[Wikipedia-l] Image deletion

[J.F. de Wolff]

Both SJ and Anthere are right that images should not be deleted haphazardly 
or without due process.
There is, however, the eternal risk of serious copyright infringement. 
Brand new users are able to upload files they have saved from a webpage 
onto their hard drive. However beautiful the Wuerzburg panorama, if the 
copyright is owned by a third party then Jimbo, Mav or Angela find their 
mailboxes full with threatening messages from lawyers (as has happened 
several times in the past few months).
The image sleuthing team has a *tremendous* backlog, and we cannot expect 
them to work harder. Perhaps images should be quarantained while their 
status is being investigated. These will be available on the [[Image:]] 
page, but cannot be inserted into articles unless a tag has been inserted, 
preferably by the uploader, to the effect that it can be used without legal 
problems.
Perhaps the image uploading page should have a dropdown box that lets the 
uploader select a copyright format. "Possibly unfree" is NOT an option.

Jfdwolff


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