Guidelines

Is Wikimedia copyright free?

Is Wikimedia copyright free?

Wikimedia Commons only accepts free content, that is, images and other media files that are not subject to copyright restrictions which would prevent them being used by anyone, anytime, for any purpose. There is also certain material, the copyrights of which have expired in one country while still applying in another.

Can I use Wikimedia images for commercial use?

Free to use All media files on Wikimedia Commons can be used by anyone, including commercially and each media file has information about which license it uses. The most common licenses used are created by Creative Commons which require the author to be credited.

Is everything on Wikimedia Commons public domain?

Wikimedia Commons is a media file repository making available public domain and freely licensed educational media content (images, sound and video clips) to everyone, in their own language.

Is Wikipedia information copyrighted?

The text of Wikipedia is copyrighted (automatically, under the Berne Convention) by Wikipedia editors and contributors and is formally licensed to the public under one or several liberal licenses. The licenses Wikipedia uses grant free access to our content in the same sense that free software is licensed freely.

Can I use Wiki images on my website?

You can use (free) images from Wikipedia on your own site, or anywhere you like. You can use images that are freely-licensed images, provided you comply with the individual image’s license terms. You can use them on any appropriate page on Wikipedia.

How reliable is Wikimedia Commons?

Wikimedia Commons is not uniformly peer reviewed; while readers may correct errors or remove erroneous suggestions they have no legal duty to do so and thus all information seen here is without any implied warranty of fitness for any purpose or use whatsoever.

Is copying and pasting from Wikipedia illegal?

Generally no, unless the source is already under a license compatible with Wikipedia (such as CC BY-SA), or you donate the source under a free license. A free license makes the source available for anyone – not just Wikipedia, but anyone using Wikipedia – to use, edit, and copy it for any purpose, even commercial ones.

Can I go to jail for copyright infringement?

Can I go to jail for copyright infringement? Yes, violation of copyright laws is considered a criminal offense if the violation is willful and involves a certain amount of commercial profit. Offenders can receive up to 5 years in prison.

How does Wikipedia choose picture?

We have an image use policy. Once an image is uploaded, and the source and licensing information are correctly given, it may be used in articles. Our Image Use Policy describes the accepted ways of displaying, formatting, and otherwise using images in Wikipedia.

What are the copyright rules for Wikimedia Commons?

(However, you should remember that uploads should be educational – Commons is not your private web space.) Photos taken by you, or scans or photocopies made by you of objects or designs whose copyright has expired (usually 70 years after the death of the author, but see Commons:Copyright rules by territory for a country-by-country list).

Is the Wikimedia Maps service free to the public?

The Wikimedia Maps service is provided openly to the public free of charge. However, we cannot represent or guarantee the truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of any of the information in maps. Please review the Wikimedia Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. These policies apply to the Wikimedia Maps services, as well as the other Wikimedia projects.

Do you need permission to reproduce an article on Wikipedia?

Permission to reproduce and modify text on Wikipedia has already been granted to anyone anywhere by the authors of individual articles as long as such reproduction and modification complies with licensing terms (see below and Wikipedia:Mirrors and forks for specific terms).

What is the mission of the Wikimedia Foundation?

Wikimedia Wikimedia is a global movement whose mission is to bring free educational content to the world. Through various projects, chapters, and the support structure of the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimedia strives to bring about a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.