Wikinews:Image use policy/New Wikimedia resolution for image licensing

This page is to discuss how we are going to follow foundation:Resolution:Licensing policy.

Some of the questions regarding this policy and its background are addressed in FAQ page.

The text below is meant to be a clear and concise summary of the changes brought about by the resolution and the ongoing discussion about it, useful for informing newcomers to the discussions. it was refactored from earlier discussions on this page. see the talk page for the original discussions and consider using the talk page for long/less on-topic discussions, which can later be summarised here.

Intent of the resolution
The mission of the Wikimedia Foundation is to provide for the creation and distribution of free-content educational materials. And anytime we let in non-free content, we deviate from our mission. In some cases there really is no replacement, which is why "fair use" is allowed at all. But that's a pretty narrow set of cases, and that's discouraged, too.

Since this is a matter of Wikimedia-wide resolution and not just any one project, it was decided by the board; we'd seen several projects that had started slipping away from the free content goals of the Foundation and wanted to make a clear statement of what they were, before they slipped even further away from them."

Objections

 * Good stuff gets deleted: in some cases, only non-free images or other media is available for use during the short period news articles are written and remain "hot". the change in policy trims the leeway we have to use such material. there are also other original contributions, such as in photoessays, licensed under restrictive terms that will be deleted due to the change in policy.


 * Contributors want more control over their work: some have licensed media under non-commercial or non-derivative licenses and prefer to see it stay that way. the contributors fear that their work will be used in derivative work that are contrary to their views and intentions in submitting their original work.


 * "Wikinewsies weren't consulted": many Wikinewsies, including those who've contributed much of the material now disallowed were unaware of the impending change, and so didn't speak about it. Discussions about the change took place in other interwiki venues such as mailing lists and was noted on Wikinews news but appears not to have garnered the attention of many wikinewsies.

Responses to objections
Good stuff will not get deleted if they are relicensed.

discussions about how this change is to be implemented is still very much underway. there is still some leeway in determining what stays and what goes. –Doldrums(talk) 09:26, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

Poll
There is a poll where you can vote in favor for or in opposition of the policy, which will be sent to the Board, WMF and anyone "up top" affiliated with Wiki-wide decision making and policy issues regardless of the outcome.

"Abolish Fair Use!"

 * a lot of fair use stuff don't really add much to the article.
 * upload everything to commons, makes it easy for other wikis to use the media.
 * but is difficult to find free media quickly for use in developing stories.

"Don't change anything"

 * the criterion for hosting/deleting images remains unchanged. the process of attribution, use of templates, providing rationales are changed per the resolution
 * WN will continue to retain some non-free stuff, may violate the change in policy formulated by board resolution.

"Amnesty for published stuff"

 * avoids deletion of good stuff if contributors are not willing to relicense.
 * WN will continue to retain some non-free stuff, may violate the change in policy formulated by board resolution.

Proposed EDP guidelines/rules

 * media "necessary/adds value to article"
 * free alternative not available
 * free alternative not available prior to publish

Media affected
for organised lists of what's affected and how

Examples of affected media
archetypical examples for discussing the effect of particular proposed changes

Image:Inflatable-boats-from-greenpeace.jpg
 * Well the green poster needs an edp. Removing AshleyX from this list as it is fine, as they granted us permission as long as we attribute. Bawolff ☺☻ 08:56, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

Template reworking

 * Template:Logo
 * Required Changes:
 * not much, just something about how we rationalize using logos. Bawolff ☺☻ 09:15, 2 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Status:
 * Template:publicity
 * Required Changes:
 * No dead people, no people with free images. basicly what the big red box says, but nicerly worded. Bawolff ☺☻ 09:15, 2 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Status:
 * Template:Screen shot
 * Required changes: unexamined to my knowledge. -Edbrown05 19:14, 6 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Status: