Forum:Proposal: Addition to the Image Policy

I believe we need to add something to the Image Policy regarding the use of images other people have uploaded, because whether or not that’s acceptable has never been made clear. Sometimes we ignore it, sometimes we consider it fanon stealing. I believe that in order to make things more clear, something should be added and I feel that I have the appropriate solution.

If an image has been uploaded from a movie, a television show, a game, a comic, trading cards or whatever, I feel that users should have every right to use it without the permission of the uploader. Why? Because the uploader cannot claim ownership over it because he or she did not create it. Uploading multiple images of the same Yoda picture, for example, just takes up space on the server and it’s just unnecessary. Basically, if an image is fair use, a screenshot, a NASA image, in the public domain or whatever, anyone should be able to use it.

On the other hand, there are instances where it should be considered fanon stealing. If the image was created by an author for a specific purpose, then it should most certainly be considered fanon stealing if it’s not used with permission. If the image is tagged as “Fair Use With Permission”, then someone else who wants to use it can’t ask the uploader for permission. They need to ask the person who created if they can, and if the person says yes to their request then it’s fair game for that person. If an image was modified by a user (discounting cropping or rotating or anything minor, I’m talking about color changes and stuff that actually takes skill) then another user needs to ask for permission to use that.

It’s really as simple as that. The same banning procedures used for fanon stealing would be used with this. I’ve been thinking about this for awhile but I wrote this fairly quickly, so if you have any questions, comments or concerns please let me know and we can work on the proposal. Voting will end in two weeks on Wednesday, July 23rd unless it seems that a decision has been reached sooner. The Voting Policy also still applies, meaning you need to have been a member on this Wiki for at least one month and you need at least 250 article edits. - President Brandon Rhea  (Pressroom) (Record) 16:24, 9 July 2008 (UTC)

Current Standings

 * Support (1)
 * Neutral (0)
 * Oppose (0)

Support

 * 1) As the proposer. - President Brandon Rhea  [[Image:Presidentialseal.gif|27px]] (Pressroom) (Record) 16:24, 9 July 2008 (UTC)