Wikipedia:Copyright problems/Instructions

Identifying the source

Frequently, articles tagged for {{Close paraphrasing}} or {{Copypaste}} do not identify their sources. If the source is not obvious, a Google search using quotation marks "" around suspicious sentences or a scan with Earwig's Copyvio Detector can help. Most articles copy from the sources cited, but the copyvio detector cannot check book or paywalled journal sources. If you cannot find a source, consider who placed the tag, and who added the alleged copyright violation. If it looks like disruption, remove the tag. Otherwise, handling depends on which tag it is.

• {{Copypaste}} tags are frequently used when people have a sense that something is off, but no evidence. If no source is given or found, remove the {{Copypaste}} tag from the article.
• {{Close paraphrasing}} tags are usually placed with a source in mind, but if no source can be found and no examples are given, we cannot process them. Remove the tag with a note at the talk page requesting more information if it is restored.
• {{Copyvio}} tags should not be placed without sources. If the tag seems to have been placed in good faith by a registered contributor or active IP, ask for the source. If the tagger is not available for comment and you cannot find the source, the tag may be removed and the content may be restored.
  • The exception is presumptive deletions. They come with a named and/or linked contributor copyright investigations page instead.

If a source is located, you can proceed with evaluating the issue.

Evaluating the issue

Go through each question. They can be answered by a yes, no, or maybe. If the answer to any question is no, remove {{copyvio}} and communicate your findings on the talk page or copyright problems listing.

1. Is this a presumptive deletion?
   1. If yes, skip to below.
   2. If no, continue on.
2. Is the article the same as or similar to the suspected source?
   1. Compare the article to the suspected source. Resource requests, The Wikipedia Library, interlibrary loans, or buying the content are some options for accessing offline or paywalled sources. You are not expected to purchase sources for copyright problems.
   2. CopyPatrol may have a report on recently added text. When the bot marks a revision for review at CopyPatrol, it creates a log entry on the page. Entering the article's name (if the article is a Draft, remove the "Draft:" from the title) into the search bar and selecting "All cases" will show all reports made involving the article.
   3. Substantial borrowing of sentence structure or superficial changes are insufficient to avoid copyright infringement.
   4. Direct translations by editors from non-free sources are considered copyright violations.
   5. Extensive quotations may also be a copyright infringement, even when clearly marked.
3. Did the suspected source publish the content before Wikipedia?
   1. Wikipedia has many mirrors and forks, and articles are frequently copied to other sites and publications (both with and without attribution).
   2. See if the page mentions Wikipedia by name, links to Wikipedia pages, and/or has the same citation placement as the Wikipedia page.
   3. Check the date of the source to the article history. The Internet Archive can help determine the age of a particular page or text.
   4. If you cannot verify the age of the source, examine the introduction of text. Large chunks of unwikified text added in one revision are usually copied from another source. If the text seems to have evolved naturally at Wikipedia, then it probably is not a copyright violation.
   5. If the editor adding the text has a history of copyright violations or is using a markedly different tone between articles not explained by switching topic areas, the text may be a copyright violation.
   6. Official or reputable sources are less likely to have mirrored Wikipedia's content without attribution, although it sometimes does happen. Almost all articles on Wikipedia have been duplicated by three to five different BlogSpot sites.
   7. If you confirm that another source is duplicating a Wikipedia article without obvious credit, tag the article's talk page with {{Backwards copy}}.
4. Is the text copyrighted?
   1. Copyright is presumed unless explicitly verified otherwise.
      1. Licensed computer programs are not compatible with Wikipedia's licensing, unless they are in the public domain.
   2. Check the copyright status of the suspected source to see if the content is public domain or licensed under a compatible license. These are usually found in "About this site", "copyright", "FAQ", or "Terms of Use" sections of websites. (See license compatibility table)
   3. Wikipedia:Public domain, s:Help:Public domain, c:COM:Hirtle chart, and c:COM:Copyright rules by territory can also offer guidance, especially for URAA restorations.
   4. Statements like 'all rights reserved', 'Copyright 2XXX', 'non-commercial use only', 'educational use only' or 'permission granted to Wikipedia' are not compliant with our licensing requirements.

Checking for permission

When an editor gives credible claim of permission or ownership, they should be given notice of how to proceed under Wikipedia:Donating copyrighted materials or Wikipedia:Requesting copyright permission. If an editor has not been instructed on verifying claims of permission, notify them and relist under the current date. If no claim is given after 7 days, delete the article for missing permission.

Claims of permission are frequently found on talk pages, edit summaries, or user talk pages of editors. The name of a particular editor may also inform plausible permission. {{copyvio}} provides instructions for verification, so if an editor has been active on the article or its talk page after blanking they are presumed aware.

Every claim of permission must be verified by one of the two methods below.

• VRT: Permission received by the Volunteer Response Team is logged at the article's talk page by a VRT agent, usually with {{Ticket confirmation}}. {{Permission pending}} and {{Permission received}} are not verification of permission.
  • VRT agents will remove all copyright warnings from the article and add any required attribution to the article when verifying permission.
  • If an article has been tagged {{Permission pending}} or {{Permission received}} for over 1 month, delete the article for missing permission. VRT agents will restore the article if permission is received after deletion.
    • If the talk page is tagged with {{Permission received}}, ask a VRT agent for an update before deleting the article for missing permission.
• External website: Check the given source to see if the material is licensed compatibly with CC-By-SA by the site's owner or equivalent. If you verify that a usable licensing statement exists, log your confirmation at the article's talk and add any necessary attribution in the article.

Notation templates

The notation templates used by admins and clerks are found below. They can also be located in the edit notice at the top of every page in the "copyright problems" space.