[WikiEN-l] In defence of properly-used fair use images (was Image:Wp ayb.gif)

[Stan Shebs]

Tony Sidaway wrote:

>
>Knowing Wikipedia's reach and reputation, why would a content owner
>refuse a reasonable free use license over something as trivial as an
>image of an album cover?
>
Ah, refreshing naivete, brings to mind ponies and unicorns frolicking
in the flowery meadows...

These guys sue each other all the time over what seems like trivial
points to normal human beings, and they sue their customers too.
They paid a bunch of money for the images on those album covers,
and count the associated branding as company assets - they aren't
about to start giving all that away. Free use licenses? Their
heads would explode.

As untidy as it seems, fair use of cover art is a pragmatic solution.
I don't think it's a coincidence that the notoriously litigious
record companies don't hassle WP for copying thousands of album
covers - the companies don't give up their rights, readers get to
enjoy the illustrated articles. The only people unhappy with the
situation are a handful of Wikipedians concerned about the ideology.

Stan