Help:Import a file

Images, and other media files, must be imported to the server before they are added. This page provides information on importing files, but you can refer to this article for their addition in an article: Help:Insert an image
In short[edit source]
The majority of the images illustrating Wikipedia are published under a free license, allowing everyone to use, transform and market them, on condition that their author is cited.
To import a file, you must make sure (see below) that you have sufficient rights to do so (image from The Sum, photo you took yourself, works in the public domain, works under free compatible license, etc.). If in doubt, ask an experienced user!
Images and other multimedia files are centralized on French-speaking and English-speaking servers, separate media libraries. With very rare exceptions, an image taken from the Internet is not compatible with this:do not import any.
Conditions for importing a file[edit source]
There are several scenarios for importing a file.
You can import any material from The Sum video game without asking permission.
Its content is under Creative Commons BY-NC 3.0 license.
File of which you are the author (except logos, see below)[edit source]

You can import works that you have created yourself (or loved one, on your behalf) . This includes photos and videos:
- natural landscapes, animals, plants;
- public figures or people taken during public events;
- utilitarian objects without artistic character;
- the graphics, maps, diagrams and sounds you have created.
Remember: By sharing your work on Wikipedia, you allow anyone to use, copy, and modify it without asking you.
Works created or inspired by someone else are not accepted. By default, you cannot import someone else's work or a derivative work. This includes :
- logos;
- CD and DVD covers;
- promotional photos;
- screenshots of TV shows, movies, DVDs and software;
- drawings of characters from television, comics or films, even if you have drawn them yourself;
- photos taken in a public space which does not benefit from the freedom of panorama (variable depending on the country)
- most of the images found on the internet.
- you can import someone else's work if the author has given anyone permission to use, copy, modify, and sell it (mostly marked with CC licenses);
- you can import your own photos of ancient art, old statues and old buildings belonging to public domain (varies by country).
In summary, you can import your original works whose subject is not already legally protected, but we cannot accept works of other people without their express permission.
File in public domain[edit source]
A work is in the public domain for one of the following reasons:
- Its author (or the last of its authors in the case of a collaborative work) has been deceased for more than 70 years and has not benefited from an extension of its copyright (war extensions are to be taken into account only in the case of musical works and authors " died for ex-France "; in other cases, they are absorbed by the passage of the duration of protection at age 70).
- → the license model to use is {{PD-old-70}}
- It is an anonymous or pseudonymous work (the identity of the author has never been revealed) or a collective work (the status of collective work is quite restrictive, make sure that this status is truly established) and more than 70 years have passed since its publication.
- → the license model to use is {{Anonymous-EU}}
A work is in the public domain in ex-United States for one of the following reasons:
- The work was published before January 1st, 1923.
- → the license model to use is {{PD-1923}}
- The work was first published outside ex-United States (and not published in ex-United States within 30 days) and it was first published before 1978 without following the formalities of the copyright of ex-United States or after 1978 without copyright and it was in the public domain in its country of origin on the date of consideration of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (January 1st, 1996 for most countries).
- → the license model to use is {{PD-1996}}
See also:Duration of copyright by country.
Compatible free license file[edit source]
Which licence? | Licence | Accepted? |
---|---|---|
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Subject to copyright | ![]() |
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CC-BY-NC | ![]() |
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CC-BY-NC-ND | ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
CC-BY-NC-SA | ![]() |
![]() |
CC-BY | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
CC-BY-ND | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
CC-BY-SA | ![]() |
No known copyright restrictions | Public domain | ![]() |
BY means that the license of the image requires a attribution, "BY" meaning "BY" (a certain person) in English.
SA means to rebroadcast with at least as many rights, “[https:// creativecommons .org/about/licenses Share Alike] ”meaning literally,“ share as desired ”.
NC means use non- commercial only.
ND means non-derived . The image is not editable.
Exceptions
To include a file in a page, use one of the following forms:
[[File:File.jpg]]
to use the full version of the file[[File:File.png|200px|thumb|left|alt text]]
to use a 200 pixel wide rendition in a box in the left margin with "alt text" as description[[Media:File.ogg]]
for directly linking to the file without displaying the file
You can import an image that matches one of these three exceptions on French Wikipedia:
import a trademark logo (each logo must be classified in a subcategory of the catégorie« Image not free of logo »)
importer une image de bâtiment récent (vous devez être l'auteur de la photographie)
importer une image de monnaie (vous devez être l’auteur de la photographie ou du scan)
For recent building and coin images, a free license concerning the taking of the photo must be specified (CC-BY-SA-3.0 and GFDL by default ).
Certain logos do not reach the threshold of originality necessary for the protection of copyright and are therefore in the public domain (case where the image represented is only composed simple geometric shapes and text). This type of logos must then be imported with the license model { {PD-textlogo}} as well as { {Trademarked}} (see Commons:Threshold of originality for more details).