[WikiEN-l] Images that are PD in their country of origin

[Durova]

>
>
> In summary, it's up to Wikipedia to adopt its own policies. Personally,
> I would avoid too doctrinaire an approach; I would more tend to assume
> that if one takes a fair-minded approach to including material with
> uncertain copyright status the worst that can happen is that some
> ghostly obscure heir will emerge from the woodwork to make his claims.
> More likely, he will thank us for reviving the memory of his dead ancestor.
>
> Ec
>
> With due respect toward Ray's very thoughtful analysis, I can't agree with
that conclusion.

Wikimedia Commons currently has 276 administrators and over 6 million
images.  Compare that against en:wiki's 1,714 administrators and 3 million
articles and you'll get an idea how thinly things are spread.  Commons has a
serious deletion request backlog.

Experienced contributors--particularly at the featured content level--have
an obligation to set the example and put the best foot forward.  Yes, it can
be frustrating to research copyright.  It would be considerably more
frustrating if a copyright owner who didn't thank us for the appropriation
complained to the press.

About two years ago the featured picture program had an editor who was
nominating copyright violations and running a vote stacking sockfarm.  He
had actually gotten a copyvio promoted to featured picture before we
realized it; fortunately we caught onto the problem before it ran on the
main page.  Afterward a single administrator undid his siteban without
discussion.  Last fall he was banned again when he actually threatened
another editor.  During the noticeboard thread it turned out that he had
gone over to the DYK program and had resumed submitting copyvios
there--which apparently site culture was not doctrinaire enough about
addressing.

If a fellow who had already been sitebanned for copyvio can return and
continue copyvios for a year at a venue which runs on the main page, then
perhaps a more doctrinaire approach is exactly what we need.

-Lise

-- 
http://durova.blogspot.com/