On 12/3/06, Justin Cormack justin@specialbusservice.com wrote:
No, it has been accepted but not enforced. It has always been agreed that we dont accept fair use images when we can have free ones. We are a free encyclopaedia - thats the whole idea.
That's always been accepted in the most part, yes. However, the meaning of 'can have free ones' has changed. Previously, it required more than a theoretical possibility of a free alternative.
I am concerned that the definition of 'can have free ones' will be stretched further so that we start removing pictures of things that no longer exist under the theory that someone else may have a similar photo that they might be willing to free license.
-Matt