INDIANPEDIA · COPYRIGHT
Copyrights
Copyright and licensing requirements for IndianPedia content and media.
Overview
IndianPedia respects the intellectual property rights of authors, photographers, artists, publishers, organisations, and other rights holders.
Contributors must not add copyrighted material to IndianPedia unless they have the legal right or appropriate permission to do so, or the material can lawfully be used under an applicable copyright exception.
When in doubt, do not upload or copy the material.
Copyrighted text
Do not copy substantial portions of text from books, newspapers, websites, magazines, academic publications, or other copyrighted sources into IndianPedia.
Articles should be written in the contributor's own words and should not reproduce copyrighted sources.
Brief quotations may sometimes be appropriate when legally permitted and properly attributed. Quotations should be limited to what is reasonably necessary for the purpose.
Changing a few words, translating copyrighted material, or rearranging sentences does not automatically make copied material acceptable.
Sources and references
Sources may be used to research and verify information without copying their copyrighted expression.
For example, an editor may read a newspaper article, verify the facts, and then write an original summary in their own words while citing the source.
A citation does not by itself give permission to copy copyrighted material.
Images and other media
Images, photographs, videos, audio recordings, graphics, maps, logos, and other media may be protected by copyright.
Before uploading media, contributors should determine:
- Who created the work.
- Whether the work is still protected by copyright.
- Whether it has been released under a suitable free licence.
- Whether permission has been obtained from the copyright holder.
- Whether a specific legal exception may apply.
- Whether the intended use complies with IndianPedia's policies.
Free and openly licensed material
Where possible, contributors should use material that is in the public domain or released under a licence compatible with IndianPedia's applicable licensing requirements.
The licence and attribution requirements of the original creator must be respected.
Do not remove copyright notices, author information, licence information, or required attribution from material.
Public domain
Material in the public domain may generally be used without obtaining permission from the copyright holder.
However, public-domain status can depend on the country, date of creation, publication history, authorship, and other circumstances.
Contributors should verify public-domain status before uploading material and should provide an explanation of why the material is believed to be in the public domain when appropriate.
Permission from copyright holders
If you own the copyright in a work, you may be able to release it under a licence that permits its use on IndianPedia.
If another person or organisation owns the copyright, permission should be obtained from the copyright holder before using the work unless an applicable legal exception permits the use.
Permission should be sufficiently clear to establish:
- Who owns the copyright.
- What material is covered.
- What use is permitted.
- Whether modification and redistribution are permitted.
- Whether attribution is required.
- Whether commercial use is permitted, if relevant.
Permission to view or publish something on a particular website does not automatically mean that IndianPedia may copy or redistribute it.
Attribution
When a licence requires attribution, contributors must provide the attribution required by that licence.
Where appropriate, media descriptions should identify:
- Author or creator
- Source
- Copyright status or licence
- Required attribution
- Other relevant licence conditions
Fair dealing and other copyright exceptions
Some jurisdictions provide copyright exceptions such as fair dealing, fair use, quotation, criticism, review, reporting, education, or other limited uses.
The availability and scope of such exceptions vary by jurisdiction.
IndianPedia does not assume that a use is lawful merely because it is educational, non-commercial, informational, or available elsewhere online.
Where an exception is relied upon, contributors should document the legal basis and keep the use as limited as reasonably necessary.
Logos, seals, and trademarks
Logos, seals, insignia, and trademarks may be subject to copyright, trademark, design, or other legal protections.
Their inclusion in an article does not necessarily mean that they are freely licensed.
Use such material only when there is an appropriate legal and encyclopedic basis for doing so.
Screenshots
Screenshots from websites, software, films, television programmes, games, or other copyrighted works may themselves contain copyrighted material.
Do not upload screenshots simply because they can be easily captured.
The copyright status and legal basis for the intended use should be considered before uploading them.
AI-generated content
AI-generated text, images, audio, or other material should not be assumed to be copyright-free.
Contributors are responsible for ensuring that material they submit does not infringe the rights of third parties and complies with applicable law and the terms of any source or generation service used.
Where the copyright status of AI-generated material is uncertain, contributors should use appropriately licensed or original material instead.
Copyright violations
IndianPedia may remove material when there is a credible copyright concern.
If you believe that an IndianPedia page contains material that infringes copyright, provide:
- The affected page.
- The location of the allegedly infringing material.
- The original copyrighted source, if available.
- An explanation of the concern.
Do not post private correspondence, personal documents, or confidential information publicly.
Removing copyrighted material
Editors should promptly remove clearly infringing material when identified.
Where appropriate, administrators may delete revisions containing copyrighted material so that the infringing content is no longer available through the page history.
Copyright concerns should not be used as a means of suppressing legitimate criticism or information.
Reusing IndianPedia content
The rights and licence applicable to IndianPedia text and media depend on the applicable project licence and the individual work.
Before reusing IndianPedia content, check the licence information associated with the relevant page or file and comply with all applicable attribution and licence requirements.
Do not assume that every image or media file on IndianPedia is available under the same licence as article text.
Contributor responsibility
By submitting content to IndianPedia, contributors represent that they have the necessary rights or legal basis to make the submission.
Contributors should not upload or publish material merely because:
- It appears on Google or another search engine.
- It is publicly visible online.
- Another website has published it.
- It has no visible copyright notice.
- It is old.
- It is being used for educational purposes.
- It is being used without charge elsewhere.
None of these facts, by themselves, establish that material is free of copyright restrictions.
Copyright complaints
Copyright holders or their authorised representatives who believe that material on IndianPedia infringes their rights may contact IndianPedia through the project's designated contact channel.
Complaints should contain sufficient information to identify:
- The copyrighted work.
- The allegedly infringing material.
- The location of the material on IndianPedia.
- The complainant's contact information.
- The complainant's relationship to the copyright holder.
- Any other information reasonably necessary to evaluate the complaint.
IndianPedia may request additional information before taking action.
Legal notice
This page describes IndianPedia's internal copyright and licensing practices. It is not legal advice and does not replace applicable copyright law.
Copyright law differs between jurisdictions and may change over time. Contributors are responsible for complying with applicable law.
Where IndianPedia policies conflict with applicable law, the applicable law governs.