Help talk:Beginner's guide to adding texts

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Latest comment: 3 years ago by Coalesce in topic No longer under copyright
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The page currently advises "The text must no longer be under copyright in the United States and in the country of origin to be allowed on Wikimedia Commons." Of course there are more rules and guidelines, as Commons allows Creative Commons licensed documents to be uploaded. Blue Rasberry (talk) 13:26, 28 April 2014 (UTC)Reply

@Bluerasberry: Could you please clarify, what is "country of origin"? For example if the book of Aldous Huxley was printed in USA, New York in 1925 - in USA it is Public Domain. But author died in 1963 in USA, which it less then 70 years for Public Domain in Europe. Is it correct to upload such book to Wikimedia Commons?--Coalesce (talk) 18:34, 22 February 2021 (UTC)Reply
@Coalesce: In 2014 when I posted this I was advocating for the addition of Creative Commons licenses to the documentation, which is there now. You raise a different issue, but sure, I can respond.
Huxley's Brave New World was published in 1932 and that is the book everyone wants. In the United States the term of copyright is 95 years, so in 2028 this book is public domain in the United States. However for much of the rest of the world the term of copyright is less, including in England where the book was originally published.
Commons cannot have the book until it is free both in England (which it is) and in the United States.
Note also there can be weird circumstances where content is free in the United States and non-free in its country of origin. Commons cannot accept that content either. Blue Rasberry (talk) 18:48, 22 February 2021 (UTC)Reply
@Bluerasberry: Ok, must be the Public Domain in both countries. But your "weird circumstances" are becoming not so weird then. For example Aldous Huxley has died in 1963 and, for example, his novel "Those Barren Leaves" printed at 1925 in USA (as well, as in UK) is the Public domain is USA (>95 years from publication date). But at the same time it is not the Public domain in UK, because it's less than 70 years since author's death. Seems in that case it is not suitable for upload to Wikimedia Commons. This is pity, because number of such books will grow each year.--Coalesce (talk) 19:40, 22 February 2021 (UTC)Reply