SmashWiki:Image copyrights

This page documents an official SmashWiki policy, a widely accepted standard that all users should follow. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. If in doubt, consider discussing changes on the talk page.

All images on SmashWiki fall into one of three main categories. This page outlines those categories and how to treat them.

Game media

As a wiki based on video games, the majority of our images will be screenshots or official images of said games (whether raw or edited, whether vanilla or hacked). It is assumed that all such images are copyrighted by the games' creators and fall under fair use. Such images should have {{license-screenshot}} on them:

This image is a screenshot, graphic, audio clip, animation, or other piece of media from a copyrighted video game or other source. We assert that our usage of it falls under the principle of fair use.

However, as the vast majority of images on the wiki are of this type, it is not strictly necessary to add this specific template - it is the default that should be assumed for all images without a tag.

Photographs of players and tournaments

As a wiki based on a game played competitively, we have several images of players and tournaments. These fall into three subcategories:

Taken by an individual

These photos are almost certainly public domain, and should have {{license-photo-pd}} applied:

This photograph or animated image is not eligible for copyright, and so is public domain.

Taken by a group

Official press images of people may or may not be copyrighted by the relevant company. Screenshots of players or commentators on streams may or may not be copyrighted by the streamer and/or streaming service. They should have {{license-photo-cr}}:

This photograph was taken by {{{1}}}, and is, or may be, copyrighted by them. We assert that our usage of it falls under the principle of fair use.

Contain a copyrighted element

A photograph of a TV with a game in the background would fall under this, as might photographs of systems or controllers. These should have {{license-photo-crcontent}}:

This photograph contains a copyrighted element, which is asserted to be fair use, but is otherwise public domain.

User-made diagrams, icons, etc

These images are typically owned by whoever made them, though they may require a disclaimer should they contain a copyrighted element. They should have {{license-usermade}}:

This image may contain copyrighted elements (and so falls under fair use), but is otherwise fan-made and ineligible for copyright.