Wikipedia:Standard GFDL violation letter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Note: All text on this page is dedicated by its authors to the public domain
The below letters are meant to be sent to web sites (and their service providers) in order to explain the requirements of the GFDL, and to urge compliance. This page is part of Wikipedia:Mirrors and Forks. The original letters on this page were based on User:MyRedDice/Abacci Letter.
Warning:
- You can only file a lawsuit (or file a DMCA take down notice) if you hold a significant copyright interest in one or more articles.
Contents |
[edit] To Website Owners
[edit] Letters for website that acknowledges Wikipedia as a source
Dear <WEBSITE OWNER>:
I've noticed that you are making use of English Wikipedia articles as part of your website, <WEBSITE>. One example is <URL>, which includes material from the Wikipedia article "<ARTICLE>", which is located at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<ARTICLE>. Wikipedia encourages the redistribution of our content. We also appreciate you citing Wikipedia as a source. However, it is also necessary to comply with the terms of our license, the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL). Failure to do so is a copyright violation. The text of the GFDL, the only legally binding document, can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:GFDL . However, Wikipedia does offer advice about how to comply with the GFDL. This can be found in detail at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Copyrights . One of the most important steps is to mention the GFDL. At the bottom of every page that uses Wikipedia material, you can include text similar to, "This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article (put article name here); it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL." You should link the text "GNU Free Documentation License" to a copy of the text of the GFDL on your own server. Also, we strongly recommend that you link back to the original Wikipedia article; this is a means to comply with certain GFDL requirements.
Thank you for your cooperation.
<SENDER>
[edit] Letter for website that does not acknowledge Wikipedia as a source
Dear <WEBSITE OWNER>:
I've noticed that you are making use of English Wikipedia articles as part of your website, <WEBSITE>. One example is <URL>, which includes material from the Wikipedia article "<ARTICLE>", which is located at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<ARTICLE>. Wikipedia encourages the redistribution of our content. However, it is necessary to comply with the terms of our license, the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL). Failure to do so is a copyright violation. The text of the GFDL can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:GFDL . That is the only legally binding document. However, Wikipedia does offer advice about how to comply with the GFDL. This can be found in detail at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Copyrights . One of the most important steps is to mention the GFDL. At the bottom of every page that uses Wikipedia material, you should include text similar to, "This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article (put article name here); it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL." You should link the text "GNU Free Documentation License" to a copy of the text of the GFDL on your own server. Also, we strongly recommend that you link back to the original Wikipedia article; this is a means to comply with certain GFDL requirements.
Thank you for your cooperation.
<SENDER>
[edit] Letter aimed at a specific violation
The following sample letter (based on one I recently sent) is aimed at a mirror that has copied an article which includes text written by the individual sending the letter. It therefore emphasises the infringement of the individual's copyright, and is worded as an individual communication. I hereby release this sample letter to the public domain. DES (talk) 23:13, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
Dear <Site Operator>:
I am pleased to see that your website, <SITE> uses content from Wikipedia (<http://en.wikipedia.org/>), the free encyclopedia. This is the sort of reuse that those who contribute to Wikipedia, as I do, wish to promote.
However, you must follow the GNU Free Documentation License (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:GFDL), which governs all Wikipedia content. Only the GFDL is legally binding. However, we do make certain recommendations about how to comply. First, I’d like to point out that when you use content from Wikipedia you ought to include a link back to the source Wikipedia article as is suggested on Wikipedia’s copyrights page, which is located at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Copyrights>. Additionally, you should also include a GFDL notice. One way of doing this would be to add the text "This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license", and provide a link to a copy of the GFDL on your own server. Text such as "This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia" is a good way to acknowledge the general source of the text.
Specifically, your page <Specific Address> uses content from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARTICLE NAME>. I was a contributor to this article, and text that I wrote appears on your site. Since it appears without attribution to me, or a link to the Wikipedia history, or the text of the GFDL under which I released my contributions, the existence of this page violates my copyright, as well as those of all other contributors.
Please add the required links and acknowledgments to all parts of your <Title> site that use Wikipedia content promptly. Thank you.
Sincerely, <Wikipedia User's Name>
[edit] Followup
Dear <insert name of site owner>,
We've previously contacted you about your web site <insert site name and URL here>, which uses Wikipedia content licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation Licence (GFDL). An example is <URL>, which is based on the Wikipedia article <ARTICLE> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<ARTICLE>). The text of the GFDL can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GFDL . To use that content without copyright infringement you must either comply with the requirements of the GFDL or use the more convenient approximation described on the Wikipedia Copyrights page by doing both of the following:
- Include a readily readable link to the article in the Wikipedia from which the content came.
- Include a link to a copy of the GFDL on your own server.
A notice of this form is suggested, for the article called Bar:
This article is licensed under the <a href="gfdl.html"> GNU Free Documentation License</a>. It uses material from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar">Wikipedia article "Bar"</a>.
Please promptly change your site to comply with the requirements and let us know that you have done so or tell us your schedule for doing so, so that we can let the copyright holders know that no further action is necessary.
Thank you,
<Your name here>
[edit] To Service Providers
[edit] Letter to service provider of non-compliant website
To Whom It May Concern:
<SITE NAME> (<SITE URL>), a site using <PROVIDER>, is copying Wikipedia articles in violation of the terms of Wikipedia's license. One example is <URL>, which includes material from the Wikipedia article "<ARTICLE>", which is located at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<ARTICLE>. Wikipedia encourages the redistribution of our articles. However, distributors must comply with the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL); the GFDL is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:GFDL . Violating the GFDL is copyright infringement, a breach of <PROVIDER>'s Terms of Service <TOS URL>. Only the text of the GFDL is legally binding, but Wikipedia has recommendations for compliance. The website should first note that Wikipedia contributors created the article; there should also be a link back to the article on Wikipedia. There should be a GFDL notice, such as "This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article (put article name here); it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL." "GNU Free Documentation License" should be linked to a copy of the GFDL on the <SITE NAME> server. We have already attempted to contact <SITE OWNER>, the owner of <SITE NAME>, about these issues. However, <SITE NAME> still isn't in compliance. I am writing to ask you to contact <SITE OWNER> to demand compliance with the GFDL. If he refuses, or you are unable to reach him, you should disable the website for copyright infringement. I hope I can count on your cooperation in this and future matters.
Sincerely,
<SENDER>
[edit] DMCA takedown notice
(SENDER'S NAME) (SENDER'S POSTAL ADDRESS) (SENDER'S EMAIL ADDRESS)
Dear (RECIPIENT'S NAME),
I am delighted to see that your service provider, (ISP NAME), hosts a website, (SITE NAME) at <SITE URL>, which uses content from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/), the free encyclopedia. This is just the sort of application that Wikipedia wishes to promote. While the copyright to Wikipedia content is retained by its authors, this content is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License [GFDL] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GNU_Free_Documentation_License>, which authorizes duplication without special permission, provided certain terms are followed.
However, (SITE NAME) does not currently comply fully with the terms of this license. For instance, the duplicated content must retain the GFDL license, and must attribute its original source. As a result, (SITE NAME) includes unauthorized duplicates of Wikipedia content. Moreover, I have been unable to reach the site maintainers. Multiple requests have been sent to (SITE EMAIL) regarding this oversight without response; the last such request is appended below.
As you are the Designated Agent for (ISP NAME), I am sending you this formal takedown request as a last resort. The following articles, among others (including most of the content duplicated from Wikipedia), are being made available for copying through downloading from the listed URLs, without authorization from the copyright owners.
I personally hold copyright in the following articles:
1. (ARTICLE NAME) Original: <ARTICLE URL AT WIKIPEDIA> Infringing copy: <ARTICLE URL AT MIRROR> Date found: (DATE) 2. (List others in same format)
I am giving notice of these activities pursuant to Section 512 of Title 17 of the U.S. Code. The information in this notice is accurate; I have a good faith belief that this use of the material is not authorized by me, any agent of mine, or the law. I swear under penalty of perjury that I am the copyright holder of the above works. Please act quickly to remove the materials described above until they comply with this law and the GFDL.
Please advise regarding what actions you take.
Yours sincerely,
(SENDER'S NAME)
