We will need to do a search to determine if we have other images from this site as well. The error was due to the assumption that if it is on the Nasa site, and is a picture from space, it is in the public domain.
In my opinion, NASA ought not to enter into roundabout deals like this, but nevertheless...
----- Forwarded message from "Customer.Support" customer.support@orbimage.com -----
From: "Customer.Support" customer.support@orbimage.com Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2004 16:51:27 -0400 To: jwales@bomis.com Subject: Illegal Use of SeaWiFS / OrbView-2 imagery
Dear Mr. Wales:
It has come to our attention that our SeaWiFS (OrbView-2) imagery is being used on your website located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Black-sea-nasa.jpg http://www.greeklandscapes.com/maps/satellite.html and that you claim that "This image has been released into the public domain by the copy right holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. This applies worldwide."
Please note that ORBIMAGE is the copyright holder of the image, it has not been released into the copyright domain, and the copyright has not expired. The SeaWiFS program is a partnership between ORBIMAGE and NASA by which all operational and commercial use is coordinated and purchased through ORBIMAGE. NASA has the right to use OrbView-2 imagery for research and educational purposes.
A license or permission from ORBIMAGE is required to use our imagery outside of NASA's researchers' use. Additionally, a statement crediting ORBIMAGE and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is required with all SeaWiFS imagery. To this end, it is our belief that the imagery is being illegally used on your website.
Since our records do not indicate that a license was issued to Wikipedia, you must remove the imagery from your website immediately or contact our Support Department for a licensing quote.
Your immediate response to customer.support@orbimage.com is required.
Sincerely,
Sabrina ORBIMAGE Support Services E-mail: customer.support@orbimage.com Phone: (703) 480-7539 Fax: (703) 450-9570 Open Hours: 8:00am - 5:30pm EST Website: www.orbimage.com
----- End forwarded message -----
Jimmy (Jimbo) Wales wrote:
We will need to do a search to determine if we have other images from this site as well. The error was due to the assumption that if it is on the Nasa site, and is a picture from space, it is in the public domain.
In a brief spot-check of 30 NASA images, no others were from SeaWiFS, so if there are any others, they seem to be in a small minority. It's hard to check for them though, as they come from various NASA sites under the company's agreement with NASA, and not from a separate SeaWiFS site. There is a http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov, but the only references we have to that site are external links, not images. So I'm guessing we're okay.
-Mark
wanker lawyers. Remove the images and tell them that we will never use them / give them credit again.
You would think they would have something better to do with their time...
On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 19:04:56 -0400, Delirium delirium@hackish.org wrote:
Jimmy (Jimbo) Wales wrote:
We will need to do a search to determine if we have other images from this site as well. The error was due to the assumption that if it is on the Nasa site, and is a picture from space, it is in the public domain.
In a brief spot-check of 30 NASA images, no others were from SeaWiFS, so if there are any others, they seem to be in a small minority. It's hard to check for them though, as they come from various NASA sites under the company's agreement with NASA, and not from a separate SeaWiFS site. There is a http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov, but the only references we have to that site are external links, not images. So I'm guessing we're okay.
-Mark
WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@Wikipedia.org http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 10:34:53 +0100, Matthew Larsen mat.larsen@gmail.com wrote:
wanker lawyers. Remove the images and tell them that we will never use them / give them credit again.
You would think they would have something better to do with their time...
Actually, there message seemed pretty reasonable to me: we are X; we have found Y on your site; we own the copyright to Y, although you probably found it through Z, who we gave a licence to; since we haven't given *you* a licence to use Y, you should remove it from your site; alternatively, you can obtain a licence for the images - selling licences to the images being how we pay for their existence in the first place.
It's a capitalist world: people spend money to do things, and do things to make money, and they don't like other people using those things without paying their due value. Live with it.
In message 20040915220611.GD4965@wikia.com, "Jimmy (Jimbo) Wales" jwales-ADBWotsCEHwAvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org writes
Dear Mr. Wales:
It has come to our attention that our SeaWiFS (OrbView-2) imagery is being used on your website located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Black-sea-nasa.jpg http://www.greeklandscapes.com/maps/satellite.html and that you claim that "This image has been released into the public domain by the copy right holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. This applies worldwide."
Oh dear... we had a copy of that over on cy: as well, until about 10 minutes ago. I suppose this little incident does highlight the need for some central place where problem images can be brought to the attention of admins on all language wikis. Goodness knows how we'd necessarily recognise the images if the names have been localised, though....
In message U$jYtdD8CkSBFwuM@cartref.demon.co.uk, Arwel Parry arwel-wfA80NnNzEcG2Il/BtU0GPXRex20P6io@public.gmane.org writes
In message 20040915220611.GD4965-ADBWotsCEHwAvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org, "Jimmy (Jimbo) Wales" jwales-ADBWotsCEHwAvxtiuMwx3w-XMD5yJDbdMReXY1tMh2IBg@public.gmane.org writes
Dear Mr. Wales:
It has come to our attention that our SeaWiFS (OrbView-2) imagery is being used on your website located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Black-sea-nasa.jpg http://www.greeklandscapes.com/maps/satellite.html and that you claim that "This image has been released into the public domain by the copy right holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. This applies worldwide."
Oh dear... we had a copy of that over on cy: as well, until about 10 minutes ago. I suppose this little incident does highlight the need for some central place where problem images can be brought to the attention of admins on all language wikis. Goodness knows how we'd necessarily recognise the images if the names have been localised, though....
Bad news, folks. I've just done a cursory search of the articles which are linked from [[en:Black Sea]] and found the same picture is used on cz:, da:, es:, fi:, ja:, pl:, ro:, ru:, sl:, sv:, and tr: at least. Someone's going to have fun removing all those...
On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 03:03:47 +0100, Arwel Parry arwel@cartref.demon.co.uk wrote:
Bad news, folks. I've just done a cursory search of the articles which are linked from [[en:Black Sea]] and found the same picture is used on cz:, da:, es:, fi:, ja:, pl:, ro:, ru:, sl:, sv:, and tr: at least. Someone's going to have fun removing all those...
On ru, tr and et I have removed the image from the article and told the most recently active admin about it since they don't seem to have a VfD.
On ro, sl, sv, ja, es and cs, I've removed the image and listed it on VfD. Probably wrongly and the wrong VfD, and certainly not in the right language but...
The image has already been deleted on en, cy and fi.
pl has an image they claim is from NASA, but it is not the same one. This is also used on da with no source mentioned.
Angela.