Actual situation: Fair use files (images, logos, sound snippets) get uploaded to local projects, some projects follow very strictly the Non-free content guidelines of the WMF and placing rationales to every fair use file description page. The files, (mostly copyrighted logos, but also for example music sample files) are uploaded multiple times to many projects and need manual updating of the file description pages and reuploading of images if the company gets a redesign.

To solve many of these doubled reuploads and thus keeping many of these files up to date, a new wiki similar to Wikimedia Commons (in this proposal named as fairuse.wikimedia) or using an existing infrastructure like meta.wikimedia could work in a similar manner: Uploading a file at the (new?) fairuse.wikimedia project the file can be used by an opted-in project.

The files would be accessed in the same way as at the moment, but would generate more files getting hidden by another project. For example: if a file is transcluded/embedded in any page using [[File:Example.png|thumb|description]]; the server checks the local project (e.g. en.wikipedia) for an existing file, if there is no file stored at en.wikipedia, then it checks at the new fairuse.wikimedia project for a file with this name and finally it would be asked at Wikimedia Commons for the file with that name.

At the moment there are Wikis which don't need any fair use rationale - so a short information why this file is needed on which page for which reason - and thus (strictly speaking) violating the Exemption Doctrine Policy of the WMF, because it might not always be clear why that particular file is needed to understand the content of page.

Restrictions:

  • a userright uploader and filemover (bundled)
  • Opt-in/Opt-out for projects
Pros
  • on long term basis the local upload could be turned off because fair use files would be uploaded to fairuse.wikimedia and files under a free license would be uploaded to Commons
  • reducing redundancy of uploading and
  • managing fairuse files (e.g. tagging as orphaned, etc.) multiple times to other local wmf projects
  • (maybe, see problems which have to be cleared) fair use rationales for every page/Wiki which transcludes the file
Cons
  • even more naming conflicts
  • the "system" is getting more complex and thus harder for newbies

Ideas for bot usages for fairuse.wikimedia:

  • tagging as orphaned
  • shadow commons
  • delinker bot
  • notification bot about deletion (to the uploader and the talk page of the talk page of the transcluding page)
What have to be cleared out either by this proposal or by any new one
  • which Wiki should be used (Commons? Meta?) or should be a completely new one?
    • If a new Wiki is started, which name and shortcut?
    • Is a fair use rationale necessary for all Wiki and pages?

See also

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