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Copyright infringing material should also [[Wikipedia:EL#Restrictions_on_linking|not be linked to]].
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== Dealing with copyright violations ==
{{policy shortcut|WP:DCV}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Text Copyright Violations 101}}
Handling of suspected violations of copyright policy depends on the particulars of a given case. If you suspect a copyright violation but are uncertain if the content is copyrighted or whether the external site is copying from Wikipedia, you should ''at least'' bring up the issue on that page's [[Wikipedia:Talk page|discussion page]], if it is active. In that case, please tag the page <code>{{[[Template:Copypaste|copypaste | url=insert URL here, if known]]}}</code>, unless your concerns are swiftly resolved. Others can then examine the situation and take action if needed. The most helpful piece of information you can provide is a URL or other reference to what you believe may be the source of the text. You may also make a note of your concerns at [[Wikipedia talk:Copyright problems]].
Some cases will be false alarms. For example, text that can be found elsewhere on the Web that was in fact copied from Wikipedia in the first place is not a copyright violation – at least not on Wikipedia's part. In these cases, it is a good idea to [[:Template:Backwardscopy|make a note]] of the situation on the discussion page. Also, if the contributor is the copyright holder of the text, even if it is published elsewhere under different terms, they have the right to post it here under CC-BY-SA and GFDL – the text may still be unsuitable for Wikipedia for another reason, but it is not a copyright violation. They may donate the material through the procedures described at [[Wikipedia:Donating copyrighted materials]], although until the donation process is complete the article should be replaced with the <code>{{[[Template:Copyvio|subst:copyvio | url=insert URL here]]}}</code> tag. Similarly, if they can verify compatible license through a notice at the external site or can prove that the content is [[Wikipedia:Public domain|public domain]], this is not a copyright violation. A note explaining the situation should be made on the talk page (including, if there is a release, the URL of where the release can be found; permission conveyed through e-mail must be confirmed through the procedure at [[Wikipedia:Requesting copyright permission]]) and proper attribution given on the article's face. See guidance on attribution for [[Wikipedia:Plagiarism#Sources_under_copyleft|sources under copyleft]] or [[Wikipedia:Plagiarism#Public-domain sources|released into public domain]].
If you have strong reason to suspect a violation of copyright policy and some, but not all, of the content of a page appears to be a copyright infringement, then the infringing content should be removed, and a note to that effect should be made on the discussion page, along with the original source, if known. <code>{{tlsx|Cclean|url=insert URL or description of source here (optional)}}</code> has been created for this. If the copyright holder's permission is later obtained, the text may be restored. If ''all'' of the content of a page appears to be a copyright infringement or removing the problem text is not an option because it would render the article unreadable, check the [[Help:Page history|page history]]; if an older non-infringing version of the page exists, you should [[Help:Reverting|revert]] the page to that version.
If there is no such older version, you may be able to re-write the page from scratch, but failing that, the page will normally need to be [[Wikipedia:Deletion policy|deleted]]. In limited circumstances, [[Wikipedia:Administrators|administrators]] may delete obvious copyright violations on sight; see the [[Wikipedia:Speedy deletions#G12|relevant section of the speedy deletion policy]]. Contributors may list pages that meet these conditions for deletion using the <code>{{[[Template:Db-copyvio|db-copyvio]]}}</code> tag.
If the criteria for speedy deletion do not apply, you should blank the article or the appropriate section with the <code>{{[[Template:Copyvio|subst:copyvio | url=insert URL here]]}}</code> template, and list the page at [[Wikipedia:Copyright problems]]; see [[Wikipedia:Copyright problems#Instructions|instructions]]. This will give interested contributors a week to verify permission for the text or propose a rewrite. If, after a week, the page still appears to be a copyright infringement and no usable rewrite is proposed, it may be [[Wikipedia:Deletion policy|deleted]] by any [[Wikipedia:Administrators|administrator]] or reduced to a non-infringing stub.
===Addressing contributors===
If you can determine the original contributor of the content, please notify them of Wikipedia's [[:Wikimedia:Terms of Use]] and copyright policies. When an article has been tagged for speedy deletion or masked for copyright investigation, it will generate a template that can be used for this purpose. You can also use the templates posted at [[Wikipedia:Template messages/User talk namespace]].
Contributors who repeatedly post copyrighted material despite appropriate warning may be [[Wikipedia:Blocking policy|blocked]] from editing by any [[Wikipedia:Administrators|administrator]] to prevent further problems. Contributors who have extensively violated copyright policy by uploading many copyrighted files or placing copyrighted text into numerous articles may be blocked without warning for the protection of the project, pending satisfactory assurances that infringement will not continue. In extreme cases administrators may impose special conditions before unblocking, such as requiring assistance with cleanup by disclosing which sources were used. If contributors have been shown to have a history of extensive copyright violation, it may be assumed without further evidence that all of their major contributions are copyright violations, and they may be removed indiscriminately. See [[Wikipedia:Contributor copyright investigations]].
If a contributor has been previously clearly warned of copyright infringement but persisted, they may be reported for administrator attention to [[WP:ANI|the administrators' incidents noticeboard]].
== Information for copyright owners ==
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