PokeMMO Community Wiki:Image use and attribution: Difference between revisions
Clarify that community status alone does not establish fair use and document Wikipedia-style non-free safeguards. (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server) |
Link adopted non-free-content policy and update sprite and screenshot requirements (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server) |
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# freely licensed media such as CC BY or CC BY-SA, with complete attribution; | # freely licensed media such as CC BY or CC BY-SA, with complete attribution; | ||
# externally hosted links when copying is not permitted; | # externally hosted links when copying is not permitted; | ||
# low-resolution non-free media only | # low-resolution non-free media only when it satisfies [[Project:Non-free content]] and has a complete article-specific rationale. | ||
Do not upload a file merely because it is downloadable. | Do not upload a file merely because it is downloadable. | ||
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}}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
This wiki has | This wiki has adopted [[Project:Non-free content]], a restrictive local policy modeled in part on those controls. Non-free media remains exceptional: each file and each article use must satisfy that policy, and compliance does not guarantee that a use is lawful. | ||
== Pokémon sprites and icons == | == Pokémon sprites and icons == | ||
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== Screenshots and PokeMMO assets == | == Screenshots and PokeMMO assets == | ||
A screenshot can contain rights belonging to PokeMMO and Pokémon rights holders. | A screenshot can contain rights belonging to PokeMMO and Pokémon rights holders. It must satisfy [[Project:Non-free content]] unless an applicable free license is documented. Use only what is necessary to explain a specific subject; avoid decorative galleries of copyrighted assets. | ||
== Removal and review == | == Removal and review == | ||
Latest revision as of 14:46, 15 September 2026
This page records the minimum checks required before an image, sprite, icon, screenshot, or other media file is added to the wiki. It is an editorial checklist, not legal advice.
Required file-page information
Every uploaded file must identify:
- the original creator or rights holder;
- the exact source page and direct source URL where practical;
- the license or other reuse basis;
- the date the source and license were checked;
- whether the file was cropped, resized, recolored, or otherwise changed;
- any attribution wording and share-alike requirement;
- for non-free material, a page-specific rationale explaining why the use is limited and necessary.
“Found online,” “from Google,” or a repository's software license is not sufficient.
Preferred media
Prefer, in order:
- original media created for this wiki with a clear license grant;
- public-domain or CC0 media;
- freely licensed media such as CC BY or CC BY-SA, with complete attribution;
- externally hosted links when copying is not permitted;
- low-resolution non-free media only when it satisfies Project:Non-free content and has a complete article-specific rationale.
Do not upload a file merely because it is downloadable.
Community wiki and fair use
Being a community-run, educational, or noncommercial wiki does not automatically make an upload fair use. The U.S. Copyright Office describes nonprofit educational purpose as one factor in a case-by-case analysis and expressly notes that not all nonprofit or noncommercial uses are fair.[1]
Wikipedia does not rely on community status alone. Its non-free-content criteria require, among other things, no adequate free equivalent, minimal use and resolution, prior publication, encyclopedic and contextual significance, source and copyright identification, and a separate rationale for each article use.[2]
This wiki has adopted Project:Non-free content, a restrictive local policy modeled in part on those controls. Non-free media remains exceptional: each file and each article use must satisfy that policy, and compliance does not guarantee that a use is lawful.
Pokémon sprites and icons
PokéAPI's sprite repository states that its image contents are copyright The Pokémon Company. PokéSprite states that its sprite images are © Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK Inc.; its MIT license covers the code and other project material, not those sprite images.[3][4] Therefore, neither repository should be treated as a blanket free-image source. Attribution alone does not convert copyrighted sprites into freely reusable media.
Creative Commons checklist
For CC BY and CC BY-SA files, record the work title, author, source, exact license version, license link, and changes. CC BY-SA adaptations must be distributed under the same or a compatible license. Preserve attribution when a file is copied or reused elsewhere.
Screenshots and PokeMMO assets
A screenshot can contain rights belonging to PokeMMO and Pokémon rights holders. It must satisfy Project:Non-free content unless an applicable free license is documented. Use only what is necessary to explain a specific subject; avoid decorative galleries of copyrighted assets.
Removal and review
If the source, author, license, or reuse basis cannot be confirmed, do not upload the file. Existing files with missing information should be removed from articles and queued for review.
- ↑ U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use Index — About Fair Use. U.S. Copyright Office. Accessed: 2026-09-15. Supports: Fair use is evaluated under four factors; nonprofit status can help under the first factor but is not conclusive..
- ↑ Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria. English Wikipedia. Accessed: 2026-09-15. Supports: Example of a detailed exemption policy imposing ten requirements on non-free media..
- ↑ PokéAPI sprites licence. PokéAPI. Accessed: 2026-09-15. Supports: PokéAPI sprite images remain copyrighted..
- ↑ PokéSprite: License. PokéSprite contributors. Accessed: 2026-09-15. Supports: Sprite images remain copyrighted; the MIT license applies to the code and other material..
