User:Little Mountain 5/OSA Email

Email (February 26, 2012)

Dear Oregon State Archives Division,

We at WikiProject Oregon on the English Wikipedia absolutely love your collection of scenic images on your website. We are a group dedicated to improving Oregon-related articles, but oftentimes we cannot find quality images to accompany them. We would be ecstatic if we could use your 72-dpi images to do just that. The only problem is that your conditions are just slightly too stringent for use on Wikipedia, specifically the line that states "the user may not transfer the rights to use the photos to other parties," because we have no way of enforcing that. Your conditions also do not mention whether or not derivative works are allowed, a must for inclusion on Wikipedia.

Wikipedia, by the way, is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project, collaboratively edited by volunteers from around the world. It is operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization.

Would it be possible for you to release the 72-dpi images under this Creative Commons license? This license means that although you retain the copyright and authorship of your own work, you are granting permission for all others (not just Wikipedia) to use, copy, and share your materials freely—and even potentially use them commercially, which you already allow—so long as they do not try to claim the copyright themselves, nor prevent others from using or copying them freely. This license expressly protects creators from being considered responsible for modifications made by others, while ensuring that creators are credited for their work. It's very similar to the conditions you already have in place.

Rest assured that every image would be attributed properly on their respective permanent description pages, noting that they are your work and are used with your permission, with links back to your website. We are very strict about these things. Who knows? They may just bring you more customers wishing to buy the full-sized versions! They are very nice images, after all. (And Wikipedia is the sixth most frequently visited website in the world.)

In any case, thank you for posting these valuable images online and for your consideration. Sincerely,

Little Mountain 5, on behalf of WikiProject Oregon and the English Wikipedia

Response (March 8, 2012)

Gary Halvorson, the Senior Archivist of the Oregon State Archives, responded that while the Archives were not willing to adopt the Creative Commons license, they were willing to replace the troublesome line "the user may not sell or transfer the rights to use the photos" with "derivative works are allowed" so that the images could be used on Wikipedia. Yes!