Copyrights

PGHwiki uses a Creative Commons Attribution-By 3.0 license for all text, most images (some exceptions), and other content on the Web site.

The Creative Commons Attribution-By license means that every editor who puts work onto PGHwiki, whether it be text or images, gives anyone the right to do whatever he or she would like with the material. The only restriction being that if you distribute the content you must give attribution to the creators of the content or the collective "PGHwiki"/"pittsburgh.wikispot.org." This means you don't need to ask permission first — you've already got permission!

Please note that in some cases we allow material (usually images) on PGHwiki that is not licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-By license, and in these cases there is an indication of strict copyright by the material, such as a note saying "Copyright Post-Gazette" or "Provided by and Copyright Google". Usually, this occurs with images, and you must obtain permission from the individual in these cases — it was placed on PGHwiki but not necessarily allowed elsewhere.

There is NO WARRANTY on any of the material you may find in PGHwiki. We try to ensure our material is accurate and of the highest quality, but we are not responsible for any discomfort or potential injury that may befall you as a result of the content.

The Creative Commons Attribution-By 3.0 license means that every single friend, weirdo, researcher, book publisher, nerd, newspaper editor, etc. can use any content you, the editor, put on to PGHwiki for whatever purposes they want. It can be ruthlessly modified, edited, and redistributed without your permission or direct control. Your material can be used for good and it can be used for bad — anyone can use it for any purpose allowable under law provided they give credit to you or PGHwiki in their use of the content!

For usage details, just read the overview. It's simple. Just remember that 'original author' can mean the author or the collective "PGHwiki." An easy way to think about this is to pretend that every time someone asked us, "Hey, can I use X from PGHwiki?" We answer "Yes, just say who created it or note it was from PGHwiki."

Because most of our content falls under this license, you are legally responsible not to put other people's copyrighted work into PGHwiki without permission.

For images, if you wish to allow your image on PGHwiki but not fall under this umbrella of Creative Commons, just note explicit copyright. e.g. "Copyright Me, 2005." Under or near the image. This will let people know you allow it on PGHwiki, but want others to get your permission before using it elsewhere. If you just want to give yourself credit for the image, just say "Image by Me" somewhere near the image. You still retain copyright on images where you do not note "Copyright..." — it is just assumed that you are also placing said image under the Creative Commons license.

While it is always better to use Creative Commons or Public Domain maps, if you absolutely need to use a Google Earth or Google Map image to illustrate something (a aerial view of something that no longer exists, for instance), you must use the entire image, including the copyright notice, and add a caption (assuming you've thumbnailed it) that reads in part: "Provided by and Copyright Google", with the word Google a link to the service. This is the case at the end of 2008; you might want to double check if they have changed their licensing if significant time has passed.

We want to foster an environment where information and ideas can be shared and used as easily as possible by the most people for the longest period of time, and we feel this is the best way to achieve this.

This entry has been adapted from the Davis Wiki.