[WikiEN-l] Fair use images on user pages and enforcement

Fri Jan 13 12:19:36 UTC 2006

On 1/12/06, Sam Korn <smoddy at gmail.com> wrote:
> It's quite simple really.  Wikipedia's biggest reason for qualifying
> for fair use is that it is a free educational resource.

Everyone "qualifies" for fair use.  The fact that Wikipedia is an
educational resource is *one factor* in whether or not its use of
certain images in certain ways is fair use.

> Userpages are just not educational.

In general most userpages have a lessened educational purpose than
articles.  I wouldn't go any further than that.  I certainly wouldn't
say "userpages are just not educational".

> User pages would, if I read the situation
> right, be very little different from a GeoCities website or the
> equivilent.

You definitely read it wrong.  Wikipedia userpages are, in general,
very different from the average geocities website.

> Image use would not qualify as fair use there; why should it here?

Image use can and often does qualify as fair use there.

The only reason I can see not to use fair use images on user pages is
that it is never necessary.  So rather than waste time arguing case by
case with each other you just ban it completely.

Anthony