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WikiPartner:Copyright and content reuse

From WikiPartner

WikiPartner respects copyright and supports the lawful reuse of open knowledge.

Editors must check the licence and ownership of text, images, logos, videos, and other material before adding them.

WikiPartner Written Content

Unless otherwise stated, original written content on WikiPartner is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence.

This licence allows people to copy, share, and adapt the content, including for commercial use, when they:

  • Give proper credit
  • Link to the licence
  • State whether changes were made
  • Publish adapted material under the same or a compatible licence

Using Sources for Facts

Copyright protects original wording and creative work. It does not normally prevent editors from using publicly available facts.

Editors may read a source, understand the facts, and write the information in their own words.

Editors should not copy full sentences, paragraphs, article introductions, or special descriptions from a source unless reuse is legally allowed.

The source must still be cited.

Reusing Wikipedia Text

Wikipedia text may be reused when its licence conditions are followed.

Editors who copy or closely adapt Wikipedia text must:

  • Credit Wikipedia and its contributors
  • Link to the original Wikipedia article
  • Link to the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence
  • State that the content was copied or adapted
  • Keep the reused material under a compatible ShareAlike licence

Simply adding Wikipedia as a reference is not enough when its wording has been copied.

Whenever practical, WikiPartner editors should research the original sources and write a new article instead of copying Wikipedia text.

Suggested Wikipedia Attribution

When Wikipedia text has been reused, add an attribution note such as:

This article includes content adapted from the Wikipedia article “[Article title],” available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. See the Wikipedia article history for contributor information.

The article title should link to the original Wikipedia page.

Reusing Wikidata Information

Wikidata structured data is generally available under the Creative Commons CC0 Public Domain Dedication.

Facts may be reused from Wikidata, but editors should still check important claims against reliable sources.

Good practice is to record the relevant Wikidata entity ID when available.

Images and Media

Every image or media file must be checked separately.

An image found on Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Google, a company website, or social media is not automatically free to reuse.

Before uploading a file, editors should identify:

  • The creator or copyright owner
  • The original source
  • The licence
  • Whether commercial reuse is allowed
  • Whether changes are allowed
  • Any required credit
  • Whether permission was received

Wikimedia Commons Files

Files from Wikimedia Commons may have different licences.

Editors must read the individual file description page and follow its exact licence conditions.

The uploader’s name alone does not prove ownership.

Company Logos

Company and organization logos may be protected by copyright and trademark law.

A logo should only be uploaded when:

  • Its use is legally permitted
  • Permission has been received
  • It is available under a suitable licence
  • A carefully reviewed legal exception applies

The file page must clearly explain its source, owner, and permitted use.

Fair Use and Non-Free Content

WikiPartner should not accept fair-use or other non-free media during its early stage.

Only upload:

  • Public-domain files
  • Freely licensed files
  • Original files owned by the uploader
  • Files with clear written permission

A non-free media policy may be considered later after legal review.

Original Uploads

When uploading original work, the uploader must confirm that:

  • They created the work or control its rights
  • They have permission to publish it
  • The stated licence is correct
  • The file does not violate another person’s rights

Copyright concerns may be sent to:

copyright@wikipartner.org

A complaint should include:

  • The WikiPartner page or file URL
  • The copyrighted work
  • Proof of ownership or authority
  • The original source
  • A clear explanation of the concern
  • Contact information

WikiPartner may temporarily remove disputed content while reviewing a complaint.

Users who repeatedly upload or copy copyrighted material may lose editing or uploading rights.

Main Rule

When the copyright status is unclear, do not publish the material until it has been checked.

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