[WikiEN-l] Re: Images on user pages

Sat Sep 17 03:30:22 UTC 2005

Alphax wrote:
> Jimmy Wales wrote:
> 
>>Alphax wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Well, the Firefox and Wikipedia logos are both copyrighted and
>>>trademarked. Recreating them from scratch would at least solve the first
>>>issue.
>>
>>
>>That's just wrong.  Recreating them from scratch would not solve the
>>first issue at all.
>>
>>That's like saying that if I type in all of a Harry Potter book from
>>scratch, it's no longer copyrighted.
>>
> 
> 
> Argh, I meant in the same style, not the exact same thing... so if
> someone created an image of white globe with a chunk taken out of the
> top and letters all over it, and an orange stylised fox wrapped around
> it... would that be any better?

Derivative work, it is not helpful at all, no.

> As an aside: I've replaced some of the images in question (at least on
> [[User:NSR/userboxes]] with icons from the Nuvola icon set for KDE
> (shameless plug: these are going on Commons, linked from
> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Nuvola), which are licensed under the
> LGPL, so if anyone wants to complain about the copyright or whatever on
> them, they can ask David Vignoni (the author) about them.

I wouldn't be so cavalier about that.  David Vignoni may not be correct
in assuming he can release these under LGPL.  Be careful.  Especially on
Commons, where we do not allow "fair use" justifications.

--Jimbo