View source for SurveyWiki:Licensing and AI

== Licensing and AI disclosure ==

This page explains how to handle images, documents, and other files you add to SurveyWiki, which license to pick, and what to disclose when AI tools were involved in creating them.

=== Use files you actually have rights to ===

Before uploading anything, make sure you have the rights to it. In practice, that means one of the following:

* '''You made it yourself''' — a photo you took, a diagram you drew, a document you wrote.
* '''It's explicitly licensed for reuse''' — public domain, or under a license (such as CC BY, CC BY-SA) that permits your intended use, including on an internal wiki.
* '''You have direct permission''' from the rights holder to upload and use it here.

If you're not sure whether you have the right to use a file, the safest move is not to upload it — ask first, or use one of the alternatives below.

=== Third-party files: last resort, and only with proper credit ===

Files you didn't create yourself should be treated as a '''last resort''', not a default choice. Before uploading a third-party image or document, ask:

# Can I '''link to the original source''' instead of copying the file here?
# Can I '''create my own version''' (redraw a diagram, take a new photo) instead?

Only upload a third-party file if neither of those works. When you do, always credit it properly on the file's description page, using this pattern:

<pre>
'''Author:''' [name or organization]
'''Source:''' [URL or publication]
'''License:''' [e.g. CC BY-SA 4.0, public domain, used with permission]
'''Date accessed/published:''' [date]
</pre>

'''Example:'''
<pre>
'''Author:''' Jane Doe / NOAA
'''Source:''' https://example.com/original-image
'''License:''' CC BY 4.0
'''Date accessed:''' 2026-09-26
</pre>

A file without clear authorship and licensing information may be removed. Also '''keep the original license''' a third-party file was published under — don't re-license someone else's work under a different license when you upload it.

=== AI-generated and AI-assisted content must be marked ===

If an image, illustration, or diagram was generated or substantially assisted by an AI tool (e.g. Midjourney, DALL·E, Stable Diffusion, or AI-assisted editing), say so clearly on the file's description page. Add a short note such as:

<pre>
'''AI disclosure:''' This image was generated with [tool name]. / This image was AI-assisted (e.g. background removal, upscaling) from an original by [author].
</pre>

This applies to fully AI-generated images as well as images where AI played a significant role in producing the final result — not to routine edits like cropping or resizing.

=== Available licenses ===

When you upload a file, you'll be asked to choose one of the following. Pick the one that matches what you actually intend to allow others to do with it.

{{Template:CC0-1.0}}

{{Template:CC-BY-4.0}}

{{Template:CC-BY-SA-4.0}}

{{Template:CC-BY-ND-4.0}}

{{Template:CC-BY-NC-4.0}}

{{Template:CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0}}

{{Template:CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0}}

{{Template:Internal use only}}

{{Template:All rights reserved}}

{{Template:Trademark General Notice}}

=== Choosing the right license: you are the owner ===

Use this table when '''you created the file yourself''' (photo, diagram, document — AI-generated or AI-assisted work you produced counts too).

{| class="wikitable"
! AI involvement !! Purpose / intent !! Recommended license
|-
| None (fully your own work) || Fully open — anyone can use, modify, redistribute, including commercially || [[Template:CC0-1.0|CC0 1.0]] or [[Template:CC-BY-4.0|CC BY 4.0]]
|-
| None (fully your own work) || Open, but derivatives must stay open (share-alike) || [[Template:CC-BY-SA-4.0|CC BY-SA 4.0]]
|-
| None (fully your own work) || Open for viewing/sharing, but no modifications allowed || [[Template:CC-BY-ND-4.0|CC BY-ND 4.0]]
|-
| None (fully your own work) || Open, but no commercial use || [[Template:CC-BY-NC-4.0|CC BY-NC 4.0]]
|-
| None (fully your own work) || No commercial use, and derivatives must stay open || [[Template:CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0|CC BY-NC-SA 4.0]]
|-
| None (fully your own work) || Most restrictive: no commercial use, no modifications || [[Template:CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0|CC BY-NC-ND 4.0]]
|-
| AI-assisted (e.g. upscaling, background removal, touch-ups on your own original) || Add an '''AI disclosure''' note, then license as you would the underlying original || Any of the above CC licenses, matched to your intended openness
|-
| Fully AI-generated (e.g. AI-drawn illustration) || Add an '''AI disclosure''' note. AI-generated output often isn't eligible for standard copyright, so avoid promising attribution rights you may not hold || [[Template:CC0-1.0|CC0 1.0]] (safest open option) or [[Template:Internal use only|Internal use only]]
|-
| Any (none / AI-assisted / AI-generated) || Sensitive internal document, screenshot, or content tied to a restricted namespace (e.g. Admin, Prysmian) || [[Template:Internal use only|Internal use only]], uploaded only into the relevant restricted namespace
|-
| Any || Company/partner logo or brand mark || [[Template:Trademark General Notice|Trademark General Notice]] — do not apply a Creative Commons license to a trademark
|}

=== Choosing the right license: third-party ownership ===

Use this table when the file was '''created by someone else'''. Remember: linking to the original source is always preferred over uploading. Upload only as a last resort, and always credit the original author/source (see the credit pattern above).

{| class="wikitable"
! Current licensing of the third-party file !! Your intended use here !! Recommended action / license
|-
| Already public domain or CC0 || Any || Prefer linking. If uploading, use [[Template:CC0-1.0|CC0 1.0]] and credit the original source anyway (good practice even if not legally required).
|-
| Already CC BY (any version) || Any || Prefer linking. If uploading, keep [[Template:CC-BY-4.0|CC BY 4.0]] — don't relicense it — and credit the original author.
|-
| Already CC BY-SA || Any || Prefer linking. If uploading, keep [[Template:CC-BY-SA-4.0|CC BY-SA 4.0]] and credit the original author; don't relicense.
|-
| Already CC BY-ND / CC BY-NC / CC BY-NC-SA / CC BY-NC-ND || Matches the original's terms (e.g. non-commercial internal use) || Prefer linking. If uploading, keep the '''same original license''' — e.g. [[Template:CC-BY-ND-4.0|CC BY-ND 4.0]], [[Template:CC-BY-NC-4.0|CC BY-NC 4.0]], [[Template:CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0|CC BY-NC-SA 4.0]], or [[Template:CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0|CC BY-NC-ND 4.0]] — never loosen or tighten someone else's license.
|-
| Already CC BY-ND / CC BY-NC / CC BY-NC-SA / CC BY-NC-ND || You want to modify it, use it commercially, or otherwise go beyond its terms || Not permitted under the license as-is — don't upload a modified/derivative version. Contact the rights holder for permission, or find/create an alternative.
|-
| Fully AI-generated by someone else, license unclear || Any || Prefer linking. If uploading is unavoidable, use [[Template:Internal use only|Internal use only]] unless the source explicitly states a reuse license, and add an AI disclosure note.
|-
| No clear license, or explicitly "all rights reserved" || Any || Do '''not''' upload. Link to the source instead, or contact the rights holder for permission.
|-
| Trademarked logo or brand mark owned by a third party || Any || Do not upload unless you have explicit permission; if uploaded with permission, use [[Template:Trademark General Notice|Trademark General Notice]], not a CC license.
|}

=== Why this matters ===

Clear sourcing, licensing, and AI disclosure protects contributors and the project from copyright issues, keeps the wiki's provenance transparent, and helps future editors know what they can safely reuse, edit, or need to double-check.