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:

1. Can I link to the original source instead of copying the file here?
2. 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:

'''Title:''' [title of file, image or document]
'''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]

Example:

'''Title:''' Original Image Title
'''Author:''' Jane Doe / NOAA
'''Source:''' https://example.com/original-image
'''License:''' CC BY 4.0
'''Date accessed:''' 2026-09-26

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:

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

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.

Choosing the right license: you are the owner

Use these tables when you created the file yourself (photo, diagram, document — AI-generated or AI-assisted work you produced counts too). First check how AI was involved, then pick a license based on how open you want the file to be.

By AI involvement

AI involvement	Guidance
None (fully your own work)	Pick a license freely based on purpose — see the table below.
AI-assisted (e.g. upscaling, background removal, touch-ups on your own original)	Add an AI disclosure note describing what the AI did, then license as you would the underlying original — see the table below.
Fully AI-generated (e.g. an 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 actually hold.

Note: for fully AI-generated files, CC0 1.0 is the safest option, since it makes no copyright claim you might not be able to back up. Use Internal use only instead if the file shouldn't be shared outside the wiki at all.

By purpose

Purpose / intent	Recommended license
Fully open — anyone can use, modify, redistribute, including commercially	CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0
Open, but derivatives must stay open (share-alike)	CC BY-SA 4.0
Open for viewing/sharing, but no modifications allowed	CC BY-ND 4.0
Open, but no commercial use	CC BY-NC 4.0
No commercial use, and derivatives must stay open	CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Most restrictive: no commercial use, no modifications	CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Sensitive internal document, screenshot, or content tied to a restricted namespace (e.g. Admin, Prysmian)	Internal use only, uploaded only into the relevant restricted namespace
Company/partner logo or brand mark	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).

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 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 CC BY 4.0 — don't relicense it — and credit the original author.
Already CC BY-SA	Any	Prefer linking. If uploading, keep CC BY-SA 4.0 and credit the original author; don't relicense.
Already CC BY-ND, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA, or CC BY-NC-ND	Within what the license permits	Prefer linking. If uploading, keep the same original license (matching template: CC BY-ND 4.0, CC BY-NC 4.0, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, or CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) and credit the original author — never loosen or tighten someone else's license. Note what each one blocks: ND — no modifications/derivatives; NC — no commercial use; NC-SA — no commercial use, and any derivative must carry the same license; NC-ND — no commercial use and no modifications.
Already CC BY-ND, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA, or CC BY-NC-ND	Beyond what the license permits (e.g. modifying an ND-licensed file, or commercial use of an NC-licensed file)	Not permitted under the license as-is — don't upload a modified or repurposed version. Contact the rights holder for permission, or find/create an alternative instead.
Fully AI-generated by someone else, license unclear	Any	Prefer linking. If uploading is unavoidable, use 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 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.