On 9/19/06, Alphax (Wikipedia email) alphasigmax@gmail.com wrote:
If you claim that on Commons, you'll be laughed off the project.
The general assumption on Commons is that the work not be encumbered by the copyright of others in the originating country as well as the United States.
There is general but not complete consensus (among those who could be bothered to argue about it, at least) that images of copyrighted two-dimensional trademarks where that trademark is the major element in the picture are not permitted.
A large number, but possibly not a consensus, wish that all pictures where an identifiable person is the major element in the picture were taken with the permission of that person, preferably with model releases.
Others believe that Commons should not concern itself overly with non-copyright restrictions on image use freedom. That discussion is not complete and may not ever be.
There is a vocal minority that insists that if an image is permissable under their own nation's copyright laws, it should be able to be put on Commons, even if that law does not agree with either (a) the laws of the originating country (these users are mostly in the US) or (b) US law (these users are mostly in Germany).
-Matt