Any questions about history, geography, science, etc., as well as Vikidia itself and how it works? Ask The Scholar! Help:Copyright
Many sites offer information outside of Vikidia, either online or on physical media. Although this information can often be viewed for free, it is generally protected by copyright. Content from another site should not be copied here, unless it is from a Vikidia wiki of another language. Contributions to Vikidia are dual-licensed under the CC-BY-SA 3.0 and GNU Free Documentation License.
- In short, just because a text is free does not mean it can be copied.
Not only do French and American laws punish plagiarism, but it also shows a lack of respect for the authors.
What is copyright?[change source]
Additional information[change source]
How do I know if a text is free?[change source]
In detail, here's how to know if a text is free or not:
- If there is the phrase, "Do not copy!", this means it is not free (at least, that's the principle).
- If a sentence on the page (at the very top or bottom, or on one side of the page) is with a ©, a year (e.g., 2010), and the words "All rights reserved," that's another indication that you should not copy that text.
- If there is a compatible open license indication (such as CC BY or CC BY-SA, but not CC BY-ND!) or a sentence stating "May be reused under certain conditions," then be careful! It is often mandatory to cite the source of the copied text, the authors, the date, and the license type (especially for CC BY-SA).
It's rather complicated to comply with the law when you want to copy, so it's easier to write the text of an article yourself.
Examples of non-free text[change source]
In general, it is not possible to copy on Vikidia:
- Lectures given by a teacher, a middle school, a high school, or a university;
- Song lyrics (unless it is a short quotation);
- A newspaper or magazine article;
- Text from a book or an article (unless it is a short quotation)
Awareness[change source]
Vikidia contributors must be aware of what copyright infringement is.
Elementary, middle, and high school students are often unaware that they are violating copyright while doing schoolwork. Some presentations require "real" documentary research. Students must then use information found on websites or in books. Reusing information doesn't mean copying sentences word for word, or copying a sentence here and a sentence there; the same applies to paraphrasing. Some people mistakenly believe that their copying goes unnoticed if they replace a word or expression with a synonym. But things aren't that simple.
How to avoid copying?[change source]
You should not copy from a text, an image, or even a table without permission. Permission can be requested from the author of the website or book, but it's rare to get a response, and even less likely for it to be positive. Moreover, even if you get a positive response, the author may impose a restriction. They may say "yes as an exception, just for you or just for this occasion," but since our license allows anyone to reuse the texts under limited conditions, we can't accept exceptions, and their answer is therefore the same as a "no."
To avoid having your text removed for "copyvio", it is therefore preferable to research a subject and summarize what you have learned yourself, without any copy/pasting (changing a few words with synonyms is not enough).
Short quotation right[change source]
As its name suggests, it is possible to copy a short quotation, that is, a small part of a text, for purposes of commentary. To put it simply, you cannot copy an entire book on Vikidia, nor a chapter, nor an entire paragraph. This also applies to songs and poems, for example.
For example, you can copy three lines from a 400-page work; it won't pose any copyright issues. However, if you copy the chorus of a song, it is no longer legal, because it is no longer a "short quotation." It is therefore a question of proportionality between the copied passages and the entire work. Therefore, it is important to exercise common sense.
In addition, the right to short quotation imposes two obligations on the person copying it:
- You must provide an explanation to add context to your quotation. This is not simply a matter of copying a text.
- You must attribute the quotation to its author(s) by mentioning them.
When can a text be copied from Vikidia?[change source]
In principle, the law prohibits any copying of a text protected by copyright. That said, there is one exception: the text becomes subject to public law if the author has been deceased for more than 70 years. Their works become publishable and modifiable without the need of asking for permission.
Be careful with the calculation: in practice, the period is 70 years and begins the following calendar year, i.e., from the following January 1st.
For example: If the author died on March 16, 1945, their work can be copied/published/modified as of January 1, 2016.
The other condition is that all authors of a work must have been deceased for 70 years. If there are several, they must also be deceased. Therefore, as long as the last author has not been deceased for 70 years, their work is still under copyright protection.
In case of copyright infringement[change source]
The administrators of Vikidia hide the version of the history in question, making it unavailable to the public.
If your work has been copied on Vikidia, you can request the administrators to remove it.
See also[change source]
- Help:Image license, because images are also protected by copyright.
- Vikidia:Copyright
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