[Foundation-l] At least 500 images will have to be deleted from the National Portrait Gallery

[Jimmy Wales]

Speaking only for myself, not the Board, and speaking only in my 
traditional capacity, I can say that I very strongly support keeping 
these images.  Public domain paintings are public domain.  This is not 
about borderline cases around exact dates.  This is OLD stuff.

I call on the National Portrait Gallery to release these images under a 
free license.  Barring that, I propose that we ignore any illegitimate 
and unjust false claims to copyright in these things, unless and until 
they are willing to take us to court.

Mike Godwin and the Wikimedia Foundation have the final say, of course, 
and I respect that.  But I hope we encourage courage in this area.