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This help desk is a forum for questions and help on:

How to use Commons

Anyone, from newbie to experienced, can ask a question here. Questions will be replied to here as well. Any answers you receive are not legal advice and the responder cannot be held liable for them.

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In order to get quick answers consider the following points:

• Have you checked the frequently asked questions, help pages and the help desk archive?

• For licensing and copyright issues, please use the copyright village pump
• For proposing changes to the way Wikimedia Commons works, please use the proposals village pump
• For community-wide discussions, please use the main village pump
• For changing the name of a file, please see our file renaming guidelines
• For matters requiring the attention of an administrator, please use the administrators' noticeboard or contact an individual administrator directly
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• For questions not about Wikimedia projects, try English Wikipedia's reference desk

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	SpBot archives all sections tagged with {{Section resolved|1=~~~~}} after 2 days and sections whose most recent comment is older than 10 days.

Importing a YouTube video authored by the Wikipedia channel

Can we import a Wikipedia-authored video from YouTube to Commons? I came across a great explanatory video about plagiarism and copyright on Wikipedia on YouTube, authored by the Wikipedia YouTube channel. I tried searching for it on Commons, but I couldn't find it. This video would be very helpful on several Help or Wikipedia project pages dealing with copyright and plagiarism at Wikipedia. Is there a way to import this to Commons? Mathglot (talk) 20:42, 10 January 2026 (UTC)

There's a few free youtube video downloaders but I'm not sure if they actually work, won't hurt giving them a try though. If you have premium it allows you to download directly. HurricaneZeta (talk) 20:45, 10 January 2026 (UTC)

@Mathglot: Try Commons:Video2commons, it can work without actually downloading anything on your PC. Otherwise, the en:JDownloader can grab YouTube videos. You don't need premium accounts for that. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 20:52, 10 January 2026 (UTC)

Thanks for rapid replies. Not sure if I understand them, though. Are you saying that to get the youtube video onto Commons, I need to do two things: download it to my computer, then upload it to Commons? Wouldn't that make it look like my work, which it isn't? Who controls the Wikipedia channel, and couldn't we get them to do it, so when it is uploaded here, the author will appear to be some WMF group (if it is a group) or individual that created the video in the first place? It would seem awkward to have my username as the creator of it here. Also, the doc at Commons:Video2commons says that YT videos fail, for some reason. Mathglot (talk) 21:02, 10 January 2026 (UTC)

If you come through video2commons, no you do not need to download to your machine.

But what makes it not look like your own work is that you cite your source, correctly name the author, and people can see where you got the video.

Either way, you will be the uploader to Commons. Probably the majority of Commons files are not uploaded by their author. E.g. I definitely did not take this photo in 1945. - Jmabel ! talk 01:40, 11 January 2026 (UTC)

Doesn't video2commons fail on YouTube videos? HurricaneZeta (talk) 02:15, 11 January 2026 (UTC)

I believe (though I'm not certain) that the current state of that is that video2commons can pull in a certain amount of content from YouTube per day, so sometimes it will succeed and sometimes it will fail. But I may not be fully up to date on the status of that; my video uploads are overwhelmingly from my own computer. - Jmabel ! talk 05:34, 11 January 2026 (UTC)

Thanks; this is clearer now. Mathglot (talk) 07:31, 11 January 2026 (UTC)

It worked!

Update: After one glitch (bug report), I was able to get a task entered, now pending:

Workers:
Capacity: 10 / 10
Worker Utilization: 100%
Pending Tasks: 22
Your tasks:

followed by the details of the video copy request, and a rotating barber shop pole progress bar. I presume this means that 22 other copy requests are queued up prior to mine, so I'll check back in a few hours and see if there is some progress. Mathglot (talk) 20:41, 11 January 2026 (UTC)

Yay, it worked! Thanks, everybody! I notice the software picked a still image from within the video (not the very beginning) that it must have thought was representative of the topic. The choice is not bad, but if I wanted to change that image to a snapshot of some other time point within the video, is there a way to do that? Secondly, and somewhat o/t, I am a jargon fan; is there a word for that still you see in a video thumbnail on a webpage? Thanks, Mathglot (talk) 23:07, 11 January 2026 (UTC)

The thumbtime= parameter is what we can use to select a specific frame. E.g. [[File:Wikipedia editing basics- Plagiarism and copyright violation.webm|thumb|280px|It worked!|thumbtime=30]] would use a frame from ~30seconds in.

I'm not sure if there's a standard industry-jargon term for that (nothing obvious listed in w:Glossary of video terms). Perhaps just "thumbnail" or "still frame"? HTH. Quiddity (talk) 18:37, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

Can't log into account

I had to create a new account just to post here again- I have an old account user name:ThayneT but can't log in. I've never changed the account password for years or anything else, never had a problem until now. It keeps saying when I put in my user name and correct password " You need to verify your login. A verification code has been sent to your email address (t***@***.***), please enter that code here." and then I check and check and check my email and there is no email. None. So I can't log in. I tried to recover my account and its days later and they still haven't solved the problem. Can't log in. Biscuitroot (talk) 06:06, 13 January 2026 (UTC)

Did you check your spam box as well? Abzeronow (talk) 06:17, 13 January 2026 (UTC)

Been there tried that. All folders multiple times. Nothing. Biscuitroot (talk) 22:32, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Titleimage for TV series or movie

Dear Wikimedia: I created an article on Wikipedia for a recent Netflix series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A9ro_the_Assassin. (Nero the Assassin). I wanted to add the "titleimage" that Netflix has for it. I can see that there are many other TV series and movies which have screen shots of titleimages in Wikipedia that were taken from Netflix or other online sources, for example the image for the 2021 movie Dune: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dune_(2021_film).jpg. That file is marked as "Fair Use", with a rationale for its use "Non-free media information and use rationale – non-free film poster". Can I thus add my screen shot for the Nero the Assassin image, and in the upload process it will give me the opportunity to mark it as "Fair Use" with a rationale, as for the Dune image? Or is there a tag I would add to it? (e.g. Template:Non-free film poster)

There clearly is a process for allowing TV series' titleimages, I just want to do it the right way. Thank you in advance. NameNotUsed20 (talk) 05:11, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

@NameNotUsed20 Non-free pictures are sometimes allowed (like in a "movie-poster" case) on English Wikipedia but never on Commons, the website we're on right now (Commons is where most pics you see on WP are kept, but it doesn't accept non-free stuff). Go to WP:FUW, pick Upload a non-free file > This is a copyrighted, non-free work, but I believe it is Fair Use. > This is the official cover art of a work. Hope this helps. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 05:46, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

Thanks so much for the clarification and quick response. Very helpful. NameNotUsed20 (talk) 06:08, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

רזולוציה

איזו רזולוציה מומלצת להעלת תמונה שרשחון (talk) 12:23, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

@שרשחון The best you can provide, I think. See Commons:Why we need high resolution media. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 13:27, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

Painting by Wilfredo Lam

I saw an original painting by Wilfredo Lam at the Museum of Modern Art yesterday. I photographed the picture (which is okay at MoMA) and also found it on Facebook. The painting, "Emperor of the Flies/Belial," contained a magic square, which is a topic covered by WP. I thought that it would be of interest to readers to include a reproduction of the painting in the magic square WP entry.

Please advise.

Thank you.

iss Iss246 (talk) 17:03, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

@Iss246 If the copyright rules of Cuba apply, which I don't know, the painting will be public domain 50 years after his death (1982). If it's not Cuba, it's probably longer. Unless you can show some other rule applies, you can't put it on Commons atm. WP:s magic square article has plenty of "free" images, and my guess is that the Lam-painting will not be accepted per the non-free use rules there, but that is a discussion for WP. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 17:25, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

I was banned

My younger brothers 8 and 11 got ahold of my wikipedia accound while I was texting a freind and left a bunch of random edits which led to me being banned. MalcolmTHEGOAT (talk) 22:36, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

@MalcolmTHEGOAT: The Commons community can't help you with proceedings that happened on the English Wikipedia. I just saw on en:User talk:MalcolmTHEGOAT that you already asked for a block review. Don't go forum shopping here about that issue, you must wait for the outcome there.

You're very welcome to participate here in building a good media repository, though. If you want to switch from encyclopaedic to more of a media librarian job, read COM:First steps and carry on! Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 22:42, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

What's the next step

im full of confused Faiz mahrezi (talk) 23:13, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

@Faiz mahrezi: you are going to have to be a lot more specific than that for anyone to be able to help you. - Jmabel ! talk 23:21, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

How do I overwrite an existing file that allows overwriting for all autoconfirmed editors?

I noticed an inaccuracy in a map file, how do I overwrite it to the version I edited? The file page says all autoconfirmed editors can overwrite it. VidanaliK (talk) 00:16, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Nevermind, I just figured it out, it's at the bottom where it says "upload a new version of this file". VidanaliK (talk) 00:20, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Question by User:Hisa042

写真データを掲載したいがはじかれるがどうしたらいいか？— Preceding unsigned comment added by Hisa042 (talk • contribs) 00:36, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

@Hisa042: Unless the Japanese there is much clearer than what I can understand via Google Translate, that is much to vague to answer. It's not clear to me what you mean by "がはじかれる": I understand that the photo doesn't get uploaded, but what exactly happens? (E.g. do you get any message at all about what went wrong? Do things just freeze up? Etc.) And are you using Special:UploadWizard or some other tool? - Jmabel ! talk 04:13, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Question

How do I nominate an file to become a featured file? Dwccb10 (talk) 01:51, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

@Dwccb10: Commons:Featured picture candidates - Jmabel ! talk 04:12, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Thank you, but I don't properly understand how to do it. Dwccb10 (talk) 14:25, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

@Dwccb10: First you should read the guidelines about image quality. If it is a picture taken by yourself (or another contributor here), you should nominate for Quality images. If it gets the QI label, then you could try a nomination for Featured pictures. Regards, Yann (talk) 14:30, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

I think I hake solved it just now, thank you for your assistance. Dwccb10 (talk) 14:43, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

About CC BY 4.0

Hello, I would like to ask whether it is possible to reuse a photograph from the website below on Wikimedia projects.The photograph is licensed under CC BY 4.0. I don’t see any issues, but since I’m not fully confident, I’d like to ask someone here who’s more familiar with this. https://openphoto.app/c/baysideblue/photo/5515 Galactic Center Radio Arc (talk) 08:18, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

@Galactic Center Radio Arc That license is fine, see Commons:Licensing#Well-known_licenses. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 10:47, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

I'm relieved. Thank you for your kindness. Galactic Center Radio Arc (talk) 12:29, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Vukkala rajeswaramma

I want to change the photo of my mother on Wikipedia page Vukkala (talk) 10:22, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

@Vukkala If the photo you want to use was taken by yourself with your own camera, you can upload it at Special:UploadWizard. If not, see COM:THIRD. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 10:49, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Western Australian Nautical Initiatives - WANI

Western Australia boasts one of the longest coastlines in the world, spanning over 13,500 km. This vast marine environment is the foundation for the Western Australian Nautical Initiatives, a collective framework of government programs, community projects, and industry strategies designed to balance economic growth with world-class environmental stewardship. From the rugged Kimberley in the north to the pristine Southern Ocean, these initiatives focus on three core pillars: Infrastructure & Trade, Community Safety, and Marine Conservation. Jimmy Pontre (talk) 10:46, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

@Jimmy Pontre This help desk is a forum for questions and help on: How to use Commons. Your text does not seem related to that. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 10:51, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

On upgrading images

While browsing Wikipedia, I saw that the file entitled "BLOODY2.jpg" is very tiny, more than I feel is acceptable to the average person. I searched for a higher-quality one, from a Google Books scan. I was wondering if I could simply replace the old one with the new one, or if I should make it a new file, or if there's something else I am forgetting. CitationsFreak (talk) 11:01, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

@CitationsFreak Per Commons:Overwriting_existing_files#DO_overwrite, replacing seems to be the thing to do. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 12:01, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Convenience link File:BLOODY2.jpg - Jmabel ! talk 20:11, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

@CitationsFreak and Gråbergs Gråa Sång: I suspect CitationsFreak does not have the rights necessary to overwrite a file. CitationsFreak, you are welcome to try, but if it doesn't work for you, please let me know here and I will do it for you. - Jmabel ! talk 20:11, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

I tried and it did not work for me. The exact URL that I used to upload a higher-quality version was https://books.google.com/books/content?id=XwAjAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA217&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&bul=1&sig=ACfU3U2hr9xqQ6plPo0Mc7jtLwRZXDn67A&ci=2%2C0%2C997%2C1341&edge=0 CitationsFreak (talk) 03:17, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

I've now uploaded that, but I bet there are better scans out there. - Jmabel ! talk 03:54, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

Lizenzangabe

Guten Tag, ich möchte eine Bilddatei hochladen. Die Organisation die die Datei zur Verfügung stellt hat als Lizenangabe NoC-NC/1.0 Die Beschreibung des Lizenses findet sich unter http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Nun finde ich nicht den entsprechenden Lizenzangabe in der List und von Hand lässt sich die erwähnte Lizenz nicht eingeben. Man darf alles mit der Datei machen, nur nicht für kommerzielle Zwecke. Peer Schilperoord (talk) 20:51, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

@Peer Schilperoord Sorry, you can't upload it. Images on Commons must be allowed for commercial use. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 21:29, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

@Peer Schilperoord Aus meiner Sicht ist das eine unsinnige Lizenz. Meines Wissens hatten wir schon öfter die Lizenz als Diskussionsthema. Wenn etwas keinen Urheberrechtsschutz hat (no copyright), kann der kommerzielle Nutzen nicht noch eingeschränkt werden. Das ist in etwa dasselbe, wenn jemand auf ein gemeinfreies Werk eine CC-Lizenz ohne eigenen Input klatscht. Siehe Commons:Village_pump/Copyright/Archive/2023/07#Copyrighted_documents_where_copyright_vanished.

Wir können es mal an einem Beispiel veranschaulichen: Nehmen wir an, die Datei ist eine eingescannte Buchseite eines Buches von 1869. Das abgebildete Werk ist also gemeinfrei. Ein simpler Scan ist eine technische Reproduktion, die kein eigenes Urheberrecht erzeugt (also kein Copyright und keine möglichen Einschränkungen). Ein geschütztes Werk hingegen kann ein Rechteinhaber unter einer nichtkommerziellen Lizenz freigeben (bspw. CC-BY-NC-SA). Aber dann ist eben das Werk urheberrechtlich geschützt. Ich frage mich, was die Rechtsgrundlage des Anspruchs auf ausschließlich nichtkommerzielle Nutzung ist, wenn kein Copyright besteht. --PantheraLeo1359531 😺 (talk) 18:30, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Es kommt drauf an, welchen Rechtsschutz das betreffende Werk an sich besitzt, aber "kein Urheberrechtsschutz" und "nur nichtkommerzielle Nutzung" widerspricht sich aus meiner Sicht. --PantheraLeo1359531 😺 (talk) 18:38, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Und ob eine einfache technische Reproduktion des abgebildeten Werkes erzeugt wurde, oder ein "kreativer Input", wie etwa ein Foto eines 3D-Objekts es sein kann --PantheraLeo1359531 😺 (talk) 18:50, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Das Foto, das ich veröffentlichen möchte, stammt aus einem Buch aus 1817, es ist im Besitz einer Bibliothek. Dieser hat mit Google das Buch eingescannt. Meine Beobachtung ist, dass Inhalte von Büchern die von Google eingescannt werden und veröffentlicht sind, nicht kommerziell genutzt werden dürfen. Das wird einem im Vorspann des Scans mitgeteilt. Die Bibliothek hat bestätigt, dass ich den Googlescan nicht auf Wikipedia veröffentlichen darf. Jetzt habe ich bei dieser Bibliothek einen Scan in Auftrag gegeben (6.00 €) und werde herausfinden ob ich von dieser Bibliothek die Genehmigung bekomme, den Scan auf Wikipedia veröffentlichen darf. --Peer Schilperoord (talk) 10:20, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

About Template:Institution

In the "institution" field of the Wikimedia Commons template "Artwork", using collapsible institution templates like {{Institution:Louvre}} displays:

Louvre Museum     (Inventory)
	Native name	Louvre Museum
	Location	Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois , France
	Coordinates	48° 51′ 40″ N, 2° 20′ 09″ E
	Established	10 August 1793
	Website	www.louvre.fr
	Authority file	: Q19675 VIAF: 257711507 ISNI: 000000012260177X ULAN: 500125189 LCCN: n80020283 NLA: 35912436 WorldCat

institution QS:P195,Q19675

, but using Institution:Hunan does not show "Hunan Museum." What should I do to make "Hunan Museum" appear? And how do I get "Creator:Hu Linyi" to display? Huangdan2060 (talk) 07:27, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

@Huangdan2060: institution and creator templates do not appear automatically; someone has to specifically create them and it looks like no-one has done that yet. If you do create them please also link them to wikidata. MKFI (talk) 09:25, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

I created the "Institution: Hunan Museum", but the system displayed a message: "This Institution template is relying on Wikidata page, which is missing Commons Institution page (P1612) property. Please click the icon above to add it." And I created "Creator:Hu Linyi", the system displayed a message: "This Creator template is relying on a Wikidata item, which is missing the Commons Creator page (P1472) property. Please click the icon above to add it!" What should I do next? Huangdan2060 (talk) 13:09, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

@Huangdan2060: I added Hunan Museum institution property to Wikidata. Looks like you already added Creator property to Hu Linyi. MKFI (talk) 13:44, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

How did you resolve the system prompt message that appeared? Could you please explain the steps in detail so that I can handle it myself next time if it happens again? Thank you. Huangdan2060 (talk) 13:48, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

@Huangdan2060: it should go away after you have updated Wikidata. Try purging the template if it doesn't immediately update. MKFI (talk) 14:57, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

Ok. Thank you. Huangdan2060 (talk) 14:59, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

foot

quand le psg a t il ete cree ~2026-38266-0 (talk) 11:18, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

Vous trouverez des informations dans l'article de Wikipédia. -- Asclepias (talk) 14:23, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

When was PSG created?

translator: Google Translate via   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 14:34, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

@~2026-38266-0: Bonjour et bienvenue. Le PSG a été créé par fusion en 1970.

Hi, and welcome. PSG was created by merger in 1970.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 14:34, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

I need help

Hello,

I accidentally deleted the English description of an image and replaced it with an Arabic description. Could you please fix this while keeping the Arabic description? https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plan_of_the_Battle_of_Yorktown_1875.png#mw-jump-to-license

WassimUS01 (talk) 11:42, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

@WassimUS01: fixed. You didn't delete the English description but accidentally duplicated the template start section which left the original description outside the box. MKFI (talk) 12:26, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

@MKFI,

Thank You very much!!!

WassimUS01 (talk) 12:29, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

account

gelieve mijn account te verwijderen Rudi Perdaen (talk) 12:08, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

please delete my account

translator: Google Translate via   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 14:18, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

@Rudi Perdaen: Hallo. Zie COM:FAQ/nl#Hoe sluit ik mijn account?.

Hi. Please see COM:FAQ#How do I close my account?.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 14:18, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

User:Leonardo.rothscild

Hi, I came across this user's Commons upload in an article on enwiki. This user was blocked as a sockpuppet in 2021, and they've had several previous Commons uploads deleted with claim as "own work". Is there a reason the rest of their uploads haven't been deleted?

I would do the nomination myself, but I don't have the script that makes it easy to do mass deletion noms and I'm having trouble installing the script. If you agree with me that these are unlikely to be the user's own work as stated, feel free to do the mass nom yourself. Thank you! Suriname0 (talk) 21:43, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

@Suriname0: Please see Commons:Deletion requests/Files uploaded by Leonardo.rothscild.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 23:22, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

como puedo subir una foto?

como EDCRONWELL (talk) 07:23, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

@EDCRONWELL: Commons:Primeros pasos. - Jmabel ! talk 01:16, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

Deletion Request for a picture depicting myself and I do own all rights of that picture and submitted it to Wikimedia

Dear Helpdesk-Team,

Please help me with the following matter: I was made aware, that somebody marked a picture, which depicts me, which full rights I bought from the photographer and later contributed to wikimedia, has been marked for potential copyright conflict. I tried to comment to the talk page, but my comment was flagged and filtered. Can you pleas assit me in resolving this issue? This (below) is/was my comment. The picture in question is: File:Prof_Dominik_Boesl.jpg

"Thanks for marking this picture showing me - but I am the owner of the rights. The photo was shot in a photo shooting by a local agency/photographer called "Brechenmacher & Baumann". I obtained (=bought) the full, unlimited, irrevocable rights to the pictures from the shooting and - once I was aware, that someone had written a Wikipedia article about me - I registered to Wikipedia/Wikimedia and provided the picture. As I am (was, as far as I understand the changes associated with me transferring them to the public domain) the sole owner of the full rights to the picture, I believe it was my decision and right to provide them under the requested license. The picture has been provided to media outlets and/or been used by them (I suppose in some cases even pulled from Wikimedia) in order to write about me etc. . Do you need further information? Thanks and kind regards, Dominik Boesl (talk) 10:27, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

Update: I was told by another user, that I should submit a "undelete request" - which I did. Just making you aware, in order to avoid to cause double effort on your end. Thanks! Dominik Boesl (talk) 10:46, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

Convenience link: File:Prof_Dominik_Boesl.jpg. - Jmabel ! talk 01:17, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

Орущак Ілля Іванович (30 липня 1893 - 10 грудня) - січовий стрілець УСС...

Я би хотів про цю достойну людину надрукувати! Інформація є! Література є! Я вже у вікіпедії надрукував чернетку! І хочу це фото перенести і всю інформацію у вікіпедію! Категорія може бути: Січові стрільці!.. Допоможіть мені будь-ласка...Дякую! IhorOrushchak (talk) 15:32, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

@IhorOrushchak: Commons:Перші кроки - Jmabel ! talk 01:20, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

I cannot upload my own work in pdf

Wiki isn't allowing me to upload my original work in pdf Smbarua (talk) 06:27, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

Hi Smbarua. Your question is a bit vague. What do you mean by Wiki? Do you mean one of the different language Wikipedias or do you mean Wikimedia Commons? What do you mean by my original work? Do you mean written text in pdf format or do you mean an image like a photograph? This site, Wikimedia Commons, tends to handle media files like photographs, audio clips, graphic works, etc., but it's not really suited for text-only pdf files per se. Moreover, all content hosted by this site needs to meet Commons:Scope, and it isn't really intended to be used as a free webhost for one's original or otherwise personal content. Perhaps if you clarified things a bit more, someone can give you a more specific answer. -- Marchjuly (talk) 08:05, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

@Smbarua: new users are prevented from uploading PDFs: edit filter log. Moreover Commons generally hosts PDF files for archival content, not original work. MKFI (talk) 09:02, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

I cannot add my picture with select media files or flickr

I cannot add my pictures, does someone know why this happens? Foxfoxfoxfoxfox (talk) 14:46, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

Assuming you used the Upload Wizard, how far did you get? Are stuck on the upload step? Were there any error messages? --rimshot^talk 15:16, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

I couldnt click the Select Media Files To Share Button because it would'nt work and not even Flickr worked and there wasn't even an error message Foxfoxfoxfoxfox (talk) 15:20, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

Download content

Hello, I hope you are doing well. I am currently working on a short film and need to include a news clip about Brexit to play in the background of a scene. Is it possible to download video content from your website? If so, how does the process work? I would also like to confirm if I am permitted to download and edit the video for my project. Thank you for your help. Floren1988 (talk) 18:16, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

@Floren1988: It would help if you would say what video you are talking about but the answer in general with reference to permissions is, yes, as long as you conform to the relevant license(s).

To download, normally on the file page you would click on "original file". Just what you do from there will depend on your browser, but typically that will open the video in the browser, and you can then right-click and select "Save video as..." - Jmabel ! talk 20:42, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

Thank you so much for your quick reply.

These are the videos I am taking about:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brexit_Demonstration_March.webm

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brexit_Protests.webm

When I save the video the file I download is .webm, is there any way I can get an .mp4 or .mov file in HD?

How should I credit you?

Thank you so much for your help!

Carlos. ~2026-43287-9 (talk) 20:51, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

@Floren1988: There are plenty of tools with which you can convert video formats; I can't particularly recommend one over another, but someone else may have thoughts on that. Given that the file both come from Flickr (sources linked on their respective file pages), you might want to download them in whatever format is available on Flickr, and leave Commons and our particular transcoding out of the picture entirely.

You don't credit us, you credit the party that licensed the video. In this particular case, that would be "ChiralJon, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons" (with the "via Wikimedia Commons" really being just a courtesy). In general, I suggest you read closely pages from which you are downloading material. The file pages are each quite clear and specific about the terms of the licenses they offer, and content on Commons may have quite a variety of licenses; conveniently, it is the same license and author for both of these files.

By the way, it would really be helpful if you would stay logged in when responding to a discussion you started. I'm assuming Floren1988 and ~2026-43287-9 are the same person, but things like this can cause a lot of confusion. - Jmabel ! talk 00:39, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Upload a logo

I am creating my first entry. I would like to insert a logo of our company. If I upload it to Wikipedia Commons is it meant to share it then? I do not want anybody else to use it. Amyshare1001 (talk) 12:35, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

It depends. No matter if you upload the logo here or not, the trademark protection persists. If the logo does not meet the threshold of originality for copyright protection, you cannot set copyright restrictions for non-trademark usage on this logo. --PantheraLeo1359531 😺 (talk) 13:15, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

In general, I would strongly recommend against uploading anything to Commons if your intention is not to have others use it or make derivative works. - Jmabel ! talk 21:04, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

"I do not want anybody else to use it." Then you should not upload it to Commons, which is for free licensed media anyone can reuse. -- Infrogmation of New Orleans (talk) 21:12, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Anzeigen aller Bilder bzw. Dateien einer Kategorie inklusive Unterkategorien

Hallo zusammen,

trotz langem Probieren habe ich keine Lösung gefunden: Ist es möglich sich alle Bilder bzw. Dateien einer Kategorie inklusive denen der Unterkategorien anzeigen zu lassen?

Wenn ich z. B. für den Wikipedia-Artikel des Fahrzeugs „Unimog“, von dem es viele Baureihen und entsprechend viele Unterkategorien auf Commons gibt, geeignete Bilder suche, muss ich ansonsten jede Unterkategorie einzeln durchsuchen, was sehr mühsam ist.

Vielen Dank im Voraus
Felix Daimlerfahrer 1500 (talk) 12:36, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Huhu @Daimlerfahrer 1500, also es gibt Petscan. Da kannst du auf Commons alle Dateien in Kategorie und X und den Unterkategorien von X bis Tiefe Y einstellen. Unter "Page Properties" wählst du noch "File" aus. Bei Output kannst du die Bilder nach Hochladedatum, Namen etc. sortieren. Leider fehlen da Vorschaubildchen.

Alternativ könnte vielleicht "deepcategory" helfen, also "deepcategory:Unimog" in der Suchanfrage auf Commons selber. Grüße --PantheraLeo1359531 😺 (talk) 12:50, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Hallo @PantheraLeo1359531,

super! Vielen Dank für die schnelle Antwort.

Gruß Felix Daimlerfahrer 1500 (talk) 13:13, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Copyright help regarding File:2 VandenBos Logo Professional.png

it says not sufficient information, i am the owner of the image, what do i do? --NoDay312 (talk) 14:40, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

@NoDay312: Hi, I removed the bogus license you added. You mention that you copied the file from the Internet, so how could you be the owner of the image? Anyway, this is a derivative work, so we need either some evidence that the original is in the public domain, or a permission for a free license from the copyright holder. I didn't delete it yet, as I am not sure what is the status of the VandenBos Whitby Squadron. Please see Commons:Copyright rules by territory/Canada for copyright rules in Canada. en:File:RCACS Crest.png is only accepted under fair use, so I doubt it could be in the public domain. Yann (talk) 15:35, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

I got it from the 2 vandenbos website: https://www.2vandenbos.org/UnitWebsite/index.php?PageType=203&PageID=203&DatePassed=2026-01-21

and i do not know who the original author is NoDay312 (talk) 15:46, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Also, it doesnt seem like the image is copyrighted NoDay312 (talk) 15:47, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

@NoDay312: Yes, it is certainly under a copyright. All documents are automatically under a copyright by default upon creation nowadays. There is a very simple rule: if you do not know who is the author, it is most probably not OK, so do not upload it. Yann (talk) 15:58, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

I really need to use it in my article, could you help me find the author NoDay312 (talk) 16:03, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

@NoDay312: Your best chance is to contact them. Please see [1] at the bottom. Yann (talk) 16:18, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Thank you for your help, I will contact my commanding officer NoDay312 (talk) 16:21, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

@Yann I contacted my CO and he said that the image was not copyrighted NoDay312 (talk) 17:59, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

@NoDay312: Well, that's certainly wrong. But please ask your commanding officer to confirm the license via COM:VRT. Yann (talk) 18:01, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

You can just delete the file at this point. Its just too much work to do. Thank you for your help. NoDay312 (talk) 18:09, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Uploading work derived from CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 image

You have images which have been uploaded, e.g. by the British Museum, with CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 rights. When I used the Upload wizard it rejected my attempt when I specified that the licence was CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. As part of my derived image (I have rectified it as it was reversed left-to-right by printing), I have included the source, a copyright notice, that it has been released as CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 and the URL of the licence.

Please advise whether, and if so how, I can upload the image while respecting the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence. RobertSimons (talk) 18:24, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

@RobertSimons: -NC licenses are not accepted on Commons. Yann (talk) 19:11, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

@RobertSimons: and if you find any images here that have only an NC license, please nominate them for deletion. (It is OK for a file to offer multiple licenses including an NC license.) - Jmabel ! talk 21:11, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

@RobertSimons: if the work is 2D and is public domain in the UK and the US, you can safely ignore the CC license. Abzeronow (talk) 01:11, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Using AI

Can I generate a video about human body? Kitana31 (talk) 19:42, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

If you've got the tools and necessary knowledge, likely yes. But AI products aren't really welcome on Commons, as they can possibly introduce copyright issues - the software used to generate such media has likely been trained with copyright-protected material and is liable to make unlicensed derivatives of these sources. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 19:51, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

And also because of the "hallucination" problem. See Commons:AI-generated media. - Jmabel ! talk 21:13, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Przesłanie zdjęcia

Chcę dodać moje zdjęcie do informacji o mnie w Wikipedii. Jak mam to zrobić? Magdalena Adaszewska (talk) 20:05, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

@Magdalena Adaszewska: it looks like this question is your first contribution to any of the WMF wikis. Once you are an active participant you are welcome to upload a small number of personal photos for your own user page. Be aware, though, those still have to meet Commons' usual requirements for licensing.

You can find more information about uploading files at Commons:Pierwsze kroki. - Jmabel ! talk 21:20, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

(via Google Translate): Wygląda na to, że to pytanie jest Twoim pierwszym wkładem w którąkolwiek z wiki WMF. Gdy zostaniesz aktywnym uczestnikiem, możesz przesłać niewielką liczbę osobistych zdjęć na swoją stronę użytkownika. Pamiętaj jednak, że zdjęcia te nadal muszą spełniać standardowe wymagania licencyjne Commons.

Więcej informacji na temat przesyłania plików znajdziesz na stronie Commons:Pierwsze kroki.- Jmabel ! talk 21:20, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Internet images?

Sounds like a stupid question.. but.. if somebody from the internet (for example, Reddit) says I can use their image here, can I? Do they need to do anything specific? Like prove it's theirs or something? Or is it impossible? Thank you, OliviaRigby (talk) 05:18, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Not a stupid question. Please read COM:THIRD. You should understand that a permission "for usage on Wikipedia" is not sufficient. It would have to be freely licensed (and if there is significant doubt that the reddit user is not the author, we cannot host it here). Abzeronow (talk) 05:56, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Upload enquiry

Can I upload photos of buildings? (Like train stations, buildings under construction etc.) Brickynoid (talk) 08:44, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Well, you won't get more than a clear it depends on your question as it stands. You did not mention a whole lot of data needed to answer in detail, especially the country / location of shot and the age of the building.

There's a comprehensive overview on copyright matters at Commons:Copyright rules by subject matter, also with a section #buildings. That section refers to COM:Freedom of panorama (short: FOP), which is itself an overview of the FOP rules among the Commons:Copyright rules by territory. You might also want to give Commons:Threshold of originality (short: TOO) a read.

This knowledge held within those explanatory pages is only part of the deal, though. You will still have to be compliant with COM:Licensing, easiest if the photos were taken by yourself. Otherwise, you must respect the procedures outlined in COM:THIRD.

Last, but not least, bear COM:SCOPE, especially COM:EDUSE, in mind. No one needs badly skewed, blurred/unsharp or AI-generated images here.

So, to sum up:

1. respect local copyright statutes

• be observant of FOP and/or TOO rules

2. be wary of third-party copyrights

• prefer own images, if possible

3. keep also non copyright-pertinent site rules in mind

4.Commons:CARES!

Then yes, building images are welcomed on Commons. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 09:02, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Hi Duc,

The building in question is wikipedia: Boon Lay MRT station, which opened in 1990. Brickynoid (talk) 09:54, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Per COM:FOP Singapore, you should be in the clear when speaking about your own photos, or stuff that is already freely licensed. In fact, there's already some imagery available: Category:Boon Lay MRT Station. Just avoid uploading images where e.g. advertising billboards or artistic vehicle liveries are prominently visible, please, that would easily be a copyright infringement against the IP rights of the artists who made the displayed works (reference page: COM:De minimis). Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 10:16, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Copyright Question

Hi can i upload the Badge of the Volunteer Fire Departements of Austria? Im not sure if its Open source But it should be the same License as any other Official Badges like the Bundesadler or the Badge of the Police or? StVeit Maps (talk) 08:58, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

There are a lot of factors involved. Probably better to ask this at COM:Village pump/Copyright, and if you are talking about an existing online image, it will help a lot to link the page where you found the image (or if it's your own photo of the badge, say that). - Jmabel ! talk 20:07, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Uploading a demonstration of a meme

I plan to upload a video of me performing the 6-7 meme for use. I am concerned whether this would affect any sort of copyright laws since my video was performed on my bedroom with books in the background. Is this okay? Kpubkalanami (talk) 13:10, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

@Kpubkalanami: Books in the background shouldn't be a problem; other things might be, hard to say without seeing the video. - Jmabel ! talk 20:09, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Audio Copyright

In The Mikado wikipedia, there's a audio which is outdated (airs from The Mikado 1914 i think), there is other audio which is on Internet archive, is a audio from 1907, im trying to find out if i can use it to post it here Jackieyuan123 (talk) 13:16, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

If the audio copyright has expired, it can be uploaded here to Commons. Note that it needs to be public domain in the source country as well if recorded elsewhere than the US, so that info is needed as well. (1907 issued recordings, for example, would be free from copyright in both the US and UK.) See Commons:Copyright rules by territory if more information is needed. (As to what recordings should be used in a Wikipedia article, that's best discussed on the talk page of the article there.) -- Infrogmation of New Orleans (talk) 19:44, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Painting

Am I permitted to upload a photo of a painting done by my deceased father- in-law of the Vor Frue Kirke in Skive, Denmark? JFJ- NEW YORK (talk) 19:13, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Maybe! Some more details would be helpful, such as if you are legal heir to your father-in-law's work, and when he died. -- Infrogmation of New Orleans (talk) 19:37, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Overwrite Pictures

Hello, I uploaded the wrong pictures last week via commons and trying to overwrite! The thumbnail old picture still shows up on the file and, if I click on date/time that's the updated picture from today. They are not matching. When will the updated picture show up on the file. Can you help? Thanks F.E. Johnson Jr. (talk) 20:48, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

• 
• 

The first two I tried seem to have their thumbnails updated already. It might be just your browser cache, using Ctrl-F5 should refresh the images on your screen. If you have problems with a particular image, you could try purging the cache. --rimshot^talk 21:50, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Bizarre, if I click on the trophy picture that you show on the left. The ruler on the left of the picture (old picture) shows up as I changed it to the new picture without the ruler on the left side. F.E. Johnson Jr. (talk) 21:58, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

Example: File:Forest E Johnson 1936 won Albany - New York Motorboat Race, Inboard, Class E.jpp

It was updated today with the new file picture, but the old pictures show up with the ruler on the left side in the picture. Am I doing something wrong? F.E. Johnson Jr. (talk) 22:09, 22 January 2026 (UTC)

@F.E. Johnson Jr.: It's just a caching issue. Look at it with any other device or browser. - Jmabel ! talk 01:10, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

Yes, thank you. How can I delete the older version as they still show up? F.E. Johnson Jr. (talk) 18:43, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

@F.E. Johnson Jr. Because it is a caching issue, the old versions which are held in the cache will expire when the cache expires, you are neither able to do anything nor need to do anything. w:en:Cache (computing) will give you more information than you ever wanted to know. 🇵🇸‍🇺🇦 Timtrent 🇺🇦 talk to me 🇺🇦‍🇵🇸 19:16, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

Hi F.E. Johnson Jr. I don't think you can delete the older versions; only a Commons administrator like Jmabel can do that. I also don't think there's a need to delete anything. You can try clearing your browser's cache, but I don't think anything needs to be done here at Commons. For future reference, though, I think it's OK to upload updated versions and crops like these as separate files; you can then conenct the files together using templates like Template:Retouched image or Template:Extracted from. Uploading such things as separate files can make it easier for others to use the version they prefer. -- Marchjuly (talk) 19:20, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

For File:Forest E Johnson won 1934 Floridian Hotel Trophy Regatta.jpg, it is clearly a different photo of the same object, so I've hidden that. For File:02 FEJ First Win.jpg, the claim of "own work" is implausbile (certainly you did not take a photo in 1934), so I don't see how you could possibly be in a position to offer a CC license. Until that is sorted out, I'm not touching it. - Jmabel ! talk 20:25, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

Add source of images

I was notified in the images that I put on my account that because these images are themselves made of other images I should mention the origin of these other images. but there are all mine. I did not find a way to mention this in the copyrights.

This is the link https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Herve_Lebret#Source_of_derivative_work_is_not_properly_indicated:_File:Street_Art_Mosaic_-_style_de_Waldo.jpg

Can you help ? Herve Lebret (talk) 06:55, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

@Herve Lebret: are you saying all of the artwork is yours, or just all of the photos? - Jmabel ! talk 07:21, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

All the photos are mine. But I am not the author of the works of course. But street art is free of being captured, right ? Herve Lebret (talk) 10:23, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

@Herve Lebret: Bonjour, Les oeuvres d'art urbain ne peuvent pas nécessairement et universellement être republiées sur des photographies si la permission explicite des auteurs des oeuvres d'art n'a pas été obtenue. Ça dépend des dispositions spécifiques de la loi du pays dans lequel vous souhaitez publier les photographies.

Par exemple, c'est interdit aux États-Unis. Puisque Wikimedia est basée aux États-Unis, Commons devrait donc en principe refuser toutes ces photographies. Toutefois, dans la pratique, la plupart des administrateurs de Commons ne tiennent pas compte de cette interdiction et acceptent de tolérer ces photographies sur Commons, mais à certaines conditions. Cette pratique actuelle très spéciale de Commons peut se résumer en disant que sont tolérées les photographies qui ont été prises dans un pays dont la loi permettrait la libre publication de ces photographies à l'intérieur de ce pays. Cette pratique de Commons est très complexe puisque cela implique de connaître les lois des différents pays. Il existe sur Commons une page intitulée «Liberté de panorama». En cliquant sur un pays dans la liste, cela mène à un résumé approximatif de ce que permettrait ou ne permettrait pas la loi de ce pays.

Par exemple, pour la Suisse, la section correspondante est «Commons:Copyright rules by territory/Switzerland/fr#Liberté de panorama». Les photographies d'art urbain prises en Suisse sont ainsi actuelllement tolérées sur Commons, à condition de s'en tenir aux dispositions particulières de ce que permet la loi suisse. Même chose, mutatis mutandis, pour les photographies prises dans d'autres pays. Ainsi, de manière générale, Commons tolère les photographies d'oeuvres d'art prises en Suisse ou en Turquie, mais n'accepte pas ces photographies prises en France ou aux États-Unis. Vous pouvez lire les détails relatifs à chaque pays, car il existe de nombreuses subtilités et conditions particulières. Plusieurs pays permettent la publication de photographies de certains types d'oeuvres, par exemple de sculptures, mais pas celles d'autres types d'oeuvres, par exemple de peintures murales.

De plus, il faut tenir compte d'une couche supplémentaire de droits d'auteur dans les cas où l'artiste d'art urbain a lui-même reproduit, adapté ou utilisé sans autorisation une oeuvre préexistante non libre de quelqu'un d'autre, par exemple des photographies préexistantes non libres, des personnages ou des images de bandes dessinées, de films, de jeux videos, etc. Sur ce sujet, voir aussi la page «Commons:Œuvres dérivées».

En conclusion, il faudrait faire un ménage dans les fichiers pour supprimer au moins toutes les images qui ne correspondent pas à ces conditions, en tenant compte des pays et de ce que les oeuvres contiennent. Pour les images qui resteront après ce ménage, veuillez indiquer les lieux, les villes ou au moins les pays où furent prises les photographies et, lorsqu'il y a lieu, l'origine des oeuvres préexistantes telles les images dérivées de photos, films, jeux, et la raison pour laquelle elles sont libres, si elles le sont. -- Asclepias (talk) 15:03, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

Similarly for the map at File:Mosaic Street Art - Style de La Grenouille Masquée.jpg.

Also: are these all in France (we have to work out what copyright laws apply, so country is important).

Also: part of why I don't know the answer to the prior question is that you did not use even the most basic categories. - Jmabel ! talk 07:24, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

No not all the pictures were not taken in France, some in Switzerland, some in the USA, some in Turkey but they are all mine... I did not know what categories to put them in. Street Art ? Art urbain in French ? I hope this helps and solves the issues. Herve Lebret (talk) 10:29, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

Do you want me to tell you in which cuntries the pictures were taken individually or there is no need as long as I took and own them ? Herve Lebret (talk) 10:30, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

I added the 4 following categories to all pictures

Category:Street Art

Category:Urban art

Category:Mosaics

Category:Mosaic artists

I hope this makes my contribution better

Thanks a lot for your comments Herve Lebret (talk) 10:54, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

@Herve Lebret: I'm afraid you accidentally wandered into a very tricky area of copyright law with your first contributions here. As Asclepias ably explains above, the situations of whether we can host these varies, depending on which country they were taken in. (A further issue that he didn't mention is that we might be able to keep some of these because the depicted works might be below the threshold of originality—see Commons:Seuil d’originalité in French—in their respective countries but, for example, the map I referred to above certainly cannot be, nor can the image at lower right of File:Mosaic Street Art - Style de Morèje.jpg.)

Most of these categories you added are reasonable, but Category:Mosaic artists is almost certainly wrong: unless I am missing something, none of these depict artists. Probably the most valuable missing category to add to each of the images that can be retained is the most specific geographic category that can be added, and the most specific "Art in LOCATION" category that can be added, if that is less specific.

Also, if one of the photos is "mostly OK" in terms of threshold of originality ("TOO"), we (or you) can re-upload with a Gaussian blur over the offending portion.

If (understandably) it is beyond you to work out what can be kept and what cannot, once we know where each of these was taken, someone experienced can work it out. You can ping me or (presumably) Asclepias. If there are files that obviously have problems that cannot be fixed by blurs, please feel free to mark them for deletion yourself; you being a French-speaker, Commons:Critères de suppression rapide provides the most appropriate explanation of how to do that.

You might want to read COM:THIRD, which talks about the issues involved in uploading works where the creative elements are not entirely your own. However, that is more focused on people who want to upload either logos or photos taken by other people, because those are the situations in which this most commonly arises.

Thank you for your sincere effort to make good contributions here. As I said above, I'm afraid you accidentally wandered into a very tricky area with your first contributions. - Jmabel ! talk 21:00, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

@Asclepias @Jmabel Wouah I was not expecting such a deep and tricky analysis so it may take me a little time to fully react and propose solutions ! Before mentioning what I am thinking of let me add a few more questions to help me answer correctly :

- street artists are not traditional artists (like architects for which I am aware publishing pictures of their building looks similarly problematic) because 1- they are most of the time anonymous 2- they probably cannot prove they are the authors of their work 3- there is a debate about the legality of their work in the streets so even if they accepted the publication what is the value of that ? !!

- I have never seen them complaining about the publication of the works they did by others and there are thousands of these online so a publication here would not be original or new but would have precedents. Does this situation helps in some way or another ? I mean, the fact they implicitely accept publication by never complaining (versus an explicit authorization?)

- Finally, as I am in contact with most of them, would asking for an authorization help and if yes, in which way ? A message to me from them ? A mention on picture like "publication authorized by the author" ?

- Last but less important, coming back on the comments about the categories : "Mosaic artists", I would claim all these creators are artists, some even recognized in galleries. But I agree art is a trick domain. Also about geographies, most of them even if a majority of their work is in their native country travel a lot and put mosaics in many different countries so I am less sure about the geography as a category here.

Again many thanks for the comments but I need to double think about the way to solve all this and your reactions here will certainly help. Herve Lebret (talk) 13:48, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

@Herve Lebret: Toute oeuvre créative, quelle qu'elle soit, est protégée par les droits d'auteur. Y compris les oeuvres d'art urbain, les oeuvres anonymes, les oeuvres qui se trouvent à des endroits non permis, les oeuvres dites non traditionnelles, les oeuvres dites non artistiques, etc. Les critères pour qu'une oeuvre soit protégée par droits d'auteur sont simplement qu'elle soit créative au-dessus d'un seuil minimal, exprimant la personnalité de son auteur. Tout autre argument qui tendrait à contrevenir aux droits d'auteur ne peut pas être retenu. Un auteur qui publie anonymement pourra toujours choisir de se faire connaître, et d'assumer les conséquences s'il y a lieu. Ou ses droits peuvent être gérés par un tiers. Le pseudonymat n'est pas nécessairement l'anonymat. Si une oeuvre se trouve en un endroit sans permission du propriétaire des lieux, elle peut en être enlevée, mais cela n'empêche pas nécessairement l'auteur d'avoir des droits d'auteur. Ça peut aussi dépendre des pays et de chaque cas. La page de Wikipédia fr:Statut juridique de l'art urbain en France contient des commentaires un peu obscurs à ce sujet. Quoiqu'il en soit, Commons considère généralement que les droits d'auteur existent. Des arguments pour contrevenir aux droits d'auteur, du type «l'auteur ne se plaindra pas» etc., sont explicitement rejetés par Commons (sauf, par exception, dans le cas très particulier mentionné précédemment, pour tolérer certaines photos qui contreviennent au droit états-unien mais qui seraient librement publiables dans les pays où elles ont été prises).

Une autorisation explicite écrite provenant de l'auteur lui-même est en effet la solution idéale à utiliser normalement. Il faut pouvoir vérifier que l'autorisation provient bien de l'auteur. (Voir VRT.) Évidemment, le problème dans ce cas-ci est que la plupart des auteurs de ces oeuvres peuvent vouloir demeurer anonymes, ce qui rend difficile la vérification des autorisations. Sans trop s'avancer ici, il y aurait peut-être des solutions possibles qui pourraient être envisagées si vous réussissez à obtenir l'accord des membres de l'équipe VRT, avec qui il vous faudrait en discuter (Voir VRT/Noticeboard.) Mais ce n'est pas gagné d'avance.

Le commentaire de Jmabel au sujet de la catégorie «Mosaic artists» ne signifie pas que ces auteurs ne sont pas qualifiés d'artistes. Il signifie simplement que cette catégorie n'est pas pour les oeuvres, elle est pour les personnes. Elle a pour fonction de contenir les sous-catégories relatives aux personnes. Elle peut aussi contenir des photos des personnes pour lesquelles il n'existe pas de sous-catégorie. Mais pas des photos qui montrent seulement des oeuvres, qui se classent plutôt dans les catégories relatives aux oeuvres, comme par exemple «Mosaics in Geneva», «Street art in Lyon», ainsi que dans les sous-catégories des artistes, lorsqu'elles existent. Il s'agit simplement de la manière d'organiser les catégories des personnes et les catégories des oeuvres. Pour des artistes dont on a des images de plusieurs oeuvres, on pourra avoir une catégorie au nom de la personne, qui pourra inclure une sous-catégorie «works by <nom de l'artiste>» ou «mosaics by <nom de l'artiste>». -- Asclepias (talk) 17:59, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

Fremdsprache

was muss ich einstellen, damit ich die texte standardmäßig in deutsch habe? Berti 1220 (talk) 08:42, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

Subject: Objection to the use of the term “dissident” in reference to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

Representation

I respectfully submit this representation seeking correction of the terminology used in this article with reference to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, particularly the use of the term “dissident” to describe it.

1. Factual and Legal Position in India

The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, through a series of final and binding judgments (notably culminating in 2017 and thereafter), has conclusively held that:

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, governed by the 1934 Constitution, is the lawful, original, and official Malankara Church for purposes of administration, governance, and representation in India. Parallel constitutions framed by the Jacobite faction have been declared invalid. All appeals, review petitions, and curative petitions have been dismissed.

These judgments are final and constitute the law of the land in India. Consequently, describing the legally recognized Malankara Church as a “dissident faction” is factually incorrect in the present context.

2. Problem with the Term “Dissident”

The term dissident is:

Evaluative and judgmental, rather than purely descriptive Historically contested Legally obsolete in the Indian context after final judicial determinations

Wikipedia’s Neutral Point of View (NPOV) policy cautions against the use of labels that carry implicit value judgments, especially when such labels are disputed or contradicted by authoritative sources.

3. Distinction Between Historical Narratives and Present Reality

It is acknowledged that some historical or ecclesiastical sources—particularly older or external academic works—may have described the Catholicate movement as a “dissident” development in the early 20th century.

However:

Such descriptions reflect specific historiographical perspectives, not settled facts They predate decisive legal findings They should not be stated as Wikipedia’s own voice without clear attribution and contextual balance

Wikipedia policy requires that significant, authoritative developments—including final constitutional court judgments—be reflected in article framing.

4. Suggested Neutral and Accurate Framing (Policy-Compliant)

Instead of asserting the term “dissident” as fact, the article may adopt language such as:

“The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, which is legally recognized by Indian courts as the official Malankara Church, emerged following the establishment of the Catholicate in the early 20th century.”

If historical viewpoints are to be retained, they should be clearly attributed, for example:

“Some early historians described the Catholicate movement as dissident; however, Indian courts have conclusively recognized the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church as the lawful and original Malankara Church.”

This approach:

Maintains neutrality Respects verifiability Avoids pejorative or misleading labels Reflects current authoritative findings

5. Request

I therefore respectfully request that:

The term “dissident” be removed or appropriately qualified The article be updated to reflect the final legal position in India Disputed historical descriptions, if retained, be clearly attributed and balanced

This correction would enhance the article’s accuracy, neutrality, and compliance with Wikipedia’s core content policies.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Rajan Pappachan (talk) 10:17, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

@Rajan Pappachan: Does this refer to some particular page or pages on this site (Wikimedia Commons) or are you perhaps asking this on the wrong website? - Jmabel ! talk 21:06, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

EP cover

I'm making a Wikipedia page for the EP "Patched up" by beabadoobee. Can I upload its cover for the infobox? Nob7752 (talk) 10:42, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

@Nob7752: Probably not on this site (Commons) unless it is very visually simple, but if you are doing this on the English-language Wikipedia, then you can probably do it there (not here!) on a "fair use" basis. If you model your approach closely on en:File:Meet the Beatles.jpg, you can probably skip reading the relevant en-wiki policy documents, but YMMV. - Jmabel ! talk 21:12, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

SkySonic render

im currently trying to edit the page for the Rafael SkySonic interceptor and i am wondering whether i can use the render provided by rafael on their website Wikiexplained (talk) 11:39, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

@Wikiexplained: assume you can't upload the media to Commons, unless the source has a free license (the Israeli defence forces do publish some imagery under suitable free licenses e.g. on Flickr, so you may get lucky). Refer to COM:THIRD for that case, as it would be media from a third-party source. On EN-WP specifically, you can proceed along the guideline en:WP:FAIRUSE, but such fair use is definitively prohibited on Commons. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 18:14, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

Multiple uploads of a video

Hi. I was wondering that there is no suitable image for en:Young Stunners on Wikipedia. Recently, I came across one of their music videos, which is uploaded by their official channel as well as the sponsored brand on YouTube. The brand one is under CC license, so can we use a screenshot from it to depict the image(s) of the singers? A similar query is at en:Talk:Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado#CC License?, where I have highlighted that the film trailer has one official upload on YouTube under CC License. Thank you! M. Billoo 12:43, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

@M.Billoo2000: the only doubt here is whether the person who uploaded under the CC license had authority to do so. We've had times when we decided (for example) that for some U.S.-based company we would not accept that an subsidiary in (say) India could offer a license that was not otherwise offered.

Because this issue of who has authority can be a bit subtle, this question might better be asked at COM:VP/C. - Jmabel ! talk 21:17, 23 January 2026 (UTC)

common domain pictures

Photographic pictures taken in 1880s are now I believe deemed public domain. Leopoldo Traversi also died in 1941. It has been over 70 years since his death. Are this pictures considered public domain? These pictures are now available in Italian Geographic society archive. Zenithmuhaba (talk) 07:10, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

@Zenithmuhaba: Hi, Yes, these should be fine. Yann (talk) 08:44, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

@Yann: Does URAA need to be considered here? If the photos were subject to 70 p.m.a., they would've still be under copyright protection on January 1, 1996, wouldn't they? FWIW, en:Leopoldo Traversi was Italian. -- Marchjuly (talk) 20:58, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

No. It is said above "taken in 1880s", so they are out of copyright since long. And Italy has a short copyright duration, so they wouldn't be affected by URAA even if taken at the end of his life in 1941. Yann (talk) 21:02, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

Thank you for your reply. The pictures were taken in 1880s by Leopoldo Traversi in Ethiopia. Not much is talked about them since. I came across them and wanted to post them here since the copyright has expired. Zenithmuhaba (talk) 05:22, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

The pictures have been uploaded. Check them out here https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:ListFiles?limit=50&user=Zenithmuhaba&ilshowall=1 Zenithmuhaba (talk) 06:27, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

@Zenithmuhaba: These still need categories. Also, the placement of miscellaneous content outside of the {{Information}} template is rather odd. And what is a "date of resumption"? - Jmabel ! talk 20:02, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

image of Rocío Wanninkhof

I want to put a photo of Rocío Wanninkhof on your website; it's an image that has appeared in all Spanish media outlets. It's purely for informational purposes. It's such a widely seen photo that no newspaper can claim ownership. KykoMary (talk) 08:29, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

@KykoMary: Hi, It is not sufficient for Commons, where we need a en:free license from the copyright holder. Yann (talk) 08:43, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

But in English Wikipedia it is sufficient. They explain that the image is not free, but it does´nt matter. I don`t understand. Thanks! KykoMary (talk) 09:54, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

@KykoMary: On the English Wikipedia, rules are different. There fair use is allowed, but it is not on Commons. Yann (talk) 10:01, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

Source of derivative work is not properly indicated: File:Asnan camp néolithique dit de l'éperon barré du Montgué représentation artistique 23.06.2024 ERNOUF Guillaume.jpg

Bonjour, pour répondre à la demande : "While the description page states who made this derivative work, it currently doesn't specify who created the original work, so the overall copyright status is unclear. If you did not create the original work depicted in this image, you will need to specify the owner of the copyright." j'ai adapté le code pour lever l'ambiguité sur le copyright. Est-ce bon pour vous ? Merci d'avance pour votre expertise. Saint Germinais (talk) 09:29, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

voici le code corrigé

== Summary ==

{{Information

|description=

Français : Représentation artistique du camp néolithique de l'éperon barré du Montgué à Asnan. Cette œuvre est une création numérique réalisée via Photoshop (IA générative pour les personnages) basée sur un travail préparatoire de l'auteur.

|date=2024-06-09 12:56:01

|source=Own work (All source elements and background work also created by the same author)

|author=ERNOUF Guillaume

|permission=

|other_versions=File:Asnan camp néolithique dit de l'éperon barré du Montgué représentation artistique (support) 16.06.2024 ERNOUF Guillaume.jpg

}}

Camera location	47° 18′ 50.18″ N, 3° 33′ 02.33″ E	View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap

I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license:

Saint Germinais (talk) 09:29, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

Le fichier en question : File:Asnan camp néolithique dit de l'éperon barré du Montgué représentation artistique 16.06.2024 ERNOUF Guillaume.jpg Saint Germinais (talk) 09:31, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

Convenience link: File:Asnan camp néolithique dit de l'éperon barré du Montgué représentation artistique 16.06.2024 ERNOUF Guillaume.jpg. - Jmabel ! talk 18:26, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

@Saint Germinais: Il semble que vous ayez modifié la page du fichier avec succès. De quelle aide avez-vous besoin exactement ? - Jmabel ! talk 18:29, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

Copyright of old photos in Archive.org?

How would I go about finding the copyright status of photos that now, as far as I can tell, only exist in Archive.org? I'd like to be able to add 1-3 photos from here - [2] - to an article I'm working on, primarily those showing the yellow steam locomotive and carriage. The photos must have been taken between 1966 and 1974. Anothersignalman (talk) 20:10, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

@Anothersignalman: Hi, 1966 and 1974 are not so old for copyright purpose. Please see Commons:Copyright rules by territory/Australia for relevant copyright rules. Yann (talk) 21:06, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

Thanks, but I was thinking more along the lines of how do I trace the owner? Anothersignalman (talk) 21:23, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

The newspaper credited the photos "courtesy of the Griffith family", so I suppose the best option is to try to contact that family. -- Asclepias (talk) 21:52, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

About statues in Chinese temples

For statues of Buddhas or deities inside or outside halls in Chinese temples, should the "Template:FoP-China" be added? Huangdan2060 (talk) 05:24, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

@Huangdan2060: Here's how it looks to me:

• If the statues are old enough to be out of copyright, then FoP is completely irrelevant.
• If they are copyrighted and you can attribute the author then, yes, {{FoP-China}} would be appropriate (but probably not mandatory; an FoP tag is basically an explanation of why something doesn't need licensing).
• If they are copyrighted and you cannot attribute the author, then it would appear FoP does not apply, and you are simply violating copyright with such a photo.

If you want other opinions, you will generally get more informed opinions at COM:VP/C than at the general help desk. If you post there, please link this discussion. - Jmabel ! talk 20:10, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

Thank you for your detailed explanation. I understand now. Based on your answer, I’ve come to realize that most of the thousands of Buddha statue photos I uploaded may actually be infringing, since the majority of the statues were created within the past 30 years. Very few date back to the Republican era (1912–1949) or earlier (before 1911), and those are mostly housed in museums. Huangdan2060 (talk) 03:44, 26 January 2026 (UTC)

Archivo

descargar Daniel Martínez2245 (talk) 06:27, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

¿Qué es tu pregunta? Se descarga un archivo de Commons más o menos como cualquier otro archivo del Internet. - Jmabel ! talk 20:13, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

Uploading images

Hi, there is a Church in Germany that holds many images of my community in diaspora, the images are available on their website, but they are not in the public domain. They own the images.

I wonder if I can contact them and ask them to use their images to upload here on Commons, and if that would be OK to do? Or would the images still not be allowed on Commons? Wlaak (talk) 11:04, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

It is not clear wheather the church owns the copyright but not photographers. Ruslik (talk) 19:49, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

If I contact and ask them, and it turns out they do own the copyright, hypothetically now because I have not asked them yet, would it then be OK to upload to commons, if I get their permission? Or would there still be some sort of issue or rule stopping me from uploading? Wlaak (talk) 19:51, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

@Wlaak: Please read Commons:Uploading works by a third party. If you still have questions after that, feel free to ask. - Jmabel ! talk 20:15, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

Uploaded video with wrong setting

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Protests_in_Minneapolis_under_one_hour_after_the_killing_of_Alex_Pretti.webm

If you can please change to "a person I know sent me the video", that would be appreciated. Alexandraaaacs1989 (talk) 20:00, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

@Alexandraaaacs1989: That in no way gives it a CC-0 license. - Jmabel ! talk 21:27, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

Welp, he have 7 days to get and send a permission Trade (talk) 21:31, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

1. I explicitly asked the person if they would give CC0 permission to upload the video and they said yes.

2. I'll get them to send the email soon. If so, will that resolve these concerns? Alexandraaaacs1989 (talk) 22:05, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

@Alexandraaaacs1989: If the author of any media diligently forwards any licensing agreement to VRT, then that individual is following the proper way to resolve copyright concerns, yes. And while that obviously entails that the author's name or pseudonym is communicated to the permissions team, the volunteers staffing that communication service are bound to secrecy and privacy per the WMF's rules, preserving any anonymity towards the general public that may be wanted. Last, even if media get deleted, they can be restored without issues. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 22:16, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

Grand-Duc, COM:VRT:
Emails are handled by community volunteers. VRTS tickets in the permissions-commons queue are visible to all volunteers who have access to that queue. The Wikimedia Foundation cannot guarantee confidential treatment of any sensitive information you include in your message, although all volunteers are required to treat it with confidentiality. Users should be careful of revealing personally-identifying information of subjects or creators, particularly names, physical addresses, and emails.- Alexis Jazz ^{ping plz} 01:04, 26 January 2026 (UTC)

That's not a contradiction to what I wrote: the volunteers staffing that communication service are bound to secrecy and privacy per the WMF's rules, preserving any anonymity towards the general public that may be wanted. is the same as although all volunteers are required to treat it with confidentiality. But as the WMF is neither providing nor managing the actual devices used to access the message queues, it doesn't have the actual (technical) power to guarantee the confidentiality of data. The latter would need a managed IT environment as found in larger corporations or government bodies, where professionals are dedicated in managing and mitigating dangers to security. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 01:16, 26 January 2026 (UTC)

lost edit

i joined wikipedia yesterday after visiting the berlin group on thursday. unfortunately, i just spent 6 hours re-writing the "Phytochrome" article but couldn't see how to save a temporary version: i failed, and it seems that the new text has been lost in the process. any suggestions? i think that this is such an obvious potential problem for newbies that the non-obvious solution should be shown fairly prominently. Photochrom (talk) 01:01, 26 January 2026 (UTC)

Photochrom, always regularly copy-paste your work into notepad.. Or edit in userspace (e.g. w:en:User:Photochrom/Sandbox) and save often.
You appear to be in the wrong place though. Wikipedia support is at w:en:Wikipedia:Teahouse. This is Wikimedia Commons, we deal with images and other media. - Alexis Jazz ^{ping plz} 01:11, 26 January 2026 (UTC)

File name too long to use move script?

I attempted to use the move procedure on the following File:2016-09-07_09_39_10_View_north_at_the_northeast_end_of_Covington_Road_and_the_south_end_of_Maryland_State_Route_382_(Croom_Road)_as_it_crosses_County_Line_Creek_from_Charles_County,_Maryland_into_Baden_and_Aquasco_in_Prince_Georges_County,_Maryland.jpg

I wanted to add an apostrophe in Georges as the name of the county is Prince George's County, Maryland (not sure how to link to the enwiki for it.) I have done this procedure at least 8 or nine times over the last day, but it would not do it. Not only can't I insert a ' into the file name as part of the move procedure, I have to delete 3 characters before I can insert any letter in the name. It appears that the move script can't handle the longest possible file name. What is the proper procedure here? Naraht (talk) 04:36, 26 January 2026 (UTC)