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I have a thing...

In my alerts notifications, there is a notification that says "Achim55 left you a message", when i go check it, it says "Reverted edits instead", how is this possible? ArtopiaBoy (talk) 10:28, 2 August 2025 (UTC)

@ArtopiaBoy: When was that notification sent, exactly?   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 22:35, 2 August 2025 (UTC)

Three months ago, see history on talk page ArtopiaBoy (talk) 01:00, 4 August 2025 (UTC)

@ArtopiaBoy: What you wrote is not exact. It appears Achim55 edited your user talk page (reverting twice) in late April, is that what you mean? You were not exact. Reverts on one's user talk page are considered by the software as changes involving the leaving of messages. You could report that the notification is not exact; see mw:How to report a bug.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 14:42, 4 August 2025 (UTC)

Here are the revisions

• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:ArtopiaBoy?markasread=75882246&markasreadwiki=commonswiki
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:ArtopiaBoy?markasread=75870451&markasreadwiki=commonswiki

ArtopiaBoy (talk) 13:05, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

@ArtopiaBoy: Those links don't answer the question. See {{Diff}}.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 14:12, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

I think any changes to the discussion page are put out as "XYZ left you a message". I had several cases where vandalism was removed/reverted by Achim55, which could trigger this notification --PantheraLeo1359531 😺 (talk) 20:01, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

Video Upload -VOA

hi everyone

I want to upload video of Cham people released by Voice of America on their site.(here).

I tried to upload it.By Video2commons following instructions from Com:Video#Uploading a video(it's first time trying to upload video on commons).2hr passed but not uploaded.

After searching I see this page which says Video2common is broken(Commons:Video2commons).

Does I upload it manually or any alternative is available???

獅眠洞 (talk) 獅眠洞 (talk) 13:15, 5 August 2025 (UTC)

@獅眠洞: That system times out at 48h. What exact URL are you downloading the video from? What is showing as the status? You may also use the Handbrake software from https://handbrake.fr/.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 13:53, 5 August 2025 (UTC)

Never mind the question about the URL, it is https://voa-video-hls-ns.akamaized.net/pangeavideo/2022/04/0/02/02210000-0aff-0242-ca03-08da26c92db8_master.m3u8, a playlist which includes https://voa-video-hls-ns.akamaized.net/pangeavideo/2022/04/0/02/02210000-0aff-0242-ca03-08da26c92db8_1080p.m3u8 by reference.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 13:56, 5 August 2025 (UTC)

There is definitely a problem there. I've had a file "pending" for over 12 hours. I reported it after 3 hours at COM:VP/T and have not heard anything back. - Jmabel ! talk 16:41, 5 August 2025 (UTC)

@Jmabel and @獅眠洞: Now, I see that it's been broken for four days per Special:Diff/1066663719.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 16:51, 5 August 2025 (UTC)

@獅眠洞: I was able to upload File:The Forgotten People, Cham Muslims Preserve Their Culture in Seattle 1080p.webm for you, but it was nominated for deletion; see Commons:Deletion requests/File:The Forgotten People, Cham Muslims Preserve Their Culture in Seattle 1080p.webm.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 13:22, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

thank you,

I had uploaded video Manually.

I added dublicate template. 獅眠洞 (talk) 15:30, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

Resolved

I think that this question was replied to adequately based on the supplied information. If you have anything to add or a follow-up question please feel free to replace this box with your comment. This section will be archived after two days.  $999$REAL 💬 ⬆   20:16, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Cardinalis cardinalis gallery taxonavigation links to wrong genus

In the gallery page Cardinalis cardinalis for an animal species, the taxonavigation box at the top links to Cardinalis, which is a redirect to a the gallery page Lobelia for a plant genus. I'm not familiar with how the biology taxonomy system works on Commons, so I'm not sure what the problem is here and how to fix it. What should I do here? Is there a taxonomy help desk where I should ask questions like this?

The category page Category:Cardinalis cardinalis for the animal species does not have this problem: its taxonavigation box links to the category Category:Cardinalis for what I think is the correct animal. It doesn't seem like there's a gallery page for the animal genus, so perhaps the gallery page for the species should have a red link.

– b_jonas 18:33, 6 August 2025 (UTC)

@B jonas: It's because gallery page Cardinalis is a redirect (probably shouldn't be), whereas Category:Cardinalis is not, and taxonavigation for gallery pages uses gallery pages, while taxonavigation for categories uses categories. I don't know the topic well enough to say confidently whether we should just delete gallery page redirect Cardinalis; I believe we don't do gallery-page disambiguation pages, so that's not an option. (In the event that it should be kept, it should redirect to Lobelia cardinalis, not to Lobelia.) Can someone who works more with taxonomy please weigh in? - Jmabel ! talk 23:30, 6 August 2025 (UTC)

I added a hatnote to the gallery page Lobelia for now. This doesn't solve the original problem, Cardinalis cardinalis still has the wrong link, but it's needed anyway for when a reader visits Cardinalis directly by name. If the redirect from Cardinalis is removed then we can remove that hatnote too. – b_jonas 11:30, 9 August 2025 (UTC)

Cardinalis is certainly a genus of a bird family. Redirecting it to a plant genus (Lobelia) is clearly wrong, even if there's a species which has the name cardinalis (note: "cardinalis" in lower case can denominate a species, whereas "Cardinalis" in upper case is for a genus). @Jmabel: please delete the redirect, it's factually wrong. regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 01:31, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

I forgot to mention: genera are unique, species names not, as already seen in the example pair of Cardinalis cardinalis and Lobelia cardinalis. Both have the species name cardinalis, but different genera. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 01:34, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

Done. - Jmabel ! talk 19:35, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

Resolved

I think that this question was replied to adequately based on the supplied information. If you have anything to add or a follow-up question please feel free to replace this box with your comment. This section will be archived after two days.  $999$REAL 💬 ⬆   20:17, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Copyright question re 1976 newspaper article

Hello! I'm trying to update/correct a page that incorrectly states that Traci Lords' mother attended Ohio University (in Athens, Ohio). The page cites Traci's autobiography as the source, but the autobiography is mistaken. A 1976 front-page article from the Steubenville Herald Star shows Lords' mother in Steubenville (and not Athens, Ohio) as part of a famous Harvard Lung Study. Lords' mother attended the College of Steubenville, not Ohio University. Can I upload/link to a pdf or image of the article? I think it qualifies as fair use for research and scholarship. Thank you! GenealogyFan70 (talk) 20:12, 8 August 2025 (UTC)

@GenealogyFan70: it might, but Commons does not host files on a fair use basis. We host only files that are either in the public domain or free-licensed (also, they need to be so both in their country of origin and in the United States).

I'm not sure why you want to upload this to Commons, though, in any event. Assuming that this is about a Wikipedia article, offline sources are perfectly valid to cite. If you just need a copy to show someone who is questioning your citation, there are plenty of other ways than a Commons upload to do that. - Jmabel ! talk 05:21, 9 August 2025 (UTC)

Thanks, Jmabel. I’m new to this platform. Yes, I just needed a copy to show to someone questioning my source. So you just recommend an offline citation? What other alternatives exist? Google docs, etc? Thanks! GenealogyFan70 (talk) 15:18, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

@GenealogyFan70: This is really a Wikipedia question, not Commons, but just cite the print source. As it says at en:Wikipedia:Reliable sources, "[A]n accessible copy of the media must exist. It is convenient, but by no means necessary, for the copy to be accessible via the Internet." - Jmabel ! talk 18:33, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

Thank you for your help! GenealogyFan70 (talk) 19:26, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

Appropriate License for Getty Research Photos

Seems like items in the Shulman Photography archive at Getty should be okay to add, the license for the image I am interested in using is pasted below. What is the appropriate license under the dropdown? The Shulman photos would be a great inclusion for many architectural pages. Thank you!

Use Restrictions:These images may be reproduced free of charge in print and/or electronic formats. Please include the following copyright notice and credit line: © J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10). Be aware that third parties may claim privacy or publicity rights in these images, or rights to artworks depicted that are not in the public domain. The Getty assumes no liability for your use of these images. By downloading these images you agree that it is your responsibility to identify any potential claimants and obtain any necessary permissions for your use, and you agree to indemnify, defend, and hold the Getty harmless from all costs, charges, fees, or expenses, losses, damages, liabilities, or judgments arising from or relating to any claim, cause or allegation asserted by a third party against the Getty based entirely or in part on your use of these images.

Permissions:For more information, see the Library Reproductions & Permissions page. Alladode (talk) 03:11, 9 August 2025 (UTC)

That is permission to use, but not to make derivative images. You would need to persuade Getty to release them under a compatible open license. This they are, sadly unlikely to do. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 13:43, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

VOA News Image Upload Q

i have a question that the images on this VOA Page Can be uploaded on Commons or not These images are Labelled as VOA but have a photographer name(may be he is a hire). 獅眠洞 (talk) 11:04, 9 August 2025 (UTC)

• Probably not OK. Presumably this Wasim Nabi, who describes himself as a freelancer. - Jmabel ! talk 00:29, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

  thank u next time I will also do this. 獅眠洞 (talk) 15:26, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

  I mean checking their social media page. 獅眠洞 (talk) 15:27, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

Resolved

I think that this question was replied to adequately based on the supplied information. If you have anything to add or a follow-up question please feel free to replace this box with your comment. This section will be archived after two days.  $999$REAL 💬 ⬆   20:17, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

JFIF files

What format should i convert them to before uploading?

Image in question here Trade (talk) 22:07, 9 August 2025 (UTC)

• A JFIF is basically a JPEG. - Jmabel ! talk 00:35, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

  Yeah bit Commons wont let me upload JFIF so i gotta do something Trade (talk) 20:07, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

  • @Trade: if you already know that, why would you choose to convert to anything other than JPEG? - Jmabel ! talk 02:06, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

    Is there a way to make my PC save JFIF files as JPEG instead? Trade (talk) 02:12, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

    Just rename them with a ".jpg" file extension.

    See also [1]. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 14:04, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

What are "most pictures on the internet"

What does wikipidia commons mean by "you can't upload most images on the internet" Btomthesus (talk) 23:41, 9 August 2025 (UTC)

Exactly what it says on the tin. Most images on the internet are not public domain or explicitly free licensed. Abzeronow (talk) 00:22, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

You might want to read Commons:Uploading works by a third party#Understanding copyright. - Jmabel ! talk 00:36, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

Thanks Btomthesus (talk) 00:29, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

Resolved

I think that this question was replied to adequately based on the supplied information. If you have anything to add or a follow-up question please feel free to replace this box with your comment. This section will be archived after two days.  $999$REAL 💬 ⬆   20:21, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Question about copyright

Hello! I am interested in the works of Category:Works of Dimitri Tavadze for a potential publication and can see that there is a statement saying that:

"This work is free and may be used by anyone for any purpose. If you wish to use this content, you do not need to request permission as long as you follow any licensing requirements mentioned on this page. The Wikimedia Foundation has received an e-mail confirming that the copyright holder has approved publication under the terms mentioned on this page. This correspondence has been reviewed by a Volunteer Response Team (VRT) member and stored in our permission archive. The correspondence is available to trusted volunteers as ticket #2014041110014896."

Would it be possible at all to have access to this archived correspondence/ticket or to any official documentation to verify that the work is indeed free of copyright restrictions? (with correct attribution, of course). It is very difficult otherwise to see how to go about finding the original copyright holder.

It would also be great to know where the images are sourced from. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pigadiotissa (talk • contribs) 09:53, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

Thanks for your help! Pigadiotissa (talk) 08:42, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

@Pigadiotissa: Hello!, At least part of the answer is on the talk page of the user who uploaded the images. It is very likely the same person who confirmed the same thing in the correspondence with the VR team. It is not possible to have access to the correspondence. It is accessible only to the members of the VR team. Users can ask them at Commons:VRT/Noticeboard if they will share some information. -- Asclepias (talk) 12:06, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

Thank you @Asclepias, this is very helpful! Pigadiotissa (talk) 12:18, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

@Pigadiotissa: the VRT exists precisely so that we may have an avenue for confidential correspondence. - Jmabel ! talk 18:35, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

@Jmabel Completely understand! I will try to contact the user directly to confirm copyrights. Pigadiotissa (talk) 20:54, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

PDF preview does not show

Hi! I just uploaded this File:Супрасльская рукопись содержащая Новгородскую и Киевскую сокращенные 1836.pdf yesterday, but for some reason, it does not show a preview here on Commons, and I cannot use it in English Wikipedia or anywhere else as an image. For example, at en:User:Nederlandse Leeuw/Supraśl Manuscript, I'm working on a concept article in which I'd like to show page 27 as an illustration. But when I try to do that by typing

[[File:Супрасльская рукопись содержащая Новгородскую и Киевскую сокращенные 1836.pdf|200px|page=27|thumb|Critical edition of the Supraśl Manuscript by Obolensky (1836)]]

...it does not display. Even if I type it out without a : here,

Critical edition of the Supraśl Manuscript by Obolensky (1836)

, it just shows up as a link to its documentation page rather than a picture of page 27 with a thumbnail around it, and a caption under it (as if I had put a : in front of "File:", as I did in the 2nd sentence of this post above). It works fine with other PDF files, e.g.

[[File:Hypatian Codex.pdf|page=10|thumb|''[[Hypatian Codex]]'', folio 3 ''verso'', [[pencil]]-marked "3 об" in the top left corner.]]

...which I added to en:Recto and verso yesterday without issues.

What's going on? I've never had this with PDF files before. Good day, Nederlandse Leeuw (talk) 11:44, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

PS: That the file name uses Cyrillic letters rather than Latin letters cannot be the reason for this malfunction. For example, File:Радзивіллівський літопис.pdf and File:Лаврентіївський літопис.pdf are currently used in en:Textual variants in the Primary Chronicle#Legend without issue. Nederlandse Leeuw (talk) 11:50, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

@Nederlandse Leeuw: Please see Help:Purge. -- Asclepias (talk) 12:12, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

Thanks! I had forgotten about that. It seems to be working now, wonderful! Nederlandse Leeuw (talk) 12:14, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

Resolved

I think that this question was replied to adequately based on the supplied information. If you have anything to add or a follow-up question please feel free to replace this box with your comment. This section will be archived after two days.  $999$REAL 💬 ⬆   20:21, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Copyright help regarding File:Still from Israeli government ad.jpg

I have uploaded this image, which comes from an Israeli government advertisement for YouTube. I found it in a Third World Quarterly study that the author made available for free here. I have no doubt that the file is (edit: not) copyrighted, but how do I report it here? --Rafe87 (talk) 22:35, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

@Rafe87: if it is copyrighted, and does not have a free license, then it does not belong on Commons. - Jmabel ! talk 02:09, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

It is obviously not copyrighted. It's a still from a YouTube ad that appeared in a free access academic paper. I merely took a screenshot of the paper. Rafe87 (talk) 02:57, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

(You said above that you have "no doubt that it is copyrighted", now you are saying it is "obviously not copyrighted." To me, those statements sound exactly opposite one another, but I will presume that the latter is what you mean.)

"Free access academic paper" has no bearing on copyright: free access does not imply a license to reproduce. https://www.tandfonline.com/terms-and-conditions says, "The Materials are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved," and nothing in the section "Usage rights for Free Materials" suggests any right to reproduce content beyond saving a single copy for your personal use. Also, the paper is explicitly marked "© 2025 Global South Ltd" so the claim that the paper is "not copyrighted" (vs. some possibility that it is licensed, in a way I can't find) is particularly odd.

But even that is probably beside the point, and I only addressed it because you raised it. Quoting/copying a copyrighted work in a paper does not change the status of the copyrighted work. The issue is the copyright and licensing status of the work of the Israeli government. Why would the YouTube ad (or this still from the YouTube ad) not be copyrighted? Its appearing in a paper is irrelevant. - Jmabel ! talk 03:16, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

I misspoke. The still image is not copyrighted. The image originally comes from a public video released by the Israeli ministry, not from the author of the article or the journal for which he wrote, so Taylor & Francis Online's terms of service are irrelevant, as the group clearly does not hold the rights here. The fact that the author of the article was able to take a screenshot of the video and incorporate it into his article demonstrates that there is no copyright. I don't understand why copyright would apply to Wikipedia but not to Third World Quarterly. Reverse searching the image also shows it made the rounds among many media outlets.

• https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-youtube-x-advertising-pr-offensive-gaza-hamas-bombardment-2023-10
• https://it.insideover.com/guerra/ecco-come-israele-ha-tentato-di-oscurare-il-massacro-a-gaza-lanciando-migliaia-di-advertising-sul-7-ottobre-nel-mondo.html
• https://www.bfmtv.com/tech/actualites/reseaux-sociaux/youtube-twitter-candy-crush-les-publicites-diffusees-par-israel-contre-le-hamas-sont-elles-legales_AV-202310180721.html
• https://epocanegocios.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2023/10/israel-compra-anuncios-no-x-youtube-e-angrybirds-para-justificar-bombardeios-em-gaza.ghtml

Rafe87 (talk) 16:10, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

The fact that a work is reproduced in academic papers and news media does not demonstrate that there is no copyright on the work. Laws of most countries have provisions equivalent to "fair use" that allow use of copyrighted works in such particular contexts. But the works are not freely usable by anyone in any context. Therefore such works cannot be hosted on Commons. However, upload of a non-free image to en.wikipedia might be allowed with a "non-free use" rationale for use in relevant context in an article. You can ask for advice on en:Wikipedia:Media copyright questions. -- Asclepias (talk) 17:10, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

@Yann deleted the file even though the warning informed I had 10 days to remedy the situation. I know all about the cliquey mentality that reigns between Wiki administrators, but how is this not abuse of power? Rafe87 (talk) 17:53, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

@Rafe87: You are supposed to ask for a permission from the copyright holder before uploading the file to Commons. The file will be undeleted if and when a permission from the copyright holder is validated. Do not make unfounded accusation. Yann (talk) 19:20, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

As I said in my Talk Page: the orange tag warning on the file said the file would be in 10 days if the situation wasn't remedied until then. I've contacted the author of the article via his GMail to ask for help. You should not have deleted the file 8-9 days before the deadline. Instead of stubbornly grandstanding, you should undo what you did. Rafe87 (talk) 22:49, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

@Rafe87: If you get a proper license, then the image will be restored. That said, it seems unlikely that the government of Israel will grant that license. The author of the article presumably does not own the rights to the image and cannot grant any relevant permission. - Jmabel ! talk 00:32, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

As I said above, I have a lot of first hand experience with how cliquey Wiki administrators tend to be. Yann should not have deleted my file before the deadline was over whether you will admit it or not. Rafe87 (talk) 00:54, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

@Rafe87: Where did you get "10 days"? Copyright violations are deleted by Admins as soon as they are noticed; in this case, after eight minutes (this was two days after upload). Did you tag the file {{subst:permission pending}}?   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 12:53, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

I have received a reply from the author. He said his own usage of the image in the article fell under fair use especially as the still is from official government material. He admits to not knowing how copyright works on Wikipedia but I don't see why this couldn't also apply here. Government-made material is usually not copyrighted as it is not intended to turn a profit (and thus no damage is done by using it for illustrative purposes). In addition, by displaying on Wikipedia a still rather than the whole video it came from, sufficient change can easily be argued to have produced on the original material. Rafe87 (talk) 17:52, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

Any given Wikipedia can make its own decisions and host locally, and can upload locally, but Commons never accepts content on a "fair use" basis (unless you count de minimis as a subset of fair use, and that clearly doesn't apply here). - Jmabel ! talk 19:52, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

"Government-made material is usually not copyrighted"—This statement is false.

"as it is not intended to turn a profit"—This premise is false; intention to make a profit is not required to establish a copyright.

"sufficient change can easily be argued to have produced on the original material."—The creation of a derivative work does not remove copyright.

There is no point you arguing further; the work will not be restored without a valid licence being granted by the copyright holder. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 13:32, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

You don't even know there's copyright. And that government-made material is usually not copyrighted is a fact. Your posture here makes it all the more clear to me my picture was censored because of what it showed. Rafe87 (talk) 16:25, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

@Rafe87: No, works by the government of Israel is not in the public domain. It gets by default a 50 years copyright (except statute, regulation, Knesset protocol or judicial decisions), as you can see in {{PD-IsraelGov}}. You should check your fact before making such claims. And stop making unfounded accusations, or you will get blocked. This is a fact. Yann (talk) 16:57, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

@Rafe87: I would suggest that you stop confidently stating things that are not true and accusing others of censorship. You are getting close to the point where this sort of thing can lead to a block. - Jmabel ! talk 17:32, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

Really? Because I have not seen the image in question; nor does the file name describe its contents. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 18:56, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

Is File:Captura de tela 2025-08-16 132842.png the same image? It seems to suffer from the same lack of licensing. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 18:59, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

Yes, it is. Not exactly identical, but similar enough to be interchangeable (the prior image did not have the caption). I will bring this to COM:AN/U. - Jmabel ! talk 23:57, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

Create personal pages

I am a Kurdish writer, theater director and journalist I how i can have my own page on Wikipedia Halkat Idrees Abid (talk) 01:26, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

@Halkat Idrees Abid:

1. This is not Wikipedia, this is Wikimedia Commons.
2. The way you can have your own page in Wikipedia is to become famous enough that someone unconnected to you creates one. Do not write one about yourself! (See en:WP:AUTOBIOGRAPHY.)

Jmabel ! talk 02:13, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

Possible copyright-ineligible images

I found a group of images on a Fandom wiki (https://mopeio.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Oldest_graphics) which are listed on the wiki as derivative work of copyrighted assets, under fair use. However, the particular category of images are mostly simple circular-shaped blobs. For a specific example see https://mopeio.fandom.com/wiki/File:Fox.png. My question is, are these images ineligible for copyright due to not applying to TOO and thus able to be uploaded to Commons, or are they copyrighted regardless of the images' simplicity? 101.180.209.216 08:11, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

That particular image is likely to be below TOO, but pretty much nothing else I saw on that page would be. - Jmabel ! talk 00:34, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

How to add flags to a list?

Good morning, i am trying to add additional flags and images to a colapsible list. Such images should have small size than the average ones.

Thank you very much. PPIOJOSE2025! (talk) 10:36, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

@PPIOJOSE2025: Could you be more specific about where you are trying to do this? I'm unfamiliar with what you mean by "collapsible list". - Jmabel ! talk 00:40, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

Creating account failed

I tried to create a user account because I want to contribute to Commons, but it failed with the following error message: "Visitors to Wikimedia Commons using your IP address have created 6 accounts in the last 24 hours, which is the maximum allowed in this time period. As a result, visitors using this IP address cannot create any more accounts at the moment. Are you editing from AOL or through a proxy server? If you are editing using an America Online connection, or from the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, or a school, library, or corporation, you may share an IP address with other users. Therefore, you may receive this message even if you haven't created an account before. If you wish, you may try to create an account again after several hours." I'm not from AOL or any of these continents, no VPN or anything and have never created an account here so I can't explain the error message. How can I fix the problem? Or how can I upload files without logging in? 95.114.209.121 11:34, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

Hi, and welcome. Where in the world are you?   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 15:04, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

That's a standard dynamic German IP address, from Telefónica Germany, geolocated to Munich, Bavaria (but that's also the official address of Telefónica IIRC, so not reliable). Maybe it's a (semi-)private hotspot which got used by other people for creating accounts here? Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 00:36, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

Please try again at least 24 hours after the last attempt.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 12:56, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

Uploads

Hello, I'm in Minnesota, US. Can you please explain how to upload here? Thank you. Togstad Glen (talk) 15:56, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

How do I upload an image? Togstad Glen (talk) 15:55, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

Go to the Main Page and press the blue "Upload" button, and follow the instructions. HyperAnd (talk) 21:38, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

@Togstad Glen: Hi, and welcome. See also COM:FS.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 12:56, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

From YouControl

Dear Wikipedia, photos and images have disappeared from our corporate page. All images are from the YouControl brand. They can be used on the Internet; we specifically uploaded them there for general use. I don't know where these images are now, nor how to get them back. Therefore, I would be very grateful for your help. If you could return all the images, that would be great for us. Thank you. Company uk:YouControl. Antonina Ria (talk) 09:35, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

Your contributions to the Ukranian Wikipedia look like advertising with regards to all those weblinks. Magnus (talk) 10:53, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

@Antonina Ria: You were also using Commons as your webhost. See COM:NOT.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 12:58, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

Is it ok?

If I take a screenshot of a picture like the picture is a big one and i take a screenshot of part of it focused on one thing it it ok to upload it? BluuuBerri (talk) 12:57, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

Generally no (if the big picture is copyrighted and you don't own the copyright). Magnus (talk) 13:08, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

That question is way too general to be answered meaningfully. - Jmabel ! talk 19:54, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

I am trying to establish if a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 licence is safe for upload. Flickr notes "you must give appropriate credit" etc, which I understand. I am interpreting "if you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material" as not allowing for cropping or editing? But I'm not entirely sure if images under this licence can actually be uploaded at all.

See example on Flickr here. Totallynotarandomalt69 (talk) 16:42, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

That cannot be uploaded here. See COMM:LICENSE. There is a similar project at https://nccommons.org/ where this can be uploaded. That project has no formal relationship with this one, but an overlap in users and purpose. —Justin (koavf)❤T☮C☺M☯ 16:43, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

That's a shame, but thank you for the help nevertheless! Totallynotarandomalt69 (talk) 22:48, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

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I would like assistance

Hi I would like to kindly request a admin renames my username sorry I did not notice the speedy deleted until today Murad muyedin (talk) 00:13, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

@Murad muyedin See Commons:Username_policy#Changing_your_username. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 05:46, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

Change a word in the title

Pease change the word "Markegem" into ► "Wakken" in both these pages ː

File:Memorial plaque to the victims of the napoléonic régime — Markegem, setting.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

and

File:Memorial plaque to the victims of the napoléonic régime — Markegem.jpg - Wikimedia Commons Alta Falisa (talk) 03:39, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

@Alta Falisa Us non-admin editors can only request such changes, see Commons:File_renaming#How_to_rename_a_file. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 05:43, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

@Alta Falisa:  Done. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 14:00, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

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قفل کردن صفحه

من نمیخواهم که دیگران صفحه و مقاله های من را ویرایش کنن برای همه این گزینه ها را قفل کنید Andarab (talk) 12:23, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

On this website, pictures that don't meet Commons:Project scope or other policies will be deleted. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 13:38, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

I may have gotten this wrong

I've just uploaded this file and subsequently noticed that a similar image used in the enwiki article where I used the image is treated as WP:NFCC. If I have indeed made an error, first, I apologise (these copyright matters are sometimes quite opaque to laypeople – it simply didn't occur to me that this might be an issue); second may I ask for assistance in rectifying the matter? The end goal is simply to include the image in the article (per the example that's already included in the article). Cheers, Cl3phact0 (talk) 16:14, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

PS: Not sure what just happened. Trying again. This is a curtesy link to related thread on enwiki. Cheers, Cl3phact0 (talk) 16:30, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

The answer to your question depends on how original is this particular combination of words, short phrases and color boxes. Ruslik (talk) 17:45, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

correcting photo ownership, credit and licensing

Hello, how can I correct the ownership, credit and licensing of this photo?

File:Bent Melchior.jpg

It is owned by my Danish company JDMedia.dk (not Gov.pl), it was taken by Józefina Jarmużewska (now there is no credit), and we also wish to correct the licensing to a more restricted free use.

Please help.

Thank you and best regards, Jacob Dammas 185.53.124.252 18:37, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

Hello. The source given, [2] (takes awhile to load), states "

Wszystkie treści publikowane w serwisie są udostępniane na licencji Creative Commons Uznanie Autorstwa 3.0 Polska, o ile nie jest to stwierdzone inaczej.

" or "All content published on the website is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Poland license , unless otherwise stated." with google translate. Afaik, these licenses are are non-retractable, but I'm not a lawyer.

I see nothing else stated, so it seems the Polish government licensed this pic as such, and the default assumption on Commons would be that they knew what they were doing. I have no idea how you'd prove that never happened, and this is probably not the place anyway. I think your best option is mail contact with COM:VRT, but other editors may have a better suggestion. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 19:07, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

OK, we're being presented with some bits of info here.

The URL JDMedia.dk leads to a website, I dare say "semi-pro", relying upon a website building framework and not very well fleshed out. But it seems to be kind of a digital business card of one Jacob Dammas, active in filmography, perhaps.

Lets try (or review) a Google result for "Józefina Jarmużewska", the first link seen by me goes to Facebook, with some evidence that Józefina Jarmużewska and Jacob Dammas are colleagues or professionally acquainted - an image there, on Facebook, is said to show them presenting something I understand as political or cultural initiative. Furthermore, there's https://filmpolski.pl/fp/index.php?osoba=11134553 - showing that a Józefina J. Jarmużewska has been engaged with some filmographic works.

Then, let's look at the archived version of the source. It has the title "Screening of the film "KREDENS:live" with the participation of Ambassador Henryka Mościcka-Dendys" under the category "Poland in Denmark". Then, this is written: "The film screening served as the basis for a subsequent discussion about the events of March 1968, with the following guests participating:

- Louise Sihm Knudsen, pastor at Taksigelseskirke, Lundehus,

- Hans Egedes Kirke from Copenhagen,

- Bent Melchior, former Chief Rabbi of Denmark, chairman of Brobyggerne,

- Henryka Mościcka-Dendys, Polish Ambassador to Denmark,

- Jacob Dammas, author of the "KREDENS:live" project, director and producer.

The project was created with the support of the Polish Embassy in Copenhagen."

There's again a mention of this "Jacob Dammas". Now, he claims ownership to a photograph taken on this occasion, likely by his collaborator (using an iPhone per EXIF, which corroborates the idea that it wasn't a professional photographer, but someone making an impromptu snapshot). But the event was sponsored by the Polish state ("created with the support of the Polish Embassy"), so I expect that some kind of agreement, and hopefully in written form, has been made towards rights transfers between the creative people and the Polish representatives concerning a posting on the Polish government website. This is the kind of evidence that has to get documented through VRT, all other proceedings (like information changes, deletion) would only be based upon courtesy. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 05:39, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

Courtesy deletion seems improbable since the pic is in use on several WP:s etc. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 05:47, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

It wouldn't be a courtesy deletion in a strict sense but a deletion for dubious licensing and possible copyright violation, provided that sufficient doubt is raised. If the EXIF of the photo had contained statements of copyright contradicting the source license, that would already have been a serious doubt opening the possibility of an ordinary deletion request. But since there is no such statements in the EXIF, it's probably better for the copyright claimant to make his case through VRT. -- Asclepias (talk) 16:09, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

The official English version of the source webpage is there. From other websites, e.g. this, the event "kredens:live", performed in various locations, is indeed organized by Dammas and Jarmużewska. Organising partners may vary with performances, e.g. Polish embassy in Denmark for a performance in Denmark, and Danish embassy in Poland for a performance in Poland. I have no difficulty to believe the IP user 185.53.124.252. It is unfortunately frequent that governments and other organizations mistakenly license works on which they have only limited usage rights. "File:Bent Melchior.jpg", as uploaded from the Polish gov website, does not mention an author. It is totally plausible that the photo was taken by Józefina Jarmużewska. If JDMedia.dk owns the copyright, then, as already mentioned in this discussion, Jacob Dammas can contact either the VRT or the WMF from an identifiable address to state the relevant facts and to tell what he wants to do with the file. -- Asclepias (talk) 16:09, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

You have two options:

• Write to our Volunteer Response Team with evidence that you own the rights in the photograph, asking that the licence be changed.
• Issue a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) take-down notice, on pain of perjury, including such evidence.

Your case for either of these will be stronger if you can get the Polish Government to issue a correction, and link to that.

You mention "licensing to a more restricted free use"; note that NC and ND clauses mean that an image cannot be hosted here. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 13:10, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

uploading a photo of an old book cover - rules and how-to?

I'd like to take and upload a photo of the cover of a UK novel I have - published 1945, 1946 edition - to add to an article about it. I've never uploaded a photo to Wikipedia before, and I'm a) unclear on the rules around it and how to do it, and b) foolishly unable to find a 'rules and how-to' guidance page which I'm sure must exist. I'd be very grateful if someone could point me in the right direction. Many thanks, Iain. Iaineditor (talk) 23:40, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

@Iaineditor, here are the IMHO most relevant links for anyone wanting to contribute material to Commons:

• COM:Licensing - our general licensing policy;
• Copyright rules by territory, a quite comprehensive overview of copyright rules worldwide, differentiated by territories;
• Copyright rules by subject matter, another quite comprehensive overview of copyright rules, differentiated by subjects;
• COM:HIRTLE - for some intricacies dealing with relationships between foreign and US copyrights.

For your actual purpose, COM:UK (a shortcut to British copyright rules) and COM:BOOK (another shortcut to the page dealing with covers) may be the most relevant. You will also have to check if the cover was published in the US with a copyright notice and duly registered and renewed. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 01:34, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

Very many thanks for your help, much appreciated. Iaineditor (talk) 12:04, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

@Iaineditor Assuming you are intending to use this as the leadimage in an existing en-WP-article (not draft), you can upload it as non-free on en-WP. Go here [3], pick Upload a non-free file > This is a copyrighted, non-free work, but I believe it is Fair Use. > This is the official cover art of a work. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 05:38, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

Very many thanks for your help, much appreciated. Iaineditor (talk) 12:04, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

We can advise you better if you tell us which book and, preferably, provide a link to page showing the cover.

It may be that the cover artist died over 70 years ago, so copyright has lapsed. It may be, if it uses only simple typography and/or shapes, that it is not eligible for copyright. It may be that it uses an out-of-copyright artwork. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 12:58, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

deletetion

why my images is about to be deleted and is my own work Jacksonjk255 (talk) 13:02, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

@Jacksonjk255: It looks like these were deleted as "personal" files of someone with no significant involvement in WMF projects. You were already told that on your user talk page.

So it was a scope issue. No one doubted that these were your own work. - Jmabel ! talk 21:26, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

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Upload using template?

Hi, can anyone tell me how to upload an image using a specified template, please? TimDuncan (talk) 14:42, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

Don't worry, I have an answer from elsewhere. Thanks anyway TimDuncan (talk) 15:49, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

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Uploading logo (permission & proof)

Hi there! I’m a marketing specialist and would like to upload our company logo to Wikimedia Commons. Am I allowed to do this as an employee, and what would be the correct licensing procedure? Do I need to provide any additional proof that I’m an employee? Thank you! CollabBee (talk) 15:48, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

• @CollabBee: If your company is of something like encyclopedic level of notability, it would be welcome here, otherwise probably not. Of course, there is also likely to be a licensing issue.
• The fact that you are en employee is relevant only if you are entitled to issue licenses for the company's intellectual property. Otherwise, the same issues arise as any third-party upload. I recommend reading Commons:Uploading works by a third party, and if that doesn't answer your questions, come back here with a more specific question. - Jmabel ! talk 21:30, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

kmz files

I produced a *.kmz file for use with Google Earth showing the distribution area of a Southwest African lizard that I discovered and described in 1989. Will providing this file (or a printout of it from Google Earth) produce any infringement? Hartwig dellmour (talk) 15:51, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

@Hartwig dellmour:

1. Did you give Google an exclusive license? If not, then you presumably retain your rights.
2. If you want to put this data on Commons, we don't really support KML/KMZ. We do have tabular data and map data if either of those would be an appropriate way to express the information.

- Jmabel ! talk 21:35, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

By the way, the pages are Help:Tabular Data and Help:Map Data. For some reason those pages don't follow sentence casing. HyperAnd (talk) 00:10, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

Those aren't actually the pages I was trying to link, but I see that internal links don't work for the ones I meant. I meant https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Tabular_data and https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Map_data. - Jmabel ! talk 05:42, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

Ah, I see why your interwiki links don't work. According to m:Help:Interwiki linking on Wikimedia wikis, the way to link to MediaWiki is actually [[mediawikiwiki:]] instead of [[mediawiki:]] HyperAnd (talk) 08:22, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

@HyperAnd: Well that's mildly insane. But thank you! - Jmabel ! talk 17:34, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

j Dungnguyen900 (talk) 05:42, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

Wrong category name

In Category:Walsura there are two categories for the same species but one of them is spelled "trifoli9lata". This category is empty, the images of Walsura trifoliolata is in the category spelled "trifoliolata", so that is correct. I don't know the policy regarding the misspelled Category:Walsura trifoli9lata. I think it should be deleted, or maybe redirected? I think it should be reported somewhere, but where? HelenaH (talk) 08:47, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

More likely deleted as this is not a common misspelling. Ruslik (talk) 11:42, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

Commons side is dealt with, as well as Wikidata being partially dealt with (and I've started talk page discussions there for the open issues, which are completely distinct from what HelenaH raises above). - Jmabel ! talk 17:44, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

Thank you! HelenaH (talk) 18:29, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

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uploading files.

I cannot upload my files to wikipedia. Can you please help me I am not sure how to change a word file to an acceptable file to upload. Nina Burridge Nburridge (talk) 11:03, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

Something that was a Word file is most likely out of COM:SCOPE. Commons is not made to host texts like articles styled for Wikipedia editions.

Please consult:

• Commons:Project scope#Excluded educational content and
• Commons:Project scope#Must be a media file.

Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 14:55, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

Image Rights

With a uk NHS trust, any images published by them, are they in the public domain, and therefore can be used on wikipedia? Interested in the aerial photo on this page: https://trust.eastcheshire.nhs.uk/ BenjaminRawling (talk) 13:50, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

I don't think so, no. Check the rules at Commons:Copyright rules by territory/United Kingdom. Unless they happen to release images under a free license (for which we would need evidence), you're out of luck I guess. --Rosenzweig τ 16:07, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

thanks for your reply, il look into it. If not il just have to take some pictures myself xd. BenjaminRawling (talk) 17:48, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

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AI usage

Hi. Sometimes I upload pictures for Wiktionary, in order to illustrate the concept for which I give the definition. Unfortunately, I got banned for uploading copyrighted material and when I said my intention was to reupload free versions of the pictures using AI generators (I understand AI content is not copyrightable), another moderator told me "AI is discouraged. Don't surprise if you get banned again." So, what would be the problem if I use AI to generate images for some of the entries I have at Wiktionary? Tmagc (talk) 14:20, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

While the US laws indeed say that "AI-made content is not copyrightable", the issue that is challenged in several court cases is that several claimants state that the prominent Large Language Models were built while infringing on the copyrights of creatives. So, the stuff produced by LLG image generators is maybe a Fruit of the poisonous tree. And you can't use AI image generators to produce things that look sufficiently similar to already copyrighted material, that would still be a copyvio - a copy of a copyrighted subject is always a copyvio, without regard to the copying technique used. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 14:51, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

To put this more simply: if you make something with AI, neither you nor the creator of the AI gets a copyright. That doesn't mean the work could not infringe someone else's copyright. - Jmabel ! talk 17:47, 16 August 2025 (UTC)

About movie copyright

If a movie has entered the Public Domain, can I take a screenshot of any scene in the movie and upload it? 2001:D08:E6:D35B:9793:53D5:738B:192D 02:10, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

• Often, yes, though more specifics are needed to give an exact answer. Film needs to be PD both in country of origin and USA. See Commons:Licensing#Material_in_the_public_domain. Also, to upload here you need to make an account and log in. -- Infrogmation of New Orleans (talk) 02:15, 17 August 2025 (UTC)
• Among the few exceptions would be if the screenshot itself raises issues of other copyrights: e.g. a 1925 film could show a painting by an identifiable French artist who lived into the 1970s; it would be possible for that film to be PD, and for that painting to be de minimis in the context of the film, but France would protect that painting until the 2040s. - Jmabel ! talk 06:44, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

Copyright question regarding hand drawn duplicate of copyrighted material

If there was a source diagram from a copyrighted technical manual, while that cannot be uploaded, what are the rules regarding someone who creates a hand-drawn image, that is extremely similar to the image they were basing their drawing off of -- with the purpose to avoid the problems of copyright laws? And if that is true, what is the proper way to have those images removed/discussed on commons? I am only familiar with the process on en.wiki - thank you Tiggerjay (talk) 05:55, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

@Tiggerjay: That would be a derivative work. If it is a slavish copy, it would have no copyright of its own; if it was more creative, then there might well be two copyrighted works involved (the original work and the derivative) and we would need permission from both copyright-holders. More or less the same situation as a painting of a copyrighted sculpture.

If you see a derivative work on Commons that violates the copyright of an underlying work in this manner, please nominate it for deletion. - Jmabel ! talk 06:48, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

Done, thank you -- three images submitted, with a link to the copyrighted content. Tiggerjay (talk) 07:00, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

QI categorization tool help

Asking for help from anyone experienced with the tool linked on Commons:Quality images/Recently promoted. I can select the categories for each image just fine, but after that I'm not sure how to publish them on the page, the "publish changes" button doesn't seem do anything. Aethonatic (talk) 12:22, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

Copyright help regarding File:KGB agent in South Africa.png

I have been informed that this media file does not have sufficient information on its copyright status. I clearly indicated that this newspaper clipping is an article from The Chicage Tribune published in 1984. Can you please help solve this problem?

--Benzekre (talk) 12:53, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

@Benzekre: You added a status template and you removed the template "No license since", but you forgot to remove the template "Remove this line and insert a license instead". Are you sure that the Chicago Tribune did not have a copyright notice in 1984? -- Asclepias (talk) 14:51, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

Based on my online research, I found no specific copyright notice in 1984. Benzekre (talk) 15:01, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

If you are sure of your public domain assessment, you can remove both warning templates. That should solve the problem. What is your understanding of a "specific" copyright notice? Did you find a "non-specific" copyright notice? -- Asclepias (talk) 15:59, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

I have tried to remove the warning templates by editing the page but i'm not managing. Is there another way to delete the warning templates? As for your question, my understanding of a copyright notice is the right or permission to publish, copy and distribute the author's content. Benzekre (talk) 10:29, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

Never mind. I have now managed in removing them. Benzekre (talk) 10:37, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

عاوز اعمل سيرة ذاتية

لدى بعض المشاكل فى فهم كيف اصنع سيرتى Helaly salama (talk) 15:49, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

• كومنز:نطاق المشروع -- Infrogmation of New Orleans (talk) 20:24, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

Please categorize message?

I'd like to think we have a standard message or template to add to user pages to ask them to please add categories for images they upload, but I haven't found it in a few minutes of searching. If so, name/link please? -- Infrogmation of New Orleans (talk) 20:22, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

• @Infrogmation: {{Please link images}}. Very poorly named. - Jmabel ! talk 22:07, 17 August 2025 (UTC)
  • Thanks. -- Infrogmation of New Orleans (talk) 22:46, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

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Change filename

Hello, When I upload File:Kanchanaburi Protected Areas I forgot to mention it File:Map Kanchanaburi Protected Areas. Maybe someone is willing and able to change the name of this File. SietsL (talk) 01:35, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

 Done In the future, you can tag the file itself with {{Rename}}. Don't forget to add some cats please. DMacks (talk) 01:43, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

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How do we move a fair use image from Commons to Wikipedia?

File:City of Mobile, Alabama seal.jpg surely has a valid fair use rationale on en-wiki, but the license here is implausible. What are the steps to get it moved over to en-wiki? Rjjiii (talk) 03:34, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

Maybe start with a better image directly from the web such as this image from the city council's facebook account and upload it to en.wikipedia. The image will have to be reduced for non-free use en.wikipedia, but it will probably still look better than the Commons image. -- Asclepias (talk) 06:19, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

I tagged it as {{Fair use delete}}, and according to the documentation, a bot should reupload it as fair use, but someone should check whether I'm right. HyperAnd (talk) 07:16, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

Thanks all! I will let the bot work first, and then can reupload if that does not work. Also, a courtesy ping to EulerianTrail who did not upload the image but added it to the article to replace the outdated seal, so this isn't a confusing surprise. Once it is on en-wiki as fair use, it will need a rationale like the one from the Ann Arbor, Michigan seal. Rjjiii (talk) 15:01, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

It was initially added to the article by the uploader in January 2022 but it was removed ten months later by another user [4]. I still think that the better image would be better and also it would be sourced, whereas the Commons image is not really sourced. -- Asclepias (talk) 16:27, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

Alright, it's done. Odd that someone reverted back to the old seal, Rjjiii (talk) 01:23, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Add a brand name

Hello,

I am an SEO consultant with a service website. Can I add my company name to Wikidata?

If so, what are the best practices? Arnaudfpm (talk) 09:15, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

@Arnaudfpm: Shouldn't this question be asked on Wikidata? This is Wikimedia Commons, a media repository. -- Auntof6 (talk) 09:53, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

Ah sorry my fault 2A01:E0A:153:6240:D6C0:14C6:143D:8FC8 10:05, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

Resolved

I think that this question was replied to adequately based on the supplied information. If you have anything to add or a follow-up question please feel free to replace this box with your comment. This section will be archived after two days.  $999$REAL 💬 ⬆   20:31, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Sketch map of kroonstad

map of kroonstad 41.122.67.119 16:23, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

What is your question? - Jmabel ! talk 21:46, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

Specific image fails to display at some resolutions, HTTP 429 Too Many Requests

Affected image: File:Outerra Anteworld Engine The Middle-Earth DEM Project (12428994215).jpg

If I specify a width of 500px, the thumbnail for that image size works:

No issues here!

If I specify a width of 600px, the thumbnail fails to load:

The browser console tells me that the thumbnail failed to load with HTTP 429 Too Many Requests.

This issue affects the file description page and also the Media Viewer on Wikipedia (Scenery generator article).

Could you please investigate this? — Keepright! ler (talk) 16:34, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

Thumbnail doesn't work for me at either resolution, though I can see the original just fine. 5,120 × 2,160, 9.64 MB isn't particularly big, so it's not a matter of file size. - Jmabel ! talk 21:50, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

Whoa, not sure what is happening there, those thumbnails displayed perfectly when I looked earlier today, but now they have disappeared. -- Asclepias (talk) 22:36, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

As of writing this reply, both thumbnails fail to display for me, just like it happened for Jmabel.
— Keepright! ler (talk) 09:05, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

This may or may not help, but you could have a look at some previous discussions where the error message "too many requests" was mentioned. It's unusual to have thumbnails of a JPG file disappear after having been generated and displayed. There were cases of thumbnails not generated from PNG files, e.g. there, for which the thumbnails now display correctly. Some cases refer to phabricator tasks, but the phabricator website currently says "Error Our servers are currently under maintenance or experiencing a technical issue". -- Asclepias (talk) 14:12, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Headshot of Priscilla Almodovar

Hello, I uploaded a headshot photo of Priscilla Almodovar in May 2025. The headshot is the current and correct headshot of Priscilla, when attempting to upload the file again as requested. The system states, "This photo is a duplicate of the original image." This is correct photo. Any recommendations? DMfromFM (talk) 18:30, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

@DMfromFM: Hello, What you are trying to do is not clear. If it is the same image that is already present at File:Priscilla Almodovar 2025.png, please do not upload a duplicate. What are you referring to by "as requested"? -- Asclepias (talk) 19:14, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

If you are trying to upload a higher-resolution version of the same image (which would be a good idea; the current version is very poor resolution), please use the "Upload a new version of this file" link on the current image's page. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 11:28, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

Old newspaper cuttings and the text in them

There's a trove of newspaper cuttings collected by a famous artist, who is no more, passed to his children. The cuttings are very old, 1930-1950, and rare. Some are written by the artist himself but most of them are about the artist by those newspapers. They are in the form of scans (jpeg), each cutting in one to three "pages" (scans).

The old print is frail. Therefore in a community effort we've sent them through OCR and made manual corrections minimizing the errors. BTW, they are in an Indic language. We want to archive the scans and the text for the public, as historical documents.

Is this the right place to archive the scans together with the text?

BTW, we want to keep the editing rights limited to our team.

Visratna (talk) 20:59, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

This is complicated in terms of copyright, but that's probably irrelevant because "we want to keep the editing rights limited to our team" is sufficient to say "not here." The only licenses we accept are ones that freely allow derivative works. - Jmabel ! talk 21:52, 18 August 2025 (UTC)

I see, it is more complicated than I thought. Look at it this way. All the material were printed and distributed by newspapers many decades ago. They are similar to books or excerpts. As opposed to books, these newspaper cuttings are not available anywhere. There are many researchers and scholars, and also fans, who would profit from the information in them.

They are not artistic work, rather news and reports during his lifetime. Changing them does not make sense. Of course, people can do whatever with that information in their work or publications. But the original (in the archive) must remain unadulterated.

Do you still say, they are not for the Wikipedia Commons? Visratna (talk) 03:56, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

@Visratna: Commons hosts only content that is either in the public domain or free-licensed. Some of this material may be in the public domain, and we'd be glad to have that; of course, no one has any right to tell anyone what they can and cannot do with public-domain material.

If it's copyrighted, we'd need a free license from the copyright-holder, which in the case of newspapers holding the copyright is rarely forthcoming. If there is material that the artist owned, and where his heirs have inherited it, then those heirs could grant licenses if they choose.

I would suggest that if you want to keep any sort of control over the online masters of this material, Commons is a poor choice for the masters. A Flickr account is not terribly expensive, and would be much more suitable. I'm sure there are other reasonable alternatives. Or, of course, setting up your own domain hosted on a virtual server would be comparably priced to a Flickr Pro account.

Again: Commons would welcome the content that is either public-domain or free-licensed. You might do well to read Commons:Uploading works by a third party for more information. - Jmabel ! talk 18:33, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

"we want to keep the editing rights limited to our team" Why? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 11:26, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

Transferring files from another account

Hello, how can I transfer my files from my other Wikimedia Commons account to this one, and is it possible? YillowsGiblles (talk) 04:52, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

@YillowsGiblles: You can't. All you can really do is to link the two user pages to one another. If you still have control of the other account, you could probably arrange to get it renamed to something like YillowsGiblles (old account). - Jmabel ! talk 18:36, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Headshots for User Pages

Is it permissible to upload headshots of one's self, for use on their own user page? If so, how does one go about doing this correctly? WebDevRobert (talk) 11:22, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

@WebDevRobert: You would do that the same way that you would upload any other image. However, be aware that personal photos uploaded by users who have "no constructive global contributions" here are subject to deletion, per COM:SD#F10. -- Auntof6 (talk) 11:57, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

I have already contributed to a company page, not associated with my account. I plan to continue contributing in areas where I'm qualified to do so. Can I assume this is what "global contributions" means? WebDevRobert (talk) 14:11, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

@WebDevRobert: Looking at your global contributions, you are about at the point where one personal photo would be OK. This assumes you plan to stay active on at least one WMF project. If all you are planning to do is edit on one page about a company to which you are connected, then you are probably under that threshold. - Jmabel ! talk 18:49, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Thank you @Jmabel WebDevRobert (talk) 18:51, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

I've uploaded a poster for a movie, but Wikipedia Commons says I'm violating copyright.

Hi! I've uploaded a poster for a movie, but Wikipedia Commons says I'm violating copyright. What's the best way to upload a poster for a movie (to its Wikipedia page, of course)? 187.161.142.105 15:18, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Since you are asking this without logging in, and you can only upload if you are logged in, I have no way to know what specifically you were trying to do. Almost every movie poster from the last 35 years or so, and many as old as the 1930s, and some about as old as movies get, are still copyrighted and don't belong on Commons unless the copyright-holder grants a free license.

If by "its Wikipedia page" you mean in the English-language Wikipedia, they make a limited allowance for non-free movie posters in the article about the movie. This means uploading directly to the English-language Wikipedia, and does not involve Commons at all. See en:Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria for their policy and en:File:Highsierra.JPG for a typical example of doing this correctly. Further questions should be asked on the English-language Wikipedia, because this does not involve Commons. - Jmabel ! talk 18:57, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

So Wikimedia is basically a bunch of Stock Images that I can sell how I want?

I am not at all able to wrap my head around the fact that Wikimedia forbids uploaded material to be protected against commercial exploitation. "Anyone can sell your work at any time without any notice to you." That's steep! But I guess it makes things easier for me at work where I sometimes have to create advertising pieces. Why would anyone ever use Getty Images or Shutterstock or any other stock image site? Just download whatever you want from Wikimedia and publish or sell it like it's your own! There's nothing to stop you! Right? Am I missing something? I would **think** that the Share Alike restriction *should* prohibit someone from selling a work that was both initially distributed and acquired for free, but the Wikimedia proscription against Noncommercial rights seems to invalidate that. I've looked through the purported justifications in some of your help documentation, but I just cannot understand the rationale, and I'm guessing there are others who are left similarly confused. JustSumChick (talk) 03:17, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

@JustSumChick: Hi, Yes, all files on Wikimedia Commons can be sold, but 1) You must respect the license (attribution, etc.); 2) You won't have any exclusivity, anyone can do that, and many people already do; 3) Anyone can use them for free, so why would they pay you for using them? Regards, Yann (talk) 04:40, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

If people are fool enough to pay you for what they can get for free, yes. In particular, there are plenty of people out there who do manage to get paid for public domain images and CC-zero content. (In some countries, e.g. France with it's droit d'auteur, you are required to indicate the creator of the image even for public domain content. CC-zero, when offered, gets around even that.)

For licensed content: except for CC-zero, nearly all licensed content requires attribution so, for example, if you were to sell someone my work they would probably wonder why they are required to credit it as "Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons" and why they are dealing with you instead of me. And if you pass it onto them without making that credit clear, then you are in exactly the same position as if you were to sell someone's unlicensed copyrighted work, because you have not stuck to the terms of the license, thereby invalidating it.

FWIW, I'm moderately often paid for my work that I've offered under a free license precisely because people who want to (for example) put a photo in a book, or use it in a documentary, or use it on a calendar often have one of two reasons to pay rather than use a free license: (1) they believe in paying people when they use things in an economically valuable way, rather than just being freeloaders or (2) they want a mutually signed, written contract that they know will stand up in court; that contract typically will involve my putting my signature to the statement that this is, indeed, my own work and relieving them of liability if that were a misrepresentation; on occasion, that license specifically allows them to use the photo without crediting me (e.g. people don't usually want to put photographer credits in an advertisement). - Jmabel ! talk 06:09, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

Inquiry

How do I know if a picture from google is copyright free. ItsSmartMe (talk) 08:45, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

Almost all pics you find on google are not copyright free. Some pictures are in the public domain (really old) and the copyright is expired. Some has a license that allows "free" (well, "free-er") use, see COM:LICENSE. There is a search-setting that tries to find pics with such licenses. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 10:56, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

Literaturverzeichnis mit Abbildung von Buchcovern

Hallo zusammen, ich würde gerne zu einem Thema ein Literaturverzeichnis erstellen und dazu die jeweiligen Buchcover zeigen. Wäre das mit den Urheberrechten an Buchcovern irgendwie vereinbar? Bzw. was müßte ich dabei beachten? Gruß und Danke im Voraus Martin Martin308GTB (talk) 10:15, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

@Martin308GTB You can not upload book covers on Commons, unless they are in the public domain (mostly means really old), or perhaps some cases might be ok per COM:TOO.

What goes for non-free local uploads on for example de-WP or en-WP may differ. en-WP will in general only allow a non-free book cover as leadimage in an article about that book. Hope this helps some. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 10:48, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

"unless they are in the public domain" Or unless they are suitably licensed. Or maybe they depict an out-of-copyright artwork.

We need to see (links to) copies of the images to be sure. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 11:16, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

Right, suitably licensed book covers may exist. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 11:31, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

Need to upload profile pic

My name is on Wikipedia as I starred in a film which they wrote about. I need to add my pic agains my name as blank now Lucky Phaedra (talk) 10:37, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

@Lucky Phaedra Wikipedia:A picture of you has guidance. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 10:49, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

Is there a help page about how to upload an organization logo please?

If there is I have not managed to find it yet. Before asking the people at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro-Mediterranean_Center_on_Climate_Change if they want to upload theirs I would like to read the rules and process Chidgk1 (talk) 10:51, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

@Chidgk1 Judging by [5] I think you can upload that logo per COM:TOO, like File:Livingston International 2023 logo.jpg. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 11:01, 20 August 2025 (UTC)