Commons:Volunteer Response Team/Noticeboard

Welcome to the VRT noticeboard

This page is where users can communicate with Commons Volunteers Response Team members, or VRT agents with one another. You can request permissions verification here, or anything else that needs an agent's assistance. This page is multilingual — when discussing tickets in languages other than English, please make a note of this and consider asking your question in the same language.

Please read the Frequently Asked Questions before posting your question here.

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Releasing rights more efficiently.[edit]

Well done everyone. As I know, if anyone uploads an movie poster they have rights to, they would need to use the VRTS generator to release rights there after.

Is there a way users can release permissions simultaneously as they upload in order for the files not to be deleted? Danidamiobi (talk) 10:29, 22 November 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

@Danidamiobi: How to streamline your licensing depends on whether or not you previously published your work. If you did previously publish, please see VRT#The image was first published on my website, or on my own space of a shared website. If you did not previously publish, please see VRT/CONSENT, especially the part about using {{subst:PP}}. You may also want to consider blanket licensing for all your work or a clearly defined subset of your work. — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ_{please ping or talk to me}🇺🇦 11:22, 22 November 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. Ganímedes (talk) 23:42, 15 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

ticket: 2021021210004144[edit]

Uploader is a serial copyright violator. the picture in the link here has been deleted several times, I would like to ask the respected admins in general, how can this be if the author of the image and the person in the picture are the same person? it doesn't look like a picture taken with a tripod. What do you think is the difference between a photo taken with a tripod? how to determine if this photo was taken with a tripod or not? 89.219.181.65 23:42, 3 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi, and welcome. Onyeddi has three blocks for uploading copyvios. The file will continue to be deleted unless the uploader acknowledges the name of the actual photographer in the "author" field of {{Information}}. — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ_{please ping or talk to me}🇺🇦 15:42, 4 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

{{Delete}}The uploader did not validate the name of the actual photographer in the "author" {{Information}} field.--85.132.29.163 09:17, 9 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Dear krd I deleted the template as you said.--85.132.29.163 09:24, 9 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]
Done, uploader Onyeddi (talk · contributions · Move log · block log · uploads · Abuse filter log) block user has been indefinitely blocked for sockpuppetry thanks to Эlcobbola! — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ_{please ping or talk to me}🇺🇦 11:17, 9 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Dear Jeff G., are you in favor of deleting the image? User blocked but picture not deleted?--89.219.181.65 18:50, 9 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The question is moot. File:NamiqQaraçuxurlu.jpg has been uploaded three times and deleted three times. Note the redlink. Please use internal links. — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ_{please ping or talk to me}🇺🇦 13:55, 10 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Dear admin, File:NamiqQaracuxurlu.jpg the author of the photo and the person in the photo can be the same person, but if it is taken from a tripod, then how can this issue be clarified? for some reason it seems to me that this picture does not look like a picture taken from a tripod.--89.219.181.65 17:09, 10 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

That is technically a different filename, the difference being the cedilla on "ç". This one was kept at Commons:Deletion requests/File:NamiqQaracuxurlu.jpg. I see no information about a self-timer in the metadata for this one from a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, but I will ping the Admins and fellow Agents who have dealt with this file and uploader anyway: AntiCompositeNumber, Túrelio, Elcobbola, Krd, and Wdwd. — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ_{please ping or talk to me}🇺🇦 02:14, 11 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Forwarded permissions?[edit]

Hi, I have been told that there is not unanimous agreement about whether forwarded permissions can be accepted. A few months ago, I forwarded an image, with an attempted permission to use it, from the official representatives of an actress - this wasn't accepted as it wasn't from the photographer, which I have understand. Subsequently (after some too-ing and fro-ing), the representative forwarded (from their agency email address) a CC release from the photographer to the VRTS volunteer. Unfortunately, the photographer did not reply to a couple of requests to email VTRS directly. Is there any way this can be reviewed to see if the CC permission forwarded by the agency to the photographer can be accepted? (I haven't put the case reference here in case there's no hope; and this isn't a complaint.) Regards, BennyOnTheLoose (talk) 22:06, 5 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Between the volunteers of the dutch section we agreed that in forwarded mails the headers of the mail should be included so we can be convinced the permission originates from the photographer. Nothing on VRTS is 100% guaranteed. We do not ask for a proof of identity for instance. Sometimes I feel the uploader is not telling the truth and in such cases I would ask for more evidence. Sometimes I even suggest celebrities to make another professional photo and ask the photographer to sign a contract with CCBYSA beforehand.Ellywa (talk) 08:41, 6 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thank you. In this case the header of the email from the photographer was included in the email that was sent to VTRS from the actresses' agency. BennyOnTheLoose (talk) 15:32, 9 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

BennyOnTheLoose, If you want one of the volunteers to look into this in more detail, please provide the ticket#. Ellywa (talk) 16:58, 9 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks Ellywa, the ticket number is ticket:2022052410008807. Regards, BennyOnTheLoose (talk) 17:34, 9 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

As far as I can see, the forwarded mail does not include the header, it is a simple forward. In addition, each queue of VRT can have their own policies. Best is to ask the photographer to send permission directly to VRT. Ask them to include the ticket no in the subject. Thanks for you efforts. Ellywa (talk) 21:42, 10 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

OK, thank you. Regards, BennyOnTheLoose (talk) 23:10, 10 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

@BennyOnTheLoose, Ellywa, King of Hearts, and Ganímedes: I have combined all the tickets to Ticket:2022051710010791 and have emailed the photographer for direct permission. — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ_{please ping or talk to me}🇺🇦 01:54, 11 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

My view on forwarding is this: VRTS is sometimes used to supply permission, and sometimes used to supply proof of identity, and sometimes both. Proof of permission is required when the uploader is not the copyright holder, and thus no legal contract was formed at the time they clicked "Upload". Proof of identity is required when the image has been previously published, regardless of whether the uploader is the copyright holder. When proof of permission is required but not proof of identity (e.g. someone uploads a new high-res photo with EXIF and indicates a different person as the author), then I accept forwarded permissions, since someone who really wanted to fool us could do so much more easily by just claiming "own work" when uploading. In all other cases, I do not allow forwarded permissions, and require the email to come from an address which has been publicly connected to the image. -- King of ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ 23:22, 10 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

@BennyOnTheLoose: The headers I like to see are the full Internet headers as specified in Internet Standard #11 and RFC 822 "Standard for the format of ARPA Internet text messages". — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ_{please ping or talk to me}🇺🇦 02:25, 11 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks @Jeff G. for take care of the ticket. I've told the customer several times to not forward the permission, but not answer was received. Regards. --Ganímedes (talk) 12:30, 11 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

ticket #2019082010004668[edit]

I have a question regarding File:Okjökull glacier commemorative plaque.jpg. It's stated that the copyright holder is Rice University. But on https://news2.rice.edu/2019/07/18/lost-glacier-to-be-honored-with-memorial-monument/ it sais that Grétar Thorvaldsson is the copyright holder. I suspect that Grétar was never notified of the image being used on Wikimedia, though I have no proof of that. Steinn inn ♨ 20:02, 8 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Pinging @Nsaa as fellow Agent. — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ_{please ping or talk to me}🇺🇦 11:22, 9 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I would also like to know more about this. We do not generally approve "forwarded permissions". The size of the file here is same as that of the one linked above. The date on this link is July 2019 and the image was uploaded here in August. Clarification is a must in this case. ─ The Aafī (^talk) 17:43, 19 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Pinging Ganímedes as well. ─ The Aafī (^talk) 17:44, 19 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

My only intervention was to request a direct permission from the copyright holder, nothing else. I've never accept the ticket, since we've never received the direct permission, because the customer told me I should contact the CRH by my self, thing that I don't do. It's up to him to communicate with the copyright holder since he is the one who request the photo and forwarded the email (and no specific license it's quoted by the forwarded CR). --Ganímedes (talk) 22:06, 19 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks @Ganímedes. That's what I mean. There is no explicit permission. Not sure what made @Nsaa to add permission tags to the file. ─ The Aafī (^talk) 09:05, 20 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I'm not sure, either; that's why I pinged him. — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ_{please ping or talk to me}🇺🇦 20:13, 20 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

File:Le Peuple du Bois.jpg[edit]

Hi, This file contains a ticket, but it was tagged for deletion as derivative work by 1Veertje. Now Yasminkaa says there is another ticket. Any idea? Thanks, Yann (talk) 13:24, 14 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

It sounds like you got the order of events backwards? I had tagged it as a DW and then it got a VRT ticket. Vera ^(talk) 14:30, 14 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Not really. @1Veertje: It doesn't matter now, but ticket was added by Jarekt on 16 May 2022‎, and you tagged it on 8 December 2022‎. See the file page edit history. Yann (talk) 22:06, 14 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. 14:35, 14 December 2022 (UTC)

— 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ_{please ping or talk to me}🇺🇦 14:35, 14 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Emails are bouncing back?[edit]

Hey VRT! It seems like the messages to permissions-commons@wikimedia.org are bouncing back. Can you check if there is something wrong with the inbox? Thanks! Señoritaleona (talk) 23:41, 15 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

There is nothing obviously wrong. Please provide details. --Krd 07:34, 17 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Krd 09:03, 18 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

ticket:2010070810008688[edit]

This is truly miraculous. Karl Deutsch (founder of the company) died in 1974 and took this photo in 2007. What on earth did they tell you in this VRT communication?

On their German WP user page, the uploader first tells us that they got permission from the photographer to publish this as "own work", which quite obviously is not the truth.

Next, they tell us that they sent an e-mail with the permission by the company CEO, who quite obviously is not the copyright holder either. Neither is his company (impossible by German law).

Doesn't the VRT team check if the person who sent the e-mail is the copyright holder in the first place? And how trustworthy are the permissions for the other uploads by this user? --87.150.6.64 17:18, 20 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi 87.150.6.64, I'd definitely like to help you with this. The ticket contains a signed permission document dating 26/7/2010. The ticket makes a mention of photographer "Gunnar Bälde" who takes all of the photos for the company called "KARL DEUTSCH". The permission does not come from the photographer and there is no evidence of the transfer of copyrights either. @Krd, what is your opinion on this because you happen to be somewhere to this language. ─ The Aafī (^talk) 18:43, 20 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I personally suggest that the permissions be revoked and not considering the long-time of these images on Commons. A new legitimate permission be sought. ─ The Aafī (^talk) 18:45, 20 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks for your reply, and for taking care of this!

Re "there is no evidence of the transfer of copyrights either": There cannot be. It's not possible by German law. --87.150.6.64 20:32, 20 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

@AFBorchert, anything on this because you were the one who dealt with this... ─ The Aafī (^talk) 03:51, 21 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]

File usage of MGR Chennai Central - Mysuru Vande Bharat Express.jpg in the Wiki page[edit]

VRT team,

I request you to give permission for usage of this picture since I gave the permission to @Sanjeev4125 (Real name: Sanjeev Venkat, close friend of mine since school days) to use it in the Wiki page. This is the ticker number: 2022121610000674 and I had mailed this to the team since Dec 16 07:08hrs (IST Time). Kindly help me with this issue. Sameer2905 (talk) 17:44, 20 December 2022 (UTC)Reply[reply]