ENSIKLOPEDIA
Wikipedia:Copyright problems
 | This page has an administrative backlog that requires the attention of willing administrators. Please replace this notice with {{no admin backlog}} when the backlog is cleared. |
Wikipedia's centralized discussion, request, and help venues. For a listing of ongoing discussions and current requests, see the dashboard. For a related set of forums which do not function as noticeboards see formal review processes. | |
| General | |
| Articles, content | |
| Page handling | |
| User conduct | |
| Other | |
This page is for listing and discussing possible copyright problems involving text on Wikipedia. On this page, editors handle articles where the copyright status is disputed or where complex cases of infringement are present. Most listings are handled within 1 week, although some may take longer. Interested editors 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.
| Wikipedia copyright |
|---|
| Policy |
|
| Guidelines |
| Advice |
| Processes |
| Resources |
How to list an article
You should list an article on this page 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,
- Place one of the following above the infringing text:
{{subst:copyvio|url=insert URL here}}{{subst:copyvio|identify non-web source here}}
- Place
{{subst:Copyvio/bottom}}below the last infringing text. - Go to today's section and add the following template to the bottom of the list:
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 make sure a header has been added to the top of the page. This should happen automatically.{{subst:article-cv|PageName}}from [insert URL or identify non-web source here] ~~~~ - 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
- Backwards copy by another source of Wikipedia. Instead, add
{{Backwards copy|Title=title of source|url=link to source|year=2000}}to the article's talk page. - Blatant infringement. Articles that are entirely copyvio can be handled through speedy deletion if it meets the criteria. Do not blank or list the article here if tagged for speedy deletion.
- 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 the file 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?
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:
- Explicit statement by the author, stating that the work is either in the public domain or compatibly licensed
- Public domain due to age, source, or lack of originality
- Fair use under our guidelines for non-free content, where the text used is brief and clearly marked with full attribution
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
Any editor is welcome to investigate articles listed for copyright concerns and remove {{copypaste}} or {{close paraphrasing}} tags when the problem is addressed or disproven. Only administrators, copyright clerks, and VRT agents should remove {{copyvio}} tags and close 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}}.
Providing information on copyright statuses
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 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.
Copyright owners who submitted their own work to Wikipedia (or people editing on their behalf)
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:
- Link to a note permitting reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA) and the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) (unversioned, with no invariant sections, front-cover texts, or back-cover texts) at the site of the original publication; or
- Send an email from an address associated with the original publication to permissions-en@wikimedia.org or a postal message to the Wikimedia Foundation, ideally using the email template at WP:CONSENT.
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
Copyright clerks
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.
Copyright problems administrators
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.
Listings of possible copyright problems
Older than 7 days
20 November 2025
- Pablo Herrán (history · last edit · rewrite) from . Very closely paraphrased from the source. See Wikipedia:Contributor copyright investigations/Peripatetic The4lines |||| (talk) 04:31, 20 November 2025 (UTC)
- Te Matatini (history · last edit · rewrite) from Category:Articles with close paraphrasing from February 2025. --MrLinkinPark333 (talk) 20:11, 20 November 2025 (UTC)
- Angevin kings of England (history · last edit · rewrite) from Category:Articles with close paraphrasing from March 2025. --MrLinkinPark333 (talk) 20:11, 20 November 2025 (UTC)
- See also Wikipedia:Good article reassessment/Angevin kings of England/1 and Wikipedia:Good article reassessment/Angevin kings of England/2 by the tagger. Tenshi! (Talk page) 15:31, 21 November 2025 (UTC)
- Bruxism (history · last edit · rewrite) from Category:Articles with close paraphrasing from March 2025. --MrLinkinPark333 (talk) 20:11, 20 November 2025 (UTC)
Article cleaned by investigator or others. No remaining infringement. Sennecaster (Chat) 02:43, 1 December 2025 (UTC)
- Cambridge Women's Center (history · last edit · rewrite) from Category:Articles with close paraphrasing from March 2025. --MrLinkinPark333 (talk) 20:11, 20 November 2025 (UTC)
- COMMON (user group) (history · last edit · rewrite) from Category:Articles with close paraphrasing from March 2025. --MrLinkinPark333 (talk) 20:11, 20 November 2025 (UTC)
- Noting that this was created by a user that has an open CCI. Tenshi! (Talk page) 20:38, 20 November 2025 (UTC)
- According to tagger, sources being paraphrased from are . Tenshi! (Talk page) 15:31, 21 November 2025 (UTC)
- Article cleaned by investigator or others. No remaining infringement. Sennecaster (Chat) 18:24, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
- Yan Xishan (history · last edit · rewrite) from Category:Articles with close paraphrasing from March 2025. --MrLinkinPark333 (talk) 20:11, 20 November 2025 (UTC)
- Article cleaned by investigator or others. No remaining infringement. Sennecaster (Chat) 22:08, 28 January 2026 (UTC)
2 April 2026
- Zamia oligodonta (history · last edit · rewrite) from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270896943_A_taxonomic_revision_of_Zamia_montana_and_Zamia_oligodonta_with_notes_on_their_conservation_status. AI-written copyright violations, foundational. Justlettersandnumbers (talk) 12:29, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
- Someone may just as well delete this, as I plan to start from scratch on writing a new version of the article. Donald Albury 15:36, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
- Deleted as WP:G7 per the above. Justlettersandnumbers (talk) 16:42, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
- Someone may just as well delete this, as I plan to start from scratch on writing a new version of the article. Donald Albury 15:36, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
- MBaer Merchant Bank (history · last edit · rewrite) from , , . Nice mix-and-match of sentences from all the linked sources, most of the page is a copyright violation (likely LLM-generated?) Broc (talk) 16:23, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
Article deleted due to copyright concerns. Sennecaster (Chat) 03:52, 13 May 2026 (UTC)
3 April 2026
- Frederick Matthew Darley (history · last edit · rewrite) from . Sophisticatedevening(talk) 00:08, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
- The source is from Project Gutenberg Australia, so presumably out of copyright. What's the basis for thinking this is copyrighted material? john k (talk) 03:55, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
- Specifically, the text in question appears as "copyright 1920." This seems to be public domain. john k (talk) 03:57, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
- @John K The text is from Dictionary of Australian Biography which was published in 1949. While yes this is public domain in Australia, it is not public domain in the United States and it will not be until 2044 because of URAA. You can look at Wikipedia:Contributor copyright investigations/Dictionary of Australian Biography where this part was discussed. Sophisticatedevening(talk) 04:00, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
- Ah, I see (was looking at the wrong thing from 1920.) My question on something like this is...who owns the US copyright on this? Almost certainly works like this (published in a country where they are now in the public domain) are totally orphaned in the US, no? john k (talk) 04:30, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
- There was an effort at Wikipedia:Australian Wikipedians' notice board to find who the copyright holder was, either a descendent of Percival Serle or now possibly with HarperCollins in order to try to get them to put it under a creative commons license, perhaps that discussion might assist your question. Sophisticatedevening(talk) 04:50, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
- Ah, I see (was looking at the wrong thing from 1920.) My question on something like this is...who owns the US copyright on this? Almost certainly works like this (published in a country where they are now in the public domain) are totally orphaned in the US, no? john k (talk) 04:30, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
- The source is from Project Gutenberg Australia, so presumably out of copyright. What's the basis for thinking this is copyrighted material? john k (talk) 03:55, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
- Gresford Athletic F.C. (history · last edit · rewrite) from https://web.archive.org/web/20251211034210/https://www.gresfordathleticfc.com/a/history-63923.html. SlimyGecko7 (talk) 11:28, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
- Added in March 2023, annoyingly the Wayback Machine doesn't have a working archive from then. But with similar content on the Gresford website from 2014 and the edit being sourced to the club website, it's fair to assume it's a copyvio. SlimyGecko7 (talk) 11:39, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
Article cleaned, revision deletion requested. MCE89 (talk) 16:01, 9 April 2026 (UTC)
Revision deletion completed. Whpq (talk) 18:34, 9 April 2026 (UTC)
26 April 2026
- Stuart Roy Clarke (history · last edit · rewrite) from two books cited in the article. I don't have access to the books, but this looks very much like it's been copied from them verbatim. Cordless Larry (talk) 19:03, 26 April 2026 (UTC)
- WP:REX#Stuart Roy Clarke. Tenshi! (Talk page) 19:36, 28 April 2026 (UTC)
- Draft:Imric Porsolt and Taumata o Kupe have some sentences that I consider closely paraphrased but want a second opinion on before I remove the text. Taumata o Kupe had more obvious close paraphrasing issues that I have already removed. Traumnovelle (talk) 23:14, 26 April 2026 (UTC)
Extended content |
|---|
|
Text: 'At the Best Design Awards in 2023, TOA Architects won gold in the Toitanga category, as well as the supreme purple pin, for work which raises the bar for New Zealand design.' Source: 'Toa Architects, which designed Te Taumata o Kupe, won the gold pin as well as the supreme purple pin in the Toitanga section at this year’s Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards.'
Text: 'The site measures at 600 square feet over two levels.' Source: 'It measures 600 square metres over two levels' Text: 'The building veers from the structure of a conventional wharenui (Māori meeting house) with its rectangular gabled-shaped building.' Source: 'The building form is not that of the conventional Wharenui with a rectangular gabled-shaped building and front porch area.' Text: 'The glass facade is split in two, with the bottom tilted inwards, suggesting alluding to the nautical themes of sails and rudders' Source: 'and the glass’ inward tilt and angles on the red barge suggests the movement of the sails and rudders.' Source: 'the glass facade echoing the stays, while the faceted frame alludes to the shape of a rudder.' Text: 'The diagonal black wind brace which traces the front façade recalls the forms of stays used on Māori sails.' Source: 'The diagonal black wind brace on the front façade follows the form of stays used on Māori sails' Text: 'The glass panels illustrate Kupe's journey, drawing inspiration from whakairo rākau and kōwhaiwhai traditions as well as contemporary Māori artist Cliff Whiting's aesthetic and colour palette.' Source: 'Rawiri based his visual language on the traditions of whakairo rākau and kōwhaiwhai (scroll painting) and the contemporary aesthetic and colour palette pioneered by the Māori modernist artist, Cliff Whiting.' Text: 'TOA Architects designed the raised platform of the building to reference the Society Islands taumata (hill) from where Kupe departed for Aotearoa New Zealand' Source: 'According to TOA Architects, this raised platform is a direct reference to Society Islands’ taumata from which Kupe departed.' Text: 'Imric Porsolt was born in Pozony, Hungary (now Bratislava, Slovakia) in 1909. Living in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he learnt both Hungarian and German.' Source: 'Born in Pozony in Hungary in 1909 (now Bratislava in Slovakia), Porsolt grew up speaking both Hungarian and German as a citizen of the Austro-Hungarian empire' Text: 'Simultaneously, several avant garde art and architecture movements were growing and modernism was catching on as a depature from traditionalism' Source: 'Modernism represented a radical departure for him from the old way of life of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.' |
- As per the instructions, @Traumnovelle: can you tag the problematic material with {{copyvio}}? Tenshi! (Talk page) 07:46, 27 April 2026 (UTC)
- I have done that, although it blanks the whole page which I find to be a bit extreme based on the perceived issue here. Traumnovelle (talk) 23:12, 27 April 2026 (UTC)
- I added some more examples from the first paragraph, some are quite blatant examples of close paraphrasing but others are debatable. Traumnovelle (talk) 09:22, 28 April 2026 (UTC)
- And more examples. I haven't gone through the entire article but I now believe the article may required to be fully deleted due to the extensive close paraphrasing. Traumnovelle (talk) 21:50, 28 April 2026 (UTC)
- I added some more examples from the first paragraph, some are quite blatant examples of close paraphrasing but others are debatable. Traumnovelle (talk) 09:22, 28 April 2026 (UTC)
- I have done that, although it blanks the whole page which I find to be a bit extreme based on the perceived issue here. Traumnovelle (talk) 23:12, 27 April 2026 (UTC)
4 May 2026
- Baron of Gilmerton (history · last edit · rewrite) presumptive deletion from Kellycrak88. Jack Frost (talk) 03:42, 4 May 2026 (UTC)
- David H. Hoffman (history · last edit · rewrite) from . Also one paragraph from . Inserted in these 2009 edits. ClumsyOwlet (talk) 15:44, 4 May 2026 (UTC)
New listings
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 How to list an article. Editors may resolve issues with listings at any time, save for presumptive deletion. See the section on responding for more information.
9 May 2026
- Charles Fickert (history · last edit · rewrite) PDEL from Wikipedia:Contributor copyright investigations/20151115; his authorship % is pretty low but almost all of the text is still his. theleekycauldron (talk • she/her) 20:09, 9 May 2026 (UTC)
12 May 2026
- Draft:Brown v. Board of Education II (history · last edit · rewrite) from https://www.spainexchange.com/faq/which-supreme-court-decision-did-brown-overturn-quizlet. 「NuggFrog」 (talk) 12:32, 12 May 2026 (UTC)
- I did not know this was copyrighted neither did the people who had created the simple English Wikipedia article that this draft is based on Amapenguin (talk) 12:44, 12 May 2026 (UTC)
- Article deleted for a reason other than copyright concerns. G5'd as a sock creation. MCE89 (talk) 13:37, 13 May 2026 (UTC)
14 May 2026
- Willis McGlascoe Carter (history · last edit · rewrite) from https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Carter_Willis_M_1852-1902. — Diannaa 🍁 (talk) 13:37, 14 May 2026 (UTC)
15 May 2026
- Niau kingfisher (history · last edit · rewrite) from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321134716.htm. A Wondrous Raven (talk) 02:11, 15 May 2026 (UTC)
- Added in 2011 (this revision). A Wondrous Raven (talk) 04:09, 15 May 2026 (UTC)
- Article cleaned, revision deletion requested. MCE89 (talk) 09:11, 15 May 2026 (UTC)
- Revision deletion completed. MCE89 (talk) 09:37, 15 May 2026 (UTC)
Footer
Wikipedia's current date is 16 May 2026. Put new article listings in Wikipedia:Copyright problems/2026 May 16. Files should be handled by speedy deletion or Wikipedia:Files for discussion.