Jump to content

Wikipedia:Copyright problems

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"WP:CP" redirects here. For other uses, see WP:CP (disambiguation).
    Shortcuts

    This page is for listing and discussing possible copyright problems involving text on Wikipedia. Listings typically remain for at least five days before review and closure by a copyright problems clerk or administrator. During this time, interested contributors are invited to offer feedback, rewrite infringing content, or request copyright permission.

    Listed pages appear in the bottom section of the page. For additional guidance, see below.

    To add a new listing, go to today's section.

    Copyright owners: If you're concerned that something you've found on Wikipedia is in breach of copyright, you may request immediate removal by following these instructions.

    How to list an article

    Copyright problems handles articles where the copyright status is disputed or complex cases of infringement. You should list an article if one of the following applies:

    • All revisions of an article have copyright violations (copyvio), and speedy deletion does not apply.
    • The removal of copyrighted content has been contested.
    • Removal or reversion is complicated or involves a majority of the article.
    • You cannot determine whether the text originated from the source or Wikipedia. Do not blank the article in this case.
    • The article is eligible for presumptive deletion.
    • Other complex situations not listed here or in the section below.

    If the article needs to be listed,

    1. Place one of the following above the infringing text:
    2. Place {{subst:Copyvio/bottom}} below the last infringing text.
    3. Go to today's section and add the following template to the bottom of the list:

      {{subst:article-cv|PageName}} from [insert URL or identify non-web source here] ~~~~

      Put the page's name in place of "PageName". If you do not have a URL, enter a description of the source. A pre-filled version can be copied from the top of the copyvio template after substituting it. If yours is the first listing of the day, please add a header to the top of the page, using the page for another date as an example.
    4. Warn the contributor of the listing at their talk page, unless advised not to. The template on the now blanked page supplies a notice you may use for that purpose.

    What not to list here

    • Blatant infringement. Articles that are entirely copyvio can be handled through speedy deletion if it meets the criteria. You should not blank or list the article here if you tag for G12.
    • Non-extensive obvious copyvio. If the copied content is not extensive, you can remove, rewrite, or revert the page to before the text was added. You should place {{Copyvio-revdel|url=copied source|start=diff of copyvio insertion|end=diff before copyvio removal}} on the article afterwards and warn the contributor of the material to the problem, unless advised not to. The template {{Uw-copyright}} may be used for this purpose.
    • Requests for revision deletion. These should be handled by placing {{Copyvio-revdel|url=copied source|start=diff of copyvio insertion|end=diff before copyvio removal}} on the article.
    • Files. For files that are clear copyright violations, follow the procedure for speedy deletion; otherwise list at Files for Discussion. If the file is on the Commons, they can be handled through Commons speedy deletion or Deletion requests.
    • Individual editors. Contributors who repeatedly post copyrighted text or files after appropriate warnings will be blocked from editing to protect the project; see 17 United States Code § 512. If one contributor verifiably inserts multiple copyright violations and systematic review is needed, please file a request at Wikipedia:Contributor copyright investigations.
    • Copyright violations without a source. If you cannot find a source of where something could be copied from, do not list the article here. The content may be removed for other reasons, like being unreferenced or violating our biographies of living persons policy.

    What text can be reused?

    Further information: Wikipedia:Copy-paste

    Under the United States law that governs Wikipedia, copyright is automatically assumed as soon as any content (text or other media) is created in a physical form. An author does not need to apply for or claim copyright, for a copyright to exist. One of the following must be present to reuse the content on Wikipedia:

    If none of the above are present, the text cannot be reused.

    Even when the text can be reused, it must be attributed or it will be considered as plagiarism.

    Responding to listed articles

    Copyright owners and people editing on their behalf or with their permission, please see below.

    Any contributor is welcome to help investigate articles listed for copyright concerns and remove {{copy-paste}} or {{close paraphrasing}} tags when the problem is addressed or disproven. Only administrators, copyright clerks, and VRT agents should remove {{copyvio}} tags and resolve listings.

    Copyright problems is run by volunteers and it usually takes a few days before listings are first investigated.

    You can assist in the following ways:

    • Providing information on the copyright status of the article
    • Obtaining or verifying claims of permission
    • Rewriting or removing infringing content without removing {{copyvio}}.

    Not every article listed here is a copyright violation. The content may be on Wikipedia first, public domain, compatibly licensed, or below the threshold of originality. Editors can provide information about licensing or public domain status under listings here or on the talk page of the article. A link or a clear explanation is very helpful when a clerk or administrator evaluates the article.

    Obtaining/verifying permission

    Sometimes material was placed on Wikipedia with the permission of the copyright owner. The owner may be willing to give permission and proper license. Any contributor can write to the owner of copyright and check whether they gave or will give permission. See Wikipedia:Example requests for permission. If a compatible license is placed online at the point of original publication, please provide a link to that under the listing.

    More details about the permissions process can be seen below and at Wikipedia:Donating copyrighted materials.

    Rewriting or removing content

    If an article verifiably has copyvio, the content must be removed or rewritten entirely. If the article is blanked, the rewrite takes place at Talk:PAGENAME/Temp so that the new material can be copied over the old. The listing will link to the specific temporary page. You can directly rewrite on articles tagged for {{close paraphrasing}} or {{copy-paste}}, and remove the tags when the rewrite is complete.

    The article should not be copied over without first removing copyvio. Other content from the article can be used, if there is no reason to believe that it may be a copyright issue as well. If the content is copied from an inaccessible source like a book or cannot be verified, please remove all text added by the contributor. If you copy any text from the old article, please leave a note on the listing or in your edit summaries of the rewrite. Reviewing clerks or administrators will then preserve the history of the old article.

    Please review Wikipedia:Copy-paste and its linked guidelines as necessary to ensure the rewrite is compliant with policy. Repairing plagiarism from permissible sources is usually as simple as supplying proper attribution.

    Shortcut

    If you submitted work to Wikipedia which you had previously published and your submission was marked as a potential infringement of copyright, you must do one of the following to resolve the problem:

    See also Wikipedia:Donating copyrighted materials.

    Emails are handled by volunteers and take time to log permission. Do not worry if the content is deleted; it will be restored if usable permission is logged. Your email will receive a response whether the permission is usable or not. If you have not received a response to your letter within two weeks, it is a good idea to follow up.

    Please keep in mind that content previously published elsewhere may not meet Wikipedia's specific guidelines and policies. If you are not familiar with these policies and guidelines, please review especially our core policies. This will prepare you to deal with any other issues with the text that may arise.

    Should you choose to rewrite the content rather than release it under the requisite license, please see above.

    Clerks and patrolling administrators

    For a more complete description of clerks and their duties, as well as a list of active clerks, please see Wikipedia:Copyright problems/Clerks.

    Copyright clerks are experienced editors on Wikipedia, especially with copyright policies and their enforcement. On this board, they are trusted to evaluate and close listings and request administrative actions when necessary.

    For a more complete description of administrators on Wikipedia, please see Wikipedia:Administrators.

    Any administrator may work the copyright problems board. This may involve evaluating listings personally or completing requests by clerks. Clerks are trusted in their work and their requests may be implemented without double-checking, although any administrator is welcome to review requests and discuss with the clerks in question.

    Closing listings

    Listings can be processed at any time by anyone, but are not formally closed until a clerk or administrator verifies that all problems are resolved. Pages listed for presumptive deletion stay open for a minimum of 7 days before being processed.

    For advice for resolving listings, see Wikipedia:Copyright problems/Instructions (VRT agents, see section there).

    {{CPC}} may be used to denote resolutions of listings by administrators, clerks and VRT agents.

    Update this page

    Older than 7 days

    Below are articles that have been listed here for longer than 7 days. They will be processed at any time by clerks or administrators (see WP:CPAA). When every issue on a day is clear, the day may be removed.

    3 May 2025

    3 November 2025

    20 November 2025

    16 December 2025

    • Ryś Battalion (history · last edit · rewrite) from https://werbkowice.pl/images/promocja/pub-luny.pdf. New here, please let me know if I messed something up, and apologies in advance :). I think a large part of this article may be translation copyvio or WP:CLOPpy at the very least (e.g. source: Piszę o tym szerzej, gdyż Wojciech Sulewski w swoich publikacjach przypisuje batalionowi „Rysia” całość tej bitwy, co jest niezgodne z prawdą. source, translated with Google: I am writing about this in more detail because Wojciech Sulewski, in his publications, attributes the entire battle to the "Ryś" battalion, which is not true. article: I am writing about this more extensively, as Wojciech Sulewski in his publications attributes to the battalion of "Rysia" battalion the whole of this battle, which is not true.). GoldRomean (talk) 18:23, 16 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]

    17 December 2025

    21 December 2025

    New listings

    Update this page
    Some listings may not be displayed on this page due to template transclusion limits. This can be alleviated by clearing the backlog.

    New listings are made on daily reports transcluded on this page and are not directly added to it. To add a new listing, please go to today's section. Instructions for adding new listings can be found at What to list here. Editors may resolve issues with listings at any time, save for presumptive deletion. See the section on responding for more information.

    24 December 2025

    25 December 2025


    28 December 2025

    29 December 2025

    30 December 2025

    • Doble steam car (history · last edit · rewrite) The page Doble steam car contains mulltiple nearly word-for-word passages lifted from my original work on the subject (https://www.damninteresting.com/the-last-great-steam-car/). Looking at the edit history, it looks like Wikipedia user Salmanazar overhauled the page way back in 2006 (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Doble_steam_car&oldid=93362695), when my article was about 2 months old. This is where the slightly modified version of my text first appeared in the Wikipedia article. Examples:
      Mine:
      It was comprised of parts taken from a wrecked White steamer, but reconfigured to drive an engine of their own design. Though it did not run well, the Doble brothers went on to build a second and third prototype in the following years [...] Their third prototype⁠— nicknamed the Model B⁠— led Abner to file a handful of patents for the related innovations, including a water-condensing system which allowed the water supply to last about 1,500 miles in contrast to a typical steamer’s 100 miles. The Model B design also protected the boiler’s internals from rust and scale by mixing the engine oil with the boiler water, thus resolving a common steam car nuisance.
      Wikipedia:
      It was based on components salvaged from a wrecked White Motor Company steamer, driving a new engine of the Doble brothers' own design. It did not run particularly well, but it inspired the brothers to build two more prototypes in the following years. [...] Their third prototype, the Model B, led Abner to file patents for the innovations incorporated in it which included a steam condenser which enabled the water supply to last for as much as 1,500 miles (2,400 km), instead of the typical steam car's 20–50 miles (30–80 km). The Model B also protected the interior of the boiler from the common steam vehicle nuisances of corrosion and scale by mixing engine oil with feedwater.
      Mine:
      Though the Doble boys’ prototype still lacked the convenience of an internal combustion engine, it drew the attention of automobile trade magazines due to its numerous improvements over previous steam cars. Aside from the slow startup time, the Model B proved to be superior to gasoline automobiles in many ways. Its high-pressure steam drove the engine pistons in virtual silence, in contrast to clattering gas engines which emitted the aroma of burned hydrocarbons. It also had no clutch or transmission, because the full energy of the stored steam pressure was available at all times. Perhaps most impressively, the Model B was amazingly swift. The prototype could accelerate from zero to sixty miles per hour in just fifteen seconds, a feat described as “remarkable acceleration” by Automobile magazine in 1914. The contemporary Model T from Ford took about forty seconds to reach its top speed of 40-50 miles per hour.
      Wikipedia:
      While the Model B did not possess the convenience of an internal combustion engined vehicle, it attracted the attention of contemporary automobile trade magazines with the improvements it displayed over previous steam cars. The Model B was virtually silent compared to contemporary gasoline engines. It also possessed no clutch or transmission, which were superfluous due to the substantial torque produced by steam engines from 0 rpm. The Model B could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 15 seconds,[citation needed] whereas a Ford Model T of the period took 40 seconds to reach its top speed of 38 mph (61 km/h).
      There may be additional unauthorized reuse, I didn't have the stomach to keep comparing after I saw these. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hot pastrami (talk • contribs) 00:33, 30 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]
      Article cleaned by investigator or others. No remaining infringement. User:Hot pastrami, I and Sophisticatedevening have removed all of the copied content that we could find and I have hidden those revisions from the history. It should all be gone now. The changes should trickle out to the various mirrors with time as re-indexing happens, but I don't know about any manual reusers, nor does the English Wikipedia have the ability to tell content-reusers to stop using versions of articles with copyright violations in them. Sennecaster (Chat) 01:27, 30 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]
      Thank you.
      Hot Pastrami (talk) Hot Pastrami (talk) 02:40, 30 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    • Paul Fjelde (history · last edit · rewrite) presumptive deletion from Hauganm. Foundational. Also confirmed copyvio from https://web.archive.org/web/20120220102117/http://finearts.luther.edu/artists/fjeldepaul.html among others. Wizardman 23:06, 30 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    • Niels Ebbesen Hansen (history · last edit · rewrite) presumptive deletion from Hauganm. Foundational but has some good content from other editors now. Confirmed copyvio from https://web.archive.org/web/20090723074933/http://www.agmuseum.com/hansenpaper.html Wizardman 23:11, 30 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    • Alexander Grinager (history · last edit · rewrite) presumptive deletion from Hauganm. Foundational. Confirmed overly close paraphasing from http://www.askart.com/askart/g/alexander_grinager/alexander_grinager.aspx Wizardman 23:14, 30 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]

    31 December 2025

    Wikipedia's current date is 31 December 2025. Put new article listings in Wikipedia:Copyright problems/2025 December 31. Files should be handled by speedy deletion or Wikipedia:Files for discussion.

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Copyright_problems&oldid=1329995659"