Licensing of Wikiversity media
Goals
[edit | edit source]This learning resource will cover issues around Licensing of free material, and Fair Use of non-free material, per Exemption Doctrine Policy, as well as supporting users in handling of license issues, and arranging for deletion of inappropriate material per policy, with adequate warning of users whose uploaded files may be deleted, and opportunity for the user or the community to make a fair use determinations where necessary.
The goals of this project include ensuring that all files not very recently uploaded either have adequate license information covering free use (in which case files used here may be transferred to Commons), or a Fair Use rationale, to protect re-users of content by flagging all files used under a claim of Fair Use, and to allow temporary Fair Use claims pending final determinations or completion of course work.
Procedure
[edit | edit source]Where a Wikiversity user is participating in a learning resource, and uploads a file that is reasonably related to that resource, we may make a generic Fair Use determination and allow the file for a time, given a clear educational purpose in that participation. It is important that Fair Use files be tagged as such to protect re-users of Wikiversity resources, the basic WMF Fair Use policy is explicit about that, the tags must be machine-readable.
This page will list all files currently needing license information. For all these files, this procedure is suggested:
- The user who uploaded the file is warned that the file is missing license information. This warning is placed, currently or generally by bot, on the user talk page and on the file in question. As a supplemental process, the file may be listed here, pending satisfaction of policy or deletion. A user listing a file here is making a determination that investigation of the license status, with delay of deletion, is worthy of consideration and has potential educational value.
- Any user may list a file here. The listings here should be non-display. The file should be displayed on the subpage [/Files/]. The listing will classify the file as
- Pending review, listing establishes no change in status. This is merely for process here. Files in this classification are not removed from Category:Files needing copyright information.
- Considered possibly Fair Use pending review and discussion. The file is tagged as Fair Use by the participant here (not the uploader), either permanently on information and belief, or temporarily. In the temporary case, a Proposed deletion tag should also be placed on the file, pending a permanent review, and if the review does not happen, the file will be deleted routinely after the expiration of the proposed deletion tag. These files now have sufficient "license information" to allow them to remain in use temporarily, so these files are removed from Category:Files needing copyright information.
If any file is missing license information, an additional notice signed by our participant should be placed on the User talk page, offering assistance in handling the file. The user should be emailed well before deletion of the file is scheduled, and the list here should show the name of the supporting user and date that email was sent. If the user does not have email set up, that should be noted instead here.
3. Fair Use for files tagged under this project is based on educational usage, in course participation, and though educating users in how to properly license files, and to allow new users, commonly new participants in courses, time to learn proper licensing, given the support they may need.
If a permanent Fair User determination is made, and the file is used elsewhere than on our subpage, the listing here should be removed. If a user determines that there is no possible educational use of this file, or otherwise finds that EDP policy requires removal, the user may remove the page from this resource and the files subpage, placing a speedy deletion tag on the file, from which point standard deletion process takes over.
If such usage is contested, that is (1) an ordinary user choice, subject to resolution through community discussion, and (2) can be handled through the speedy deletion or Wikiversity:Requests for deletion processes. Such disputes are not within the purview of this project. (However, a file which has been initially tagged for speedy deletion may be "adopted" by a participant in this project by removal of the tag and replacement with a project fair use template and proposed deletion tag). If that stands, the file will be handled, ultimately, with minimal disruption and user dissatisfaction.)
Suggested notices/templates for use with this project are on this subpage. These are:
- Notice to user offering assistance with proper licensing of file.
- Email version of the offer of assistance. Includes deletion warning.
- Fair use rationales for generic usage and for specific page usage with this project.
Files missing adequate license information
[edit | edit source]Uncategorized but possibly Fair Use
[edit | edit source]Files should be listed in this category for the minimum time possible. This category, through the placement of the file page (Files) establishes the basis for a very temporary Fair Use claim, but the file is not yet machine-readable-tagged as Fair Use. Any user may make a determination that the file is not possibly fair use, and remove listing here and on the Files page, while placing a speedy deletion template on the file.
Probable Fair Use
[edit | edit source]Users other than the uploader may claim Fair Use for a file. Files in this category must have a Fair Use claim made for them, noted on the file page, and be categorized as required by the EDP; as well, a Proposed deletion template should be placed on the file.
(A table should go here, showing filename, date of upload, user name, user proposing fair use and the date, and date of email notice, and date of proposed deletion expiration.)