Tardis:Image use policy

Rules of thumb
Here's a quick check list of rules for use of images. After the list, a more detailed discussion explains the reasoning behind them.


 * Keep copyrights in mind when uploading images.
 * Always tag your image with one of the image copyright tags.
 * This can be done when uploading and image by using the licensing selector (located below the 'Summary' box), a full detailed list can be seen here. See also a tutorial for uploading screenshots with the correct licensing tag (though it's applicable to all tags).


 * Use the image description page to describe an image and its copyright situation.
 * Use a clear, detailed title. Note that if any image with the same title has already been uploaded, it will be replaced with your new one.
 * Upload a high-resolution version of your image whenever possible, and use the automatic thumbnailing option of the Wiki image mark-up to scale down the image. Wiki accepts photos up to 2 MB in size. Do not scale down the image yourself, as scaled-down images may be of limited use in the future.
 * Edit the images to show just the relevant subject.
 * Don't put photo credits in articles or on the images themselves; put them on the (image) description page.
 * Use JPG format for photographic images, like screenshots. Use the SVG format where possible for icons, logos, drawings, maps, flags, and such.  PNG format is also acceptable as an alternative to SVGs, and can be especially convenient when you require an image to have a transparent background.
 * GIF and BMP formats are strongly discouraged.
 * Add a good alternative text for images.
 * There should really be no need for images of a sexual nature on this site. (One possible exception may be the Katy Manning Dalek photos.) Think carefully if offensive pictures are really necessary. Consider providing a link to the picture, and a warning of the picture's contents, rather than place it directly in the article. If you have concerns regarding the appropriateness of an image, discuss it on the relevant article talk page.

Screenshots
The term 'screenshot' is generally used to describe an image from a television show, movie, video game, web broadcast or DVD feature, these images should be captured using the "print screen"/"screen capture" method via a computer. Please do not take photos of TV or computer screens with a camera as what you see and what a camera sees are two very different things and as such when images are uploaded they are relatively unusable due a number of factors such as low-resolution, scan lines, opacity of screen and other issues that are created when taking a photo of a TV or computer screen.

Copyrighted (images)
Please note: the following is not the official copyright policy - it is merely a reminder and also gives some additional tips.

When you upload an image, make sure you own the image, or that it is in the public domain, or that the copyright holder has agreed to license it under the GFDL. Always note the image's copyright status on the image description page, using one of the image copyright tags, and giving additional information about the origin of the image. If you created the image, don't write image created by me, write image created by John Doe on Jan 1st, 2000 (where you of course replace John Doe with your name, and Jan 1st, 2000 with the date of the image creation).

Under United States copyright law, all images that were published before January 1, 1923 in the United States are now in the public domain, but this does not apply to images that were created prior to 1923 and published in 1923 or later. The year 1923 has special significance and this date will not roll forward before 2019. However, the interaction of Wikis, the GFDL, and international law is still under discussion.

However, if you strongly suspect that an image is a copyright infringement (for example, if there is no information on copyright status on its image description page and you have seen it elsewhere under a copyright notice), then you should list it for deletion (see below).

Fair dealing and Fair use considerations
The fair dealing doctrine used in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, and the fair use doctrine used in the United States (but not in many other jurisdictions) are frequently abused. Try to limit your use of this tag to screen captures, promotional photos from presskits and other publicity items issued by the BBC, album covers, book covers, DVD/video covers, movie posters, corporate logos and wallpapers. If you have questions about whether an image is fair use, ask at Fair use.

The critical thing to remember -- our use of such images relies on a portion of the doctrine that says we can use a low-resolution public-but-copyrighted image (like an album cover, book cover, or movie poster) for the purpose of illustrating an article. A high-resolution image, suitable for purposes other than illustration/education (such as, say, printing bootleg CD covers), would not be considered fair use and may find it marked for deletion.

Use of images from the Doctor Who Image Archive
The Doctor Who Image Archive contains a wealth of images from and related to Doctor Who and is the preferred source for images used on this site. The owner of that site has given permission for use of images from the archive "for the promotion of Doctor Who in all its forms, and its fandom," provided it is not done for profit or on an adult site. However, the webmaster is sometimes asked to remove images from the archive for copyright reasons. If you find that an image you copied from the Doctor Who Image Archive and uploaded to the TARDIS Index File has since been removed from DWIA for reasons of copyright, you must in turn remove that image from the TARDIS Index File, per the DWIA's terms of use by placing a  tag on the image's page.

Use of images from newsgroups, message boards, rumour sites and the like
Use of images posted to various internet discussion communities is probably not wise, as one cannot be sure of their copyright status. Most such Doctor Who-related images are promotional in nature, and would seem to be covered by fair dealing and fair use doctrines. However, images are sometimes taken from the personal, copyrighted websites of Doctor Who actors, writers, production crew members, fans, and other persons without their permission. Others are images for which the BBC or other persons or entities initially gave permission for distribution but, for reasons of their own, have since rescinded that permission. Consider carefully before using images from these types of sources. Never take and use an image you found on someone else's website unless you have obtained their permission or they have already done so in the content of their site.

Wikipedia images
Wikipedia has a large resource of public domain images which may be used on this site to illustrate things that are out-of-universe. Images from NASA are likewise free-to-use (though not actually public domain), and may also be used to illustrate out-of-universe concepts. Such images are particularly good for on things like templates. Be sure to note on the image description page that you obtained the image from Wikipedia, provide a link to the original Wikipedia image page, and include a GFDL tag.

Do not use such images on in-universe pages, however. For example, it would contradict our Manual of Style to use NASA imagery to illustrate articles relating to planets, galaxies, and other astronomical phenomena which are mentioned in the Doctor Who universe. Pictures of the planet Mars, for example, should come from The Waters of Mars — or other Mars-based stories — not NASA. Equally, pictures of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, for example, should not be drawn from the public domain but from in-universe sources, like *Sub Zero.

Unused images
Images that are uploaded, but do not have any pages linked to them may be deleted after assessment. However, the fact that a picture is unused cannot be cause, in itself, to compel a picture's deletion, as was made clear in a forum discussion. Generally, there should be another reason beyond a picture's "orphaned" status used to justify deletion.

For example, if a picture is unused because it's blurry, the real reason for deletion is its blurriness. If it's unused because it's very similar to another one of better quality, it's deleted because it's a near duplicate. If it's unused because it's too small, it's deleted because of its inadequate size.

As was argued in the forum discussion referenced above, there is a utility in keeping on pictures that are unused, but are otherwise without defect, because they might be used in the future, and they're already uploaded and properly licensed.

Unused images can be found on Unused files page.

Duplicate images
Duplicate images are surprisingly common. In general, the dupe with the fewest links should be deleted. If you want to help in the process of deleting duplicates, please go to Tardis:Duplicate images and put the following on the image that needs to be deleted:

Untagged images
Images that are not copyright tagged are subject to immediate deletion. Though effort is sometimes made to identify the source of images, and "fix" unlicensed photos, admins reserve the right to delete pictures simply on the basis that they have no copyright tag. Admins further reserve the right to automate the deletion process of unsourced, unlicensed pictures. If you've taken the time to find, crop and upload a picture, please add a copyright tag to it so that it does not get summarily deleted.