT License. This tag is designed for MIT images licensed by others(usually as part of a software package). Do not use it to tag images you created yourself. Use another free license, such as {{GFDL}} or {{cc-by-sa}}.
NZ government copyrights
Almost everything is covered by either regular copyright, or if it is a public service department, 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:
- {{NZCrownCopyright}} - Some Government departments allow their material to be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium provided it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The source of the material must be identified and the copyright status acknowledged. Remember that this is not a carte blanche. See the talk page for a list of web sites that will allow some use — and check the copyright notice first as they are all different.
- {{PD-NZSection27}} - for works created by some New Zealand government entities, which are covered by Section 27(1) of the Copyright Act 1994 [8]. The section excludes from copyright protection the following NZ works: Bills, Acts, regulations, municipal bylaws, Hansard, select committee reports, court judgments, Royal commission reports, commission of inquiry reports, ministerial inquiry reports and statutory inquiry reports. Note that sourcing these from a third party provider that, say, annotated Acts, is dangerous -- they would have copyright in those annotations, and/or copyright in a new typographical arrangement [9].
UK government copyrights
- {{CrownCopyright}} - For material under UK Crown copyright (Crown copyright in other countries has different restrictions). This only applies to some content on some web sites. It's not a carte blanche to use anything. See the talk page for a list of web sites that will allow some use - and check the copyright notice first as they are all different. It is the express opinion of HM Stationery Office that Crown Copyright is incompatible with the GFDL — contact the Epopt for details.
The options below are all either for Crown copyright or British Government bodies that claim copyrights in their own right with terms sufficiently different from the norm that they need their own message.
- For non-free UK government images see: Wikipedia:Image_copyright_tags#Non-free_UK_Government_licenses.
US state government copyrights
- {{HIGov}} - For copyrighted photos published by the state of Hawaii released for free use as long as credit is given to its source
- {{IAGov}} - For copyrighted photos published by the state of Iowa released for free use as long as credit is given to its source
- {{ILGov}} - For copyrighted photos published by the state of Illinois released for free use as long as credit is given to its source
- For images published by US States that are in the public domain see Wikipedia:Image_copyright_tags#USA_state_public_domain_images.
Fair use
All material under fair use is copyrighted to begin with. Each material under fair use claim must include a reason for fair use. Please review rationale for fair use and fair use.
- {{art}} - for low resolution images of two dimensional works of art which were made after 1923.
- Covers of various media - note all of these require a reduced-quality image, insufficient for quality reproduction or bootlegging purposes, and also that they illustrate articles about the media item itself, not a tangentially related subject.
- {{Albumcover}} - for music album or single covers
- {{Boardgamecover}} - for board game cover art
- {{Bookcover}} - for book covers
- {{Comiccover}} - for comic book covers (trade paperbacks and the like go under {{Bookcover}}, however)
- {{Comicpanel}} for an individual panel from inside a comic book or from a comic strip for the purpose of illustrating the character(s) depicted.
- {{Comicscene}} for a series of panels from inside a comic book or a comic strip to illustrate the character(s) depicted or storyline or strip excerpted.
- {{DVDcover}} - for DVD covers
- {{Gamecover}} - for video game covers of reduced quality.
- {{Magazinecover}} - for magazine covers
- {{Newspapercover}} - for scans of newspaper pages
- {{Video tape cover}} - for video tape cover images
- {{Logo}} - for logos. See Wikipedia:Logos.
- {{money}} - for images of the official currency of a country. These may be in the public domain, or they may not.
- {{Pokeimage}} - for Pokémon images
- Promotional posters:
- {{Promophoto}} - for publicity photographs of people or events, such as headshots or posed shots, from a press kit. See Wikipedia:Publicity photos.
- {{Screenshot}} - no longer in use. The type of screenshot should be identified and the appropriate tag selected from the following list of screenshot tags.
- {{smithsonian}} - Images from the Smithsonian Institution
- {{Stamp}} - for images of postage stamps which may or may not be in the public domain, depending on country.
- {{USPSstamp}} - for U.S. postage stamps after 1978
- {{YuGiOhimage}} - for Yu-Gi-Oh! images
- {{Promotional}} - for an image freely provided to promote an item, as in a promotional photo in a press packet
- {{Music sample}} - for short ogg vorbis music files of reduced quality.
- {{Fairusein|article}} - for a copyrighted image that is contended to be fair use in article.
- {{Fairuseunsure}} - for when use of a unique image that would be public domain unless contended to be fair use depending upon if it is subject to copyright, but the copyright status cannot or is difficult to be determined. A rationale should be provided to support this conclusion of why it cannot be determined and fair use. ie. Public domain unless fair use. [ talk ]
- {{PermissionAndFairUse}} - where we have permission, and US fair use also applies. You should also describe as much as possible about the permission including who from and conditions.
- {{Fairold}} - For use with images from old sources where copyright may have expired but not quite old enough for this to be certain, but where use would be contended to be fair use if still subject to copyright (eg, advertising from companies that have been out of business for 50 + years).
- {{Fairuse}} - for a copyrighted image which is contended to be fair use.
Fair use images of unknown copyright status
Images which may not be copyrighted, but are usuable under fair use if they are. Each material under fair use claim must include a reason for fair use. Please review rationale for fair use and fair use.
- {{money}} - for images of the official currency of a country. These may be in the public domain, or they may not.
- {{Stamp}} - for images of postage stamps which may or may not be in the public domain, depending on country.
- {{Fairold}} - For use with images from old sources where copyright may have expired but not quite old enough for this to be certain, but where use would be contended to be fair use if still subject to copyright (eg, advertising from companies that have been out of business for 50 + years).
- {{mugshot}} for images such as police booking photos, which may be ineligible for copyright.
- {{Fairuseunsure}} - for when use of a unique image that would be public domain unless contended to be fair use depending upon if it is subject to copyright, but the copyright status cannot or is difficult to be determined. A rationale should be provided to support this conclusion of why it cannot be determined and fair use. ie. Public domain unless fair use. [ talk ]
Images of unknown usability
The following tags do not adequately indicate whether they can be used on Wikipedia. Please add source and licence information, if not provided, and a fair use rationale if the image is being used under fair use.
- {{flagimage}} - Images of governmental flags whose copyright status is unknown.
- {{Coat of arms}} - For images of a "Coat of arms" or crest whose copyright and licence status are unknown.
- {{PD-Germany}} - for photographic works and other images where the German photographer (or creator) died more than 70 years ago. Due to this tag's history, many images whose creators died less than 70 years ago are tagged with this tag. Source and licencing information should be added.
- {{unimage}} - for an image released by an agency of the United Nations.
- {{AustraliaGov}} - for works under Crown Copyright by the Government of Australia.
Roman Catholic Church images
- {{Church}} - Images released by Catholic religious orders that might be in the public domain, be licenced for free use, or be usable as fair use.
- {{Vatican}} - Images released by the Vatican that might be in the public domain, be licenced for free use, or be usable as fair use.
Presumed Free images
- {{GFDL-presumed}} These are images that have been unverified to be free of copyright issues, but some user in good faith believes to have been created by the uploader and hence are mostly public domain or GFDL, i.e. redistributable under the GFDL. This is especially useful for images uploaded until mid-2004, at a time when uploaders weren't warned to add image copyright tags. In the early years of Wikipedia all images were presumed to be GFDL-compatible unless found to be otherwise (and deleted, usually), and most images were hence not tagged with their copyright status.
Tags for deprecated images
Unfree Images
These tags are used to mark images that are deprecated, and which will eventually be deleted.
On September 20, 2004, Wikipedia:Possibly unfree images began accepting listings for images used in Wikipedia that either do not have a license or are currently listed with a non-free license.
The following tags are for use on such images.
Though these images are unwanted, they should not be deleted immediately but proceed to be slowly and respectfully weeded out.
- {{PUI}} - used for images that do not currently have a license noted. If an alternative license is not found, these images may be deleted within 30 days.
- {{PUIdisputed}} - used for images where the stated copyright status is disputed. If an alternative license is not found, these images may be deleted within 30 days.
- {{Nonfreedelete}} - used for images with a noted non-free license. If an alternative license is not found, these images may be deleted within 30 days.
Copyright violations
This tag is used to mark images which violate copyright, and which will quickly be deleted.
Bad images
These tags are used to mark images which are deprecated, and which will eventually be deleted.
- {{Missing image}} - for images that cannot be deleted using the standard deletion procedure due to bugs in the MediaWiki software. Generally, these images have to be manually deleted by a developer.
General non-free licenses
Do not upload images for which one of the tags in this section applies.
- {{no source}} - for an image with no source information.
- {{no license}} - for an image with author information but no notice about licensing information.
- {{copyrighted}} - permission is given for use on Wikipedia only, and does not include third parties.
- {{permission}} - another version of {{copyrighted}}.
- {{noncommercialProvided}} reason - where there is general non-commercial permission provided that... (e.g.) the photographer is credited. For example, images from IMDb cannot be reproduced for sale and credit must be supplied. However, these images may possibly be used under other categories such as fair use such as promotional head shots of people.
- {{UNPhotoArchive}} - Images from the United Nations photo archive which may be used if credit is given. Does not allow advertising.
Noncommercial only: Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial government copyrights
The use of these templates is deprecated. Do not upload images for which they apply. Although they are governmental images, they are not public domain, but rather non-commercial only, making them unacceptable on Wikipedia. Isolated images from Canadian governmental agencies may be usable under the "fair use" doctrine, but any such image must then have a clearly stated fair use rationale.
Non-free UK Government licenses
Do not upload images for which one of the tags in this section applies.
- For other UK government images see Wikipedia:Image_copyright_tags#UK_government_copyrights.
Other non-free government copyrights
Do not upload images for which one of the tags in this section applies.
Non-free Creative Commons licenses
Do not upload images for which one of the tags in this section applies. Instead, if it is your work, consider licencing 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#Creative_Commons_Licenses.
- {{cc-nc}} - NonCommercial
- {{cc-by-nc}} - Attribution-NonCommercial
Rationale
But why? ... we hear you cry.
Well, it is a few things:
- What's "fair use" in one country may not be "fair use" in another country; this allows people creating derivative works in other countries to extract images which aren't legal in their country.
- It is harder to create decent images than decent text, so the temptation to break copyright is bigger, so we like to be a bit more vigilant. For this very reason, sublicenses of Wikipedia are going to be especially concerned about images, particularly for printed versions.
- Secondly, it's easy to rewrite text that turns out to be copyrighted, but harder (though possible) to do the same for images.
- It is good practice to cite our sources, where we've (legally) copied images from elsewhere. If we give due credit, we're more likely to get permission (and some licenses require due credit anyway).
- Where Wikipedians have created the images, they should have a bit of fame! Putting some text on the image description page that they took it themselves, and they license it under the GFDL, is a good way to do that.
Please also see this announcement from Wikipedia founder Jimbo Wales.
Creating new tags or sub-category
If you are uploading a relatively large collection of images, you should consider creating a new tag and sub-category for them. Before doing so, please propose the tag on Wikipedia talk:Image copyright tags first. Many new tags are quickly deleted because they are overly vague or overly specific, redundant, or are for images of dubious copyright or licencing status. Discussing the tag before creating it ensures that these pitfalls are avoided. If you are not familiar with how to create templates which add images to categories, please ask for assistance before attempting, in order to save the time and effort which results from needing to fix incorrectly created tags.
Image template notice
Each copyright tag such as {{Fairuse}} should correspond to a Category.
Placing such a tag on an image will automatically put it into that category, because that template should already belong to that category.
Using {{Fairuse}} as an example, each of such category should have a notice by using the tag {{Image template notice|Fairuse}} of the template Template:Image template notice that renders as:
Template:Image template notice
See also
Original Source for this Document
