This page is within the scope of WikiProject Fair use, a project which is currently considered to be inactive.Fair useWikipedia:WikiProject Fair useTemplate:WikiProject Fair useFair use
This page is within the scope of WikiProject Images and Media, a project which is currently considered to be inactive.Images and MediaWikipedia:WikiProject Images and MediaTemplate:WikiProject Images and MediaImages and Media
The project page associated with this talk page is an official policy on Wikipedia. Policies have wide acceptance among editors and are considered a standard for all users to follow. Please review policy editing recommendations before making any substantive change to this page. Always remember to keep cool when editing, and don't panic.
The target non free size is 100k pixels or less. Your original image was around 500x500 or 250k pixels. The bot reduced the pixel count to under that limit but likely used a different en coding method that generated a larger file size but otherwise compliant with the pixel size Masem (t) 18:32, 3 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
What will happen if I transclude articles with non-free media into other namespaces?
I noticed that you can transclude articles by inserting the following code: {{:<page name>}}. What will happen if I transclude an article with non-free media onto a page in other namespaces?
RaptorsFan2019, the nonfree image would then be displayed outside article space, which would be disallowed by NFCC #9. As a workaround, you could copy the article without nonfree images to a page in your userspace and transclude that userspace page to your user page instead. (Or you could just copy the whole article except the nonfree media to your user page directly, but if you're transcluding I presume you want for some reason to avoid doing that.) If you do that, remember that you do need to give proper attribution when copying the material. If the question is "Is there some way to have the nonfree media on my user page?", the answer to that is "No". SeraphimbladeTalk to me23:11, 9 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
What will happen if you try to perform the transclusion? I believe one of the following:
The content is deleted from the page. If a subpage is only created for this transclusion, it is tagged for speedy deletion.
I'm not sure what you mean. If you transclude the article with the nonfree media to your user page, yes, someone would eventually notice and remove it, and tell you something to the effect of "Hey, you can't have nonfree media on your user page." If you did as above, and transcluded a version of the article to your user page without the nonfree media, nothing would happen. You can have all the freely licensed material on your user page you want, and that would certainly include text and free media from articles. SeraphimbladeTalk to me02:09, 10 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Bud Hobbs picture
The biography page Bud Hobbs doesn't have a picture of the subject. I have checked through many sources and there doesn't seem to be any CC licensed image available. Bud Hobbs passed away in 1958, so it is unlikely we get to see any such picture in the future. Sources like Amazon, Shazam, and Find a Grave carry a picture of Bud, so I wanted to understand if it will be considered 'fair use' to use such a file. Any other suggestions on how I should go about it? Kingsacrificer (talk) 09:08, 10 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Kingsacrificer. Wikipedia's non-free content use policy does allow for non-free images of deceased individuals to be used per item #10 of WP:NFCI; however, this generally only the case when the image is being used for primary identification purposes either at the top of or in the main infobox of a stand-alone article about the individual in question; non-free use in other way or in other articles tends to be harder to justify per Wikipedia policy. As long as you reasonably sure a freely-licensed image that can serve essentially the same encyclopedic purpose as a non-free one can neither being created nor found, then WP:FREER is probably met and you just need to worry about the other nine WP:NFCCP. Now, given that Hobbs was born in 1919 and dies in 1958, there's a fair chance that any photos taken of him might no longer be eligble for copyright protection but instead be considered public domain either because of {{PD-US-no notice}} or {{PD-US-not renewed}}. Many photos taken during those years either never had the proper copyright formalities or did have them but they weren't renewed by the copyright holder. The two photos uploaded to Find the Grave almost certainly weren't taken by the person who uploaded them; if you can figure out more about the provenance of these photos, it's possible the one or both are no longer eligible for copyright protection. You might want to ask about these at c:COM:VPC because someone there might be able to help assess their copyright status. This photo found on Facebook and some other sites might also now be within the public domain. Signed publicity photos like this very rarely had their copyright renewed (if they even had copyright firmalities to begin with); so, if you can find somewhere showing the same photo without its border cropped and showing its back side, then there's might not be any copyright notice in either place. FWIW, Creative Commons licenses are only applicable when used by the copyright holder of the original work, and that type of licensing started in 2002, way after Hobbs died; so, I'd be pretty skeptical of any photos I found online of Hobbs that did have a Creative Commons license. -- Marchjuly (talk) 12:53, 10 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Looks fine here. NFC is justified as the image literally doesn't exist any more in real life, discussed in article, and you've identified that once that copyright on the mural disappears (Years from now), we can immediately use that photo as a free image w/ free license. Masem (t) 15:37, 14 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
One thing to add (as a clarification): as the photo was not taken straight on and cannot be considered a simple mechanical 2D recreation of a 2D work, that photo does have its own copyright, but as noted, that photo has been licensed freely, avoiding that issue. If that wasn't the case, then even if the artist's mural fell into the PD, we would have had to wait until the photographer's photo fell int he PD too to call it free. But that's not any issue here. Masem (t) 16:03, 14 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Disbanded groups
Probably a common question, but I'm struggling to find the answer. In the case of a musical group that has disbanded, but all members are still alive, and no free images exist of the band: would a non-free image of the band fall under fair use, assuming all other criteria are followed? Having this issue with Active Bird Community at the moment. Suntooooth, it/he (talk | contribs) 23:03, 20 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
On the good faith basis that the group will never have a reunion and thus cannot get a free image, then yes, a non-free image of the group would be reasonable, if their appearance is of note - here I'm thinking of costumes and makeup like with KISS. Masem (t) 00:00, 21 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Just going to add to what Masem posted that given this band was active during the social media age, you might want to ckeck Flickr, Instagram, YouTube and other social media sites to wee whether any photos/videos of the band (e.g. in concert) can be found. If that's the case then an existing photo of the band might've already been released under a license free enough for Wikipedia or the copyright might agree to re-licensing such a photo if asked. There's more on this in WP:PERMISSION and c:Commons:Flickr files/Appeal for license change. Sometimes band's perform live as part of some TV or radio station promo, and some stations post images of such events on their official social media accounts. You could also try contacting the band or its representaitves yourself if possible. Finally, one last thing to remember is that fair use and non-free content aren't really the same thing when it comes to Wikipedia, and Wikipedia's non-free content use policy is more restrictive than fair use by design; so, WP:FREER is probably going to be the biggest hurdle to clear with respect to any image of the band, given that all the members are still alive and having only disbanded in 2020 doesn't seem like enough time has past to entirely rule out a future reunion. Moreover, after looking as some photos of the band online, I'm not seeing anything that would meet item#1 of WP:NFC#UUI, which is what Masem is referring to with respect to "appearance is of note". -- Marchjuly (talk) 00:24, 21 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I've already searched Openverse (and Flickr seperately) for free images, and there isn't any; I'm not particularly interested in contacting people to get permission for images unless I get really desperate. Thanks for the in-depth response, I guess I'll hope for a reunion :P Suntooooth, it/he (talk | contribs) 00:40, 21 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
A new template has been introduced for non-free file inclusion disputes to reduce edit wars
Template:Non-free file inclusion discussion is a template used when orphaned non-free files are preparing to be included, but it starts to get reverted and needs to be disputed via discussion. Files tagged with this template have a discussion taking place about an edit a user is planning that will make the file included on Wikipedia; this is to reduce edit wars involving inclusion of non-free file(s), with the reverts making the file orphaned. Files with this template also have a link leading to the talk page discussion about the dispute.
This template was created due to a dispute involving a series of edits on NHL teams' articles involving making the logo displayed in the infobox adapt to whether Wikipedia is in light or dark mode; if the logo has a different colored version for applicability on dark backgrounds, the logo in the infobox changes when Wikipedia is in dark mode to that version. RaptorsFan2019 (talk) 17:46, 29 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@RaptorsFan2019: I'm not sure what this template has to do with Wikipedia's non-free content use policy. You appear to have added it to File:Philadelphia Flyers dark.svg, but that non-free file is currently not being used in any articles; so, the file is in violation of WP:NFCC#7. Non-free files violating NFCC#7 are considered to be "orphaned non-free use" and are subject to speedy deletion per WP:F5. There are bots which have been tasked with looking for such files and then tag the files with {{Ornfud}} when they find them. I don't think you creating and adding a template about an ongoing discussion about the file is going to stop those bots from doing what they've been tasked to do. Moreover, any edit warring associated with non-free hockey logo use is a behavioral problem that has nothing really to do with Wikipedia's non-free content use policy; so, there's no reason to try and carve out an WP:NFEXMP for NFCC#7 and F5 for something like this, particularly without any discussion establishing a consensus in favor of doing so. If the changing of a non-free logo used in a hockey team infobox looks like it's going to be contentious, then the person proposing such a change should seek consensus before uploading a new non-free file to replace the existing logo. If someone puts the cart before the horse and uploads a new non-free logo before a consensus is established to use it, then that on them and not a problem with the policy (at least in my opinion). If the file they upload ends up being deleted per F5, it can always be restored via WP:REFUND if a consensus in favor of using it is subsequently established. If you're set on a massive change of NHL team article infobox logos from light mode to dark mode (or vice versa), then you probably should propose doing so first at WT:HOCKEY to see whether the members of that Wikipedia project feel there's a need to do so. If a consensus is established that there is, then perhaps you can start discussing individual team logos and figuring out to do so in accordance with existing Wikipedia non-free content use policy. -- Marchjuly (talk) 05:54, 30 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]
