Latest comment: 1 month ago19 comments4 people in discussion
I request review and (partial) undeletion of the files deleted as result of this request without a proper discussion. Although the request was actually mentioned by a third user in one of the unofficial communication channels of the Slovenian Wikipedia community, the requester or involved Commons administrators could have notified the local community through the village pump of the local project about the ongoing discussion. Since these files are actively used on the project, such a notification could have helped ensure that relevant comments were made already during the deletion discussion.
Generally, coats of arms are exempt from copyright law in Slovenia, see Template:PD-Slovenia-exempt. One might argue that some images were "independent creations" (as per the earlier discussion at Commons:Deletion requests/Images of coats of arms of Slovenian municipalities). However, (1) it is highly debatable whether such works can be considered original if they only follow the textual description; and (2) the requester did not verify the actual source of the images. The link he cited is dead, and deleting files originating from dead links could have far-reaching consequences for the project. One of Commons’ goals is to preserve free media, and losing it due to link rot seems counterproductive.
In the case of dead links, the assumption should not automatically be that the files are problematic. Fortunately, there are initiatives such as the Internet Archive that help us verify sources.
While some images indeed have come from third-party websites (which are now also dead, for example for Žirovnica), in several cases the files are direct reproductions of official heraldic acts. For example, the deleted coat of arms of Žužemberk (cached copy of the file information page) cites http://public.carnet.hr/fame/hrvat/si-obc20.html#si-zv as the source. This in turn cites Odlok o grbu in zastavi Občine Žužemberk, št. 8/00, which is an official municipal document. See the archived source. This is an official document, which means that in addition to the copyright exemption, it is also considered informacija javnega značaja (information of public character). Under Slovenian law, such materials must be publicly available and freely reusable, since official acts cannot be restricted by copyright in a way that prevents public access.
Therefore, even if a particular depiction were argued to be an “independent creation,” its publication within an official act places it firmly in the public domain as information of public character.
@Smihael: Maybe, it would be better to upload images that are clearly covered by the exemption and request undeletion only if the upload is prevented due to being binary identical with the deleted ones? Ankry (talk) 05:54, 18 September 2025 (UTC)Reply
So due to an overly narrow interpretation of copyright and lack of notice to the affected community, valuable files were lost and now others must dig through archives or search for alternatives to replace them. This is counterproductive — these files should be restored in good faith, and the burden of proof that they are not free should lie with the deletion requester and judged on an individual basis. In general, coats of arms are exempt from copyright protection in Slovenia, and the claim that these are copyrightable individual interpretations is doubtful at best, if not outright flawed... What definitely was flawed, is the deletion process itself, as it wrongly assumed that all files from a certain dead link were problematic. Imagine a hypothetical situation where Flickr shuts down: are we just going to delete thousands of imported images simply because their licenses are no longer easily verifiable? -- Miha (talk) 07:21, 18 September 2025 (UTC)Reply
Oppose I was the deleting Admin. First, we cannot manufacture discussion. The DR was open for three and a half months. All of the uploaders were notified and no Keep appeared there. We get about 10,000 new files every day and around 1,500 of them must be deleted. Most of this work is done by 20 Admins. We simply do not have the human resources to even think about "notifi[ng] the local community through the village pump of the local project about the ongoing discussion".
As for "Imagine a hypothetical situation where Flickr shuts down", this is why we have License Review -- so that there is a record of the license status of files that might otherwise be a problem. As far as I know, none of the uploaders requested license review for any of the files.
Also, please note that "the burden of proof that they are not free should lie with the deletion requester" is backward. Commons clear policy is that those who would keep a file must prove that it is either PD or freely licensed.
Comment The more pressing question is whether all coats of arms published on official pages of Slovenian municipalities are public domain or only those that have been published in the Official Gazette (Uradni list Republike Slovenije) or elsewhere as annexes to municipal ordinances. --TadejM(t/p)10:59, 22 September 2025 (UTC)Reply
Thank you for your comment. Those are in fact different legal questions, and I think we should not be conflating them.
First (copyright): coats of arms, when adopted as official municipal symbols, generally do not qualify for ordinary copyright protection in Slovenia — they are treated as official symbols or public emblems rather than ordinary works. The question of derivative versions is separate: such variants usually do not cross the threshold of originality, as they only follow the wording describing the coat of arms. If there are substantial differences, we should anyway avoid them to prevent confusion.
Second (access / source of the file): The doctrine of informacija javnega značaja (the right of access to public information) requires that documents held by public authorities — including municipal graphical identity or coat of arms files — be made accessible and reusable, unless a statutory exception applies. This principle is recognized in the Constitution (see https://e-kurs.si/komentar/kaj-je-informacija-javnega-znacaja/) and is implemented in the Access to Public Information Act (ZDIJZ). ZDIJZ applies to all state bodies, local government bodies, and related public law entities, requiring them to provide access and re-use of public information (including works created by them or acquired from others) unless specifically exempt (for example: national security, personal data protection, internal deliberations, trade secrets) regardless of the medium or format in which the information is stored. Thus, whether the coat of arms was published in Uradni list or only on a municipal website is irrelevant under access law — what matters is that the public authority holds the file and that it is not subject to a statutory exemption.
There remains the separate question of how the coat of arms may be used to prevent misuse. That is regulated by municipal acts (usage ordinances, design rules, prohibitions), and is separate from copyright concerns. On Wikimedia Commons, you will often see notices such as despite the copyright status, additional restrictions may apply (e.g. photos of cultural heritage, local usage rules). So potential presence of usage restrictions does not automatically invalidate a file’s eligibility on Commons as long as the file itself is not under copyright protection.
To sum up: the version of the coat of arms found in municipal materials can generally be used without issue, because it has already been published by the public authority, is publicly available, and is effectively exempt from copyright under Slovenian law. Therefore, the requester should check which of the files were sourced from official documents and at least restore those!
In my view, the first part of rationale also covers coat of arms images sourced from elsewhere: even if they are derivatives (and not mere copies of versions found in municipial documents), they typically do not cross the threshold of originality and so do not attract separate copyright. If you accept this logic, then all the files in this discussion should be restored. That said, it is of course a better policy to gradually replace them with versions directly sourced from official documents, and even better if redrawn in vector format (so quality and fidelity are improved). But that is no justification to leave the files deleted in the meantime. -- Miha (talk) 04:43, 25 September 2025 (UTC)Reply
Oh, there are solid sources to claim that. Article 9 of the ZASP (Copyright and Related Rights Act) lists official legislative, administrative and judicial texts among non-protected creations (i.e. not covered by ordinary copyright). A study, commissioned by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency and co-authored by the Institute for Comparative Law at the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana, explains that although ZASP uses the term official texts, in practice the category extends to materials published as part of, or as annexes to, official texts—explicitly including drawings of the state coat of arms, municipal coats of arms, flags, traffic-sign drawings, urban plans, and the anthem (see section 2.1.2 Nejasnost pojma uradna besedila, pp. 27–28).
While it's true that some municipalities (as in your example) present themselves as copyright holders, this mostly reflects a widespread misunderstanding of basic copyright principles. Many people — including public officials — are generally un(der)educated about copyright issues and often use “copyright” loosely when they actually mean that it is legally protected by special rules. Again, such claims do not override the copyright status of the works. -- Miha (talk) 11:24, 25 September 2025 (UTC)Reply
Yes, "in practice the category extends to materials published as part of, or as annexes". This would mean that only those municipal coats of arms "that have been published in the Official Gazette (Uradni list Republike Slovenije) or elsewhere as annexes to municipal ordinances" qualify as copyright exempt. --TadejM(t/p)13:20, 25 September 2025 (UTC)Reply
Great, so we at least agree that the municipal coats of arms, which are sourced from official sources are not protected by copyright.
@TadejM Please, go through the remaining files and undelete those coming from official acts.
As for the other files, I still believe they are also unproblematic. In most cases, they likely come from official acts through intermediaries, but this is not the key issue. What matters is the official nature of the symbol, not its intermediate source. To clarify, any faithful depiction (which was as far as I can remember the case for all deleted files) of a coat of arms does not meet the threshold of originality required for copyright protection. Since these symbols are not original designs, they do not qualify for copyright. -- Miha (talk) 14:53, 25 September 2025 (UTC)Reply
And actually, other coat of arms can be easily sourced from official sources. Redirects can be made to resolve any deadlinks caused by this deletion. --Miha (talk) 15:11, 25 September 2025 (UTC)Reply
Images could be undeleted if directly taken from an official document (ordinance, see e.g. Vrhnika) but not if the official document contains only a blazon. It will take time to check all of them. Regarding the threshold, these images are quite original and at least some have been designed by a professional company (Heraldika d.o.o); I'm not certain why they would fall below a TOO. --TadejM(t/p)17:17, 25 September 2025 (UTC)Reply
I don’t really see a problem here. If you look again at the study I cited above, it is clear that once a coat of arms is part of an official document (including annexes to ordinances), it falls under the category of official texts within the meaning of Article 9 ZASP. That means two things: (1) they are not subject to ordinary copyright, and (2) this applies regardless of whether the drawing was created in-house or commissioned from a third party. The study itself explicitly references Copyright and Related Rights Act with a commentary by Trampuž, Oman and Zupančič. I am trying to obtain a copy of that commentary, which should clear up any remaining doubt on this point.
As for your Vrhnika example. The act you are citing above is no longer in force. The updated Odlok o grbu in zastavi Občine Vrhnika (13.2.02) removes any ambiguity: Grba in zastave občine Vrhnika se ne sme avtorsko zavarovati (the coat of arms and flag cannot be copyright-protected) and that Izvirnike grba in zastave občine Vrhnika v vseh oblikah hrani Občinska uprava občine Vrhnika (the originals in all forms are kept by the municipal administration). In legal terms, that is equivalent to annex publication. Under ZDIJZ, the official source file can be requested directly from the authority and freely reused.
And even if the earlier act with the poor-quality scan were still valid, that still would not magically make faithful reproductions reach TOO. If the emblem is prescribed and published in an official act (as it is), then any accurate reproduction is non-copyright under ZASP and cannot be treated otherwise. Period. -- Miha (talk) 02:26, 26 September 2025 (UTC)Reply
What the actual ordinance really says about Vrhnika is that "Grba in zastave občine Vrhnika se ne sme avtorsko zavarovati [po drugih osebah] brez dovoljenja občine" (the coat of arms and flag must not be copyright-protected [by other parties] without a permission of the municipality). In any case, as the image of the coat of arms was previously published in the Official Gazette, it is copyright-exempt. A similar clause is contained in the ordinance issued by the Municipality of Preddvor: "avtorske pravice si pridrži občina" (Copyright is retained by the municipality).[1] --TadejM(t/p)09:59, 26 September 2025 (UTC)Reply
I've got access to the aforementioned commentary on copyright act. The exceprt (pp. 54-55) below discusses how the term "official text" should be interpreted and extended to include other categories.
Pojem besedila - Po vzoru Bernske konvencije zakon govori o »besedilih«, čeprav se v okviru uradnih pristojnosti in oblastvenih upravičenj pogosto objavljajo tudi druge kategorije avtorskih del, in sicer kot del uradnega besedila, kot njegova priloga ali pa samostojno (npr. dela urbanizma, kanografije, zbirke, baze podatkov). Tudi za take kategorije lahko velja, da so uradnega značaja in da je njihovo poslanstvo v čim večjem razširjanju. Z vidika njihovega namena se torej ne razlikujejo od zakonov, odločb ali drugih uradnih besedil. Temu ustrezno pojma »besedila« iz člena 9/1 tč. 2 ZASP ni mogoče tolmačiti samo dobesedno, temveč s primerno razširitvijo na druge kategorije del. Pogoj je, da gre za uradne kategorije (z vsemi značilnostmi tega pojma) ter da se taka interpretacija opravi glede na vse okoliščine primera in previdno. V dvomu bo merodajen predvsem uradni značaj dela: uravnavanja družbenih razmerij s to kategorijo avtorskega dela se ne da doseči le z uradno objavo, temveč tudi z nadaljnjim (za vsakogar) neoviranim in poljubnim reproduciranjem (Ulmer, § 30, II, 2; Schricker/Karzettberger, § 5, tč. 42).
I marked parts relavant for our discussion. Later on they discuss several examples and as already established by the aformentioned study, this also includes coat of arms. You can see that the intention of the exemption is to ensure that, among others official symbols, can be freely used and reproduced in order to fulfill their function. This supports my claim that it is the official nature of the coat of arms that matters, not where it is pusblished (in Uradni list or independently). Therefore the coat of arms from municipial sites should be fine. -- Miha (talk) 14:22, 8 October 2025 (UTC)Reply
I have examined the first dozen of these including two that have been restored. None of them are sourced from a municipality and none of them has a correct license. Note that while CoA created by a government may not have a copyright as discussed in great detail above, those created by persons other than the government have copyrights both in Slovenia and in the USA. I see no reason why my closure of the DR was incorrect. Those files that have been restored should be deleted and this should be closed as Not Done. . Jim . . . (Jameslwoodward) (talk to me) 22:49, 29 November 2025 (UTC)Reply
Latest comment: 23 days ago11 comments3 people in discussion
The reason for deletion was: I don't think the original photo is in the public domain in the United States (which is required on Commons) even if it is in the public domain in Argentina. I doubt the photo even belongs to that Argentinian newspaper, so I doubt it is in the public domain in Argentina either
The photo should be PD in USA. It was published in some American newspapers during that time without author and copyright notice. For example, The Boston Globe [2] on 14 February 1984, The Evening News [3] on 13 February 1984, Standard-Freeholder on 24 December 1984 [4].
This is a photo from Associated Press who publish this photo at their web site with the following credit: "Soviet Politburo member Konstantin Chernenko is seen, 1983. (AP Photo)". The location is said to be Moscow, Russia. (ap.org). Thuresson (talk) 20:58, 22 October 2025 (UTC)Reply
AP images published between 1964 and 1977 in a newspaper that did not include a copyright notice for the image are in the public domain. By at least 1981 AP began including copyright notices on some photos.' But this one doesn't have. I guess it should be {{PD-US-1978-89}}Roman Kubanskiy (talk) 16:51, 23 October 2025 (UTC)Reply
Oppose It is not possible to say for sure that this photo is public domain in the country of origin. It is probably not by an Associated Press photographer since the photographer is said to be anonymous. Thuresson (talk) 07:04, 25 October 2025 (UTC)Reply
The text in the centre is not complex enough to be above TOO;
COM:TOO Germany contains a clear example of a logo being denied protections regardless of it having stylised text
It is my understanding, based on articles such as this, that Monster energy drink were denied protection in German courts for their brand's font/typeface in 2024/2025. This also shows that stylised fonts/typeface do not push a logo above TOO in Germany. The Monster font is arguably more complex/stylised than the one featured in File:Logo WFV04.png.
Sorry, the french word "maquette" appearing in several of these file names literally means "model". The Destinus drones indeed may be the actual devices, but I tend to expect that a producer of military drones would rather exhibit life-size models of his creations instead of the actual machines for security purposes. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 14:11, 18 December 2025 (UTC)Reply
A full size model should look like the real thing, but we don't know what's inside. Also I note that this is highly finished and all stainless steel, which seems odd for a piece that will be used once. . Jim . . . (Jameslwoodward) (talk to me) 16:38, 18 December 2025 (UTC)Reply
@Yann: le nom du fichier dit carrément que c'est une maquette, comment une maquette peut être le vrai engin?!
Additional question: there's an article, fr:Zéphyr (fusée) providing a range for the size of the actual rocket engine. I do not recall if there were any references in the image from which one could deduce the size of the depicted device, but an engine made for a 19m rocket is quite probably larger than comfortable to fit into an exhibition stand. Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 17:16, 18 December 2025 (UTC)Reply
@User:Grand-Duc Le nom du fichier est une erreur : pour rappel, c'est moi qui l'ai donné. Il y a aussi une autre erreur de copier coller avec "sur son pas de tir". Quant à la taille du moteur (7 moteur sur un disque de 1,5 m de diamètre), elle est cohérente. Artvill (talk) 07:05, 19 December 2025 (UTC)Reply
Honnêtement, ce n'est pas ce que j'appellerais une maquette. C'est peut-être un prototype, ou une (re)création à la même échelle, mais cela a probablement une utilité et n'a pas un nouveau droit d'auteur. Yann (talk) 05:39, 20 December 2025 (UTC)Reply
Now, I'd like to hear the opinion of @Clindberg in regards to possible IP rights and COM:MODELS. It's about an exhibit shown at the Salon du Bourget (en:Paris Air Show). That exhibit is meant to display the propulsive subassembly of a en:small-lift launch vehicle (the fr:Zéphyr (fusée)); Artvill clarified that the device is probably at an 1:1 scale. At the moment, we don't know for sure whether it's a non-functional model, a prototype or an actual working rocket part. What are your thoughts about the image's ability to get hosted here? Regards, Grand-Duc (talk) 16:45, 22 December 2025 (UTC)Reply
Support Full sized models of real devices means they are not art. The current policy at COM:MODELS is wrong and fails to capture all the nuances of the law, especially newer cases like Meshwerks v Toyota in the US and Brompton Bicycle v. Chedech/Get2Get for EU/France. These are full sized models of real objects, so indistinguishable from the original that we are arguing over whether they're models or the real thing. No new art=no copyright. -Nard (Hablemonos) (Let's talk) 00:45, 18 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Latest comment: 3 days ago15 comments7 people in discussion
The subject is the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, designed by Walter Seymour Allward (d. 1955). The memorial was constructed in France by the government of Canada following a bilateral treaty, and was unveiled in 1936. The files deleted as part of numerous Vimy Memorial deletion requests were primarily on the basis that:
The memorial is a copyrighted work of sculpture, and
It is located in France, which does not provide a general Freedom of Panorama for such works.
I note that:
None of the original deletion discussions or closing rationales identified a specific United States copyright expiry date for the memorial;
The “Undelete in 2032” categorization was added subsequently and does not reflect a date established through deletion discussion;
As of 1 January 2026, Allward’s works have entered the public domain in France (life + 70 years); the memorial is firmly in the public domain in France and by Canada.
With respect to the United States, mere public display does not in itself constitute “publication”. Obviously, photographs and postcards of the memorial exist (inclusive of stamps and pre-paid postcards issued by France in 1936), and it would have been widely photographed after its unveiling, but there is no documented distribution of copies to the public in the United States with the author’s consent. Architectural works are protected only if the building was constructed on or after 1 December 1990. Buildings constructed before that date are not protected in the United States as architectural works. In respect to the precautionary principle, I have searched the US Copyright Office Public Records Portal, the Virtual Card Catalog (as this is a pre-1978 subject), and the URAA Notices of Intent to Enforce mentions of “Vimy Memorial” as a published work and I could not find any entry. If the work is treated as unpublished for US term purposes, its copyright term would follow the author’s life plus 70 years.--Labattblueboy (talk) 00:02, 4 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Vimy Memorial is a sculpture, not an architectural work. Yes, it's now public domain in France but the sculpture is still under US copyright until 2032 (1936 is the widely agreed date of "publication"). Abzeronow (talk) 00:16, 4 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
I wouldn't agree that the date of publication in the United States is widely agreed. It is clear for other jurisdictions, most notably France, Canada and the United Kingdom, but unclear for the United States. Certainly, no demonstrated publication or distribution in the United States in 1936 let alone one with the author’s consent. There does appear to be a basis to consider this an unpublished work for US term purposes.--Labattblueboy (talk) 19:37, 4 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
I think there is a key distinction being blurred here between public display (eg. representation) of works and publication of the work itself under US copyright law. Under the law for pre-1978 works, publication requires the authorized distribution of copies of the work itself, not merely the existence of photographs or other representations. Photographs, postcards, stamps are derivative works and do not constitute publication of the underlying sculpture. Likewise, absent of any evidence that physical copies of the memorial were distributed to the US public with the sculptors authorization, publication has not taken place.--Labattblueboy (talk) 00:34, 15 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Support First published 1920-1921 in plans and models. The sculptor later created half sized models between 1925-1930 in his studio, which were published (the definition of published under the 1909 Copyright Act was making copies, which the sculptor literally did). The large scale version is an *exact* slavish copy of the models, which has no new copyright in the US. See File:Vimy Memorial - half finished statue and plaster models.jpg for a side by side comparison of the half sized model with the final product. Also [5] -Nard (Hablemonos) (Let's talk) 19:59, 4 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Support With respect to the US, public display that makes no attempt to prevent copying, at least pre-1978, would be publication. I'm not sure just making copies was enough, but with the photographs at the time, and distribution of plans and models, it seems pretty clear they were published pre-1930 in US terms.--Prosfilaes (talk) 02:30, 5 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Comment: This 'Plaster half-size working model' is also a 1925 to 1930 scale model by the sculptor, Walter Allward. I am not a copyright expert to say if it meets the US definition of a copyright notice or 'publication' sadly as I am not a copyright expert but the 1925 to 1930 date may or may not be important. Best, --Leoboudv (talk) 13:21, 7 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
In thinking about this remember that in the USA, architectural drawings have had copyrights for many years, but that buildings have had copyrights only after 1990. This shows that each instance of a work has a separate copyright unless it is an exact copy as out of a mold. In the same line, my father painted a copy of Monet and his copy has a copyright of its own. And, until Bridgeman (and still so in some countries), a photograph of a 2D work had its own copyright. . Jim . . . (Jameslwoodward) (talk to me) 13:36, 9 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
My understanding is the application of URAA depends on whether the work was published or unpublished. If the memorial is treated as unpublished, URAA dos not introduce a fixed publication term and the US term of life+70 years applies. Therefore it's my understanding that per COM:URAA & COM:US, this matters is still determined based on whether there is demonstrated evidence of publication of the memorial itself, not its derivatives.--Labattblueboy (talk) 00:47, 15 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Under US law, and, therefore, for the purposes of the URAA, a work is published when it is unveiled unless photography is forbidden and enforced. This work is clearly published. . Jim . . . (Jameslwoodward) (talk to me) 15:30, 17 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
17 U.S.C. § 101 states: “Publication” is the distribution of copies or phonorecords of a work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending. The offering to distribute copies or phonorecords to a group of persons for purposes of further distribution, public performance, or public display, constitutes publication. A public performance or display of a work does not of itself constitute publication.[6]
The Copyright Office Compendium (Third Edition) applies this definition directly to statues and sculptures. Section 1906.1 (“Offering to Distribute Copies or Phonorecords to a Group of Persons”) states:“For example, publication occurs when the copyright owner of a statue offers to sell copies of that statue to a group of museums for the purpose of publicly displaying the work, even if no copies are ultimately sold.”— Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices (Third ed.), § 1906.1
Accordingly, I don't see any statutory support for the claim that a sculpture becomes published upon unveiling and would appreciate the appropriate references that support this position.--Labattblueboy (talk) 20:41, 17 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
@Prosfilaes — I appreciate the engagement, but there is no identified policy/case law support being proposed beyond identifying perceived weaknesses in my argument. I would welcome a more precise identification of how a fixed US publication date is established in this case.
I have reviewed COM:PACUSA, and I think there is a distinction being blurred in how that guidance is being applied here. COM:PACUSA notes that publication of a statue under pre-1978 US law may occur when it is placed “in a public location where people can make copies” with examples such as display in Golden Gate Park. However, that language is illustrative rather than conclusive. It does not mean any outdoor monument is automatically published for US purposes on the date of unveiling, nor that public placement alone fixes a specific US publication date. While the memorial was placed in an unrestricted public setting with no measures taken to prevent copying, American Tobacco Co. v. Werckmeister is clear that such circumstances may support an inference of publication, but do not automatically establish that publication occurred absent evidence of surrender of control through distribution or other publication acts. Once again, in this case, there does not appear to be evidence that tangible copies of the memorial itself were distributed to the public. Accordingly, even if publication is inferred in principle, I remain unclear on what basis a specific publication year (such as 1936) is being relied upon.--Labattblueboy (talk) 22:28, 19 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
No there were already existing half sized models before 1930. Which had photographs circulated of them. They were published. They were then publically moved to France to use as models for the full sized version, which I’ve proven by linking to several photos of the models alongside the full sized version under construction. -Nard (Hablemonos) (Let's talk)
Things have changed since 2020, per COM:Deletion requests/Files in Category:Tiến Quân Ca, on the first of January 2023, the laws on use of national symbols, including the national anthem, were amended in Vietnam to disallow the ability of intellectual property rights to conflict with usage.
However, there needs to be some updates, I'm not sure if {{PD-VietnamGov}} is adequate to use given the current text, as it is only relevant to state documentation, not national symbols. Additionally, the hatnote in the category in question still says that the anthem is still subject to copyright law. TansoShoshen (talk) 06:21, 13 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
The undeletion discussion in the following section is now closed.Please do not make any edits to this archive.
To be used as an example of a song that uses the Roneat ek as a primary melodic instrument. I've tried finding such songs on Freesound and YouTube, but the former I couldn't identify what type of roneat was used and the latter mostly gives results for some music label. I'd like to note that only the composition was AI-generated, the actual playing of the instrument wasn't generated by AI in that file. TansoShoshen (talk) 08:02, 18 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Latest comment: 8 hours ago3 comments3 people in discussion
Por medio de la presente, solicito respetuosamente el restablecimiento de la imagen que ha sido retirada debido a un reclamo por presuntos derechos de autor.
Deseo dejar constancia de que soy el autor original de la fotografía, ya que fui quien tomó y editó personalmente la imagen de la Catedral de Moyobamba. Asimismo, dicha imagen fue subida por mí a Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons en el año 2019, con el propósito de aportar contenido visual de carácter enciclopédico al artículo relacionado con la Prelatura de Moyobamba.
La imagen fue publicada sin fines comerciales, bajo los criterios de uso libre y educativo que promueve Wikipedia, y se encuentra disponible como obra propia, anterior a cualquier publicación posterior realizada por terceros en otros sitios web.
El hecho de que la imagen aparezca actualmente en otros portales no anula mi autoría original, ya que dichas publicaciones son posteriores a mi carga inicial y no cuentan con mi autorización expresa para reclamar derechos exclusivos sobre ella.
Por lo expuesto, solicito se revise el reclamo presentado, se reconozca mi condición de autor y titular de los derechos, y se proceda al restablecimiento de la imagen correspondiente.
Not done: This image will be restored automatically, without further action by the uploader, if and when a free license is received, read, and approved at VRT, and VRT requests undeletion. The current backlog at VRT is 3 days.
. . Jim . . . (Jameslwoodward) (talk to me) 20:57, 22 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
The undeletion discussion in the following section is now closed.Please do not make any edits to this archive.
Latest comment: 8 hours ago3 comments3 people in discussion
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
Hiermit erkläre ich in Bezug auf das im Bild [ Felix Grundhöfer 01.jpg [1]] abgebildete/verarbeitete Werk [WERKNAME] (siehe:[TICKET-NR.]), ... [ x ] dass ich der Urheber (Photograf.) dieses Werkes bin.
[ ] dass ich der Inhaber des vollumfänglichen Nutzungsrechts bin, das mir beliebige Veröffentlichungen, Bearbeitungen und Unterlizensierungen dieses Werkes gestattet. Der Name des Urhebers lautet [URHEBERNAME].
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass alle oben aufgeführten Bilder, auf welchen meine Werke abgebildet sind, unter folgender freier Lizenz veröffentlicht werden:
[LIZENZ (z.B. „_Creative Commons Namensnennung-Weitergabe unter gleichen Bedingungen Deutschland_ in Version 3.0 (abgekürzt _CC-by-sa 3.0/de_)“)]
* Mir ist bekannt, dass damit in urheberrechtlicher Hinsicht Dritte das
Recht haben, dieses Bild gewerblich zu nutzen und zu verändern.
* Mir ist bekannt, dass ich diese Einwilligung üblicherweise nicht
widerrufen kann und kein Anspruch darauf besteht, dass das Bild dauernd auf der Wikipedia eingestellt wird.
* Mir ist bekannt, dass sich freie Lizenzen nur auf das Urheberrecht
beziehen und es mir daher unbenommen ist, aufgrund anderer Gesetze (Persönlichkeitsrecht, Markenrecht usw.) gegen Dritte vorzugehen, die das Bild im Rahmen der freien Lizenz rechtmäßig, auf Grund der anderen Gesetze aber unrechtmäßig nutzen.
[18.01.2026], [Armin Andreas Pangerl]
___________
Hiermit erkläre ich in Bezug auf das im Bild [ Felix Grundhöfer 01.jpg [1]] abgebildete/verarbeitete Werk [WERKNAME] (siehe:[TICKET-NR.]), ... [ x ] dass ich die abgebildete Person auf diesen Werk bin. [ x ] dass ich der Inhaber des vollumfänglichen Nutzungsrechts bin, das mir beliebige Veröffentlichungen, Bearbeitungen und Unterlizensierungen dieses Werkes gestattet. Der Name des Urhebers lautet [Felix Grundhöfer].
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass alle oben aufgeführten Bilder, auf welchen meine Werke abgebildet sind, unter folgender freier Lizenz veröffentlicht werden:
[LIZENZ (z.B. „_Creative Commons Namensnennung-Weitergabe unter gleichen Bedingungen Deutschland_ in Version 3.0 (abgekürzt _CC-by-sa 3.0/de_)“)]
* Mir ist bekannt, dass damit in urheberrechtlicher Hinsicht Dritte das
Recht haben, dieses Bild gewerblich zu nutzen und zu verändern.
* Mir ist bekannt, dass ich diese Einwilligung üblicherweise nicht
widerrufen kann und kein Anspruch darauf besteht, dass das Bild dauernd auf der Wikipedia eingestellt wird.
* Mir ist bekannt, dass sich freie Lizenzen nur auf das Urheberrecht
beziehen und es mir daher unbenommen ist, aufgrund anderer Gesetze (Persönlichkeitsrecht, Markenrecht usw.) gegen Dritte vorzugehen, die das Bild im Rahmen der freien Lizenz rechtmäßig, auf Grund der anderen Gesetze aber unrechtmäßig nutzen.
18.01.2026, [Felix Grundhöfer]
Mit freundlichen Grüßen Felix Grundhöfer (Künstler)
Not done: This image will be restored automatically, without further action by the uploader, if and when a free license is received, read, and approved at VRT, and VRT requests undeletion. The current backlog at VRT is 3 days.
. . Jim . . . (Jameslwoodward) (talk to me) 20:56, 22 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Border Roads Organization was formed in 1960, therefore the flag most probably had been in use from that time.
Also under Template:GODL-India all shareable non-sensitive data available either in digital or analog forms but generated using public funds by various agencies of the Government of India, all users are provided a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use, adapt, publish (either in original, or in adapted and/or derivative forms), translate, display, add value, and create derivative works (including products and services), for all lawful commercial and non-commercial purposes, and for the duration of existence of such rights over the data or information.
The file is shared by the government here through BRO official X account - https://x.com/BROindia/status/1426843795488854019 and the uploader has modified it, which is allowed according to the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP) of the Government of India. Therefore the file is free to use and should be undeleted. Soap Boy 1 (talk) 11:04, 21 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
GODL-India doesn't apply to government emblems or flags. But if it can be shown that this flag was in use before 1965, I suppose we can undelete. Abzeronow (talk) 01:37, 22 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
@Yann: the page says “rechtenvrij” (in the Dutch version) right in the caption of the photo, this means free of rights. What word/phrase should they add instead for you to believe it? Hiddedv (talk) 11:11, 21 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
@Harold Foppele: No, the problem is not solved. Please do not upload images without a formal written permission from the copyright holder, who is by default the photographer, not the subject. Thanks, Yann (talk) 12:12, 21 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Latest comment: 14 hours ago3 comments2 people in discussion
The file CERVI-CARE---Fond-blanc.png has been deleted for wrong reason. It has nothing to do with CSD G10 (files and pages created as advertisements) as the purpose is to enrich the wiki. They where no promotions on the data provided.
Andrevictory (talk) 22:58, 20 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Oppose Personal image by a non-contributor. I deleted all images by this user, which were either copyright violations, derivative works of non-free content, or personal images for promoting himself. Also most of these are not selfies, so a permission from the copyright holder, who is by default the photographer, would be needed. Yann (talk) 11:18, 21 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Latest comment: 1 day ago3 comments2 people in discussion
This file represents a symbolic flag related to the cultural identity of Erzurum (Dadaş culture).
It is an original, self-created work and does not violate any copyright.
The file is not a logo of an organization and is used for illustrative and encyclopedic purposes.
I request undeletion so it can be properly used on relevant Wikipedia articles.--Alpp.1.34 (talk) 08:32, 21 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
This upload is not original research or a newly invented symbol.
The flag already exists on Wikipedia/Commons; however, the currently used version is inaccurate.
I uploaded this file as a corrected and historically accurate version of the same flag.
Additionally, I have formally notified the relevant page about the incorrect version and requested its deletion/replacement.
Therefore, this file is intended solely to correct an existing error, not to introduce a new or personal design. It is meant for encyclopedic use to improve accuracy. Alpp.1.34 (talk) 10:52, 21 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
The undeletion discussion in the following section is now closed.Please do not make any edits to this archive.
Not done: See above. This image will be restored automatically, without further action by the uploader, if and when a free license is received, read, and approved at VRT, and VRT requests undeletion. The current backlog at VRT is 3 days.
. --Yann (talk) 15:00, 22 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
The undeletion discussion in the following section is now closed.Please do not make any edits to this archive.
Latest comment: 10 hours ago5 comments3 people in discussion
I am requesting for my file, Josh Harmon for Time100, be undeleted so I may use it in my article draft: Josh Harmon. This is a biography page for the social media musician. This photo can be redistributed under fair use as it is public domain.
Latest comment: 4 hours ago4 comments2 people in discussion
The file "File:"Aynvaul" Sunburst Flag.png" was deleted by "User:The Squirrel Conspiracy" for reasons that do not apply to the file. see- "02:11, 4 December 2025 The Squirrel Conspiracy talk contribs deleted page File:"Aynvaul" Sunburst Flag.png (Personal photo by non-contributors (F10)) Tag: VisualFileChange (thank) (global usage; delinker log)"
The file in question is a png of a flag used in a local(although limited) fashion in Long Island, NY. This image is *NOT* a personal photo, it is a flag png. Personal photos(A "personal photo" generally refers to an image intended for private viewing, in contrast to commercial use, often capturing an individual or family for personal memory, though this can include modern self-portraits (selfies) shared online or professional portraiture focused on personality, with Wikipedia using such photos under specific licensing (like CC-BY-SA) when freely available or under fair use for encyclopedic purposes, requiring photographer consent and respecting subject rights. ) Additionally, the image was deleted rather dubiously as I was neither emailed nor had a comment about the deletion left on my user talk page per website policy. Additionally the file itself had a long history of edits by other individuals. The image holds educational value and use in regards to but not limited to the following discussions: history of irish sunburst flags (north america and the fenians), local unofficial cultural flags and identity, irish-american flags and symbolism, long island irish diaspora, irish-american revivalism, and vexillology.
A personal artwork can be deleted under F10. Can you show evidence that there is real life usage of this flag? Otherwise TSC's speedy was correct. Abzeronow (talk) 01:41, 22 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
There is a real life image on wikicommons listed here "File:Aynvaulflagatfarmingdalestreetfair2024.jpg" it appears to be being flown by a crystal seller at a flea market in farmingdale, ny. There appears to be an article in it too about more usage from Garden City news. RiderValor (talk) 00:59, 23 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Latest comment: 1 day ago2 comments2 people in discussion
Hello, the image is about Peter Fonyodi drummer and cultural sociologist who I took the photo of and I wrote the Wikipedia-article in Hungarian and took the photo I attached. (https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fony%C3%B3di_P%C3%A9ter). My name is Zsolt Peter.
The original size of the photo was 1.37 MB (unfortunately, I have lost the original size)
The date of the photo: 23.09.2012
Time:10'45
Type of the camera: CANON EOS 5D Mark II.
Place: Hungary, 2083 Solymár-Kerekhegy, Hársfa street 10.
Latest comment: 14 hours ago2 comments2 people in discussion
I noticed that the Wikidata item for Emma Sargsyan (Armenian PR strategist, CEO, author, and media host) was deleted. I would like to kindly request that it be restored.
All statements are verifiable and referenced, which I believe satisfies the standards for inclusion of living persons on Wikidata.
I would greatly appreciate it if an administrator could review and restore the item. I am happy to provide additional references if needed.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
Emma Sargsyan
— Preceding unsigned comment added by Emmatheprgirl (talk • contribs) 22. Januar 2026, 03:27:55 (UTC)
Signing your posts is required on talk pages and it is a Commons policy to sign your posts on deletion requests, undeletion requests, and noticeboards. To do so, simply add four tildes (~~~~) at the end of your comments. Your user name or IP address (if you are not logged in) and a timestamp will then automatically be added when you save your comment. Signing your comments helps people to find out who said something and provides them with a link to your user/talk page (for further discussion). Thank you.
Support Warner Brothers film, therefore US law applies. There is no copyright in the USA for anything that consists of text too short to have a literary copyright no matter how complex the type face is. . Jim . . . (Jameslwoodward) (talk to me) 20:50, 22 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
@PrimeNeurosurgery Please exercise patience.If yoou feel it has been an excessive time between your sending your email and now you may enquire again, but this request here is unlikely to be accepted unless and until the volunteer response team responds. Please recognise that they are volunteers and have a high workload. They do not work to deadlines. 🇵🇸🇺🇦 Timtrent 🇺🇦 talk to me 🇺🇦🇵🇸 13:49, 22 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Latest comment: 9 hours ago6 comments3 people in discussion
I am not sure what image this is but The Baltimore Sun typically did not copyright their newspaper even up to 1989. If there is a date on it please tell me so I can search that issue to see if it was published and without a notice REAL💬⬆17:12, 22 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Oppose As I said in the DR, "The image came from the Sun's photo archive. There is no reason why such an image would have or require a copyright notice.... In order to restore this, it will have to be proven that the image was actually published without notice in the Sun or elsewhere". I see no indication in the upload or the cited DR of any actual publication. . Jim . . . (Jameslwoodward) (talk to me) 20:42, 22 January 2026 (UTC)Reply
Latest comment: 12 hours ago1 comment1 person in discussion
Logo/crest is different from first version by Emilio Coutaret (1901) and first modification by Rául Felices (1928) found here (first one is in the public domain and probably the second one is too).
It was later anonymously modified for a second time for the institution more than 50 years ago as can be seen in a 1940 publication in this site or in a 1937 publication in this site. This SVG file is clearly an identical, faithful recreation of the 2D work first found in 1937 so I don't think it will apply for "threshold of originality" or that it could be copyrighted.
I will modify the description and use "PD-Art", "PD-AR-Anonymous" and "PD-1996" tags for licensing.
"PD-Art" because it is a "faithful reproduction" of a 2D work.
"PD-AR-Anonymous" because it was published anonymously more than 50 years ago in Argentina.
"PD-1996" because it was already anonymously published in 1937 as clearly documented here, entering in the public domain in Argentina in 1987 (before 1996 as required by the URAA to not restore copyright in United States), therefore entering in the public domain also in United States.
The flag looks slightly different from the Internet Archive link. The red doesn't look firey enough for me, and the blue (and yellow) St. Andrew's cross has different proportions. I suppose this could be corrected if undeleted though. I think there is a good case for this fictional flag to be in scope though. Abzeronow (talk) 04:38, 23 January 2026 (UTC)Reply