Commons:Free depictions of non-free works

Shortcut: COM:FREEDEPICTION

Free depictions of non-free works are files that, despite containing content from a generally copyrighted work (such as cartoon characters), have been released under a free license or into the public domain by the copyright holder. Files that adhere to the criteria should use the {{Free depiction}} template or one of its derivatives.

Acceptable use

Before uploading a free depiction, make sure that:

The depiction was published by the copyright owner of the work
The license adheres to Wikimedia Commons policy (non-commercial and non-derivative licenses are not allowed)
Any derivative work must be based on the depiction itself, not on the subject in general
Photos of works on permanent public display are covered by local freedom of panorama laws (which grant commercial use).
- Current consensus holds that unlicensed derivative graffiti is not covered even in jurisdictions that otherwise grant commercial FoP to two-dimensional artistic works. (DR1, DR2)

Examples

These are OK

YouTube videos with copyrighted material uploaded under {{YouTube CC-BY}} by the copyright owner of the said material or its subsidiaries.
- Any extracted images/audio from the video.
Copyrighted files that are allowed to be used by anyone for any purpose by its creator, verified by the Volunteer Response Team.
Derivative works based off free depictions and these depictions specifically.
- Simple changes like recoloring, removing the background, tracing or superimposing other freely licensed images follow this rule.
Photos of works on permanent public display with copyrighted design created/commissioned by the copyright owner taken in a country where freedom of panorama laws allow it.

The entire first season of Wayside has been uploaded under CC-BY on the official Nelvana YouTube channel.
Maddy Makes Games, the studio behind Celeste, allows anyone to use the game's cover art for any purpose.
SVG depiction of Chloe Park from We Bare Bears released under CC-BY-SA via an official Scratch project by Cartoon Network.
A screenshot of Pac-Man from a trailer of Pac-Man Museum released under CC-BY 3.0. by Bandai Namco.
A traced version of said Pac-Man screenshot made to more closely match the game, as the trailer's video codec makes the sprites appear blurry.
A poster for Star Wars Celebration Europe has a depiction of Luke Skywalker released under CC-BY 2.0 via an official Flickr account by Star Wars.
Statue of Mei Lee from Turning Red in Canada. Canadian FoP applies to 3D works and "works of artistic craftsmanship"

These are Not OK

YouTube videos with copyrighted material uploaded under {{YouTube CC-BY}} by someone other than the copyright owner of the said material or its subsidiaries.
- This includes entities that might have the right to use a certain brand but not the authority to license the content (DR1)
- Almost all Let's Plays fall into this category.
- Note: Individual aspects from the video that are fully owned by the uploader (such as their webcam footage) are allowed.
YouTube videos uploaded under {{YouTube CC-BY}} by the copyright owner with contradictory licensing information in the video/description. (DR1)
Photos of derivative graffiti without authorization from the copyright owner, even where two-dimensional artistic works are covered by commercial FoP. (DR1, DR2)
Photos of works on permanent public display taken in a country where FoP either doesn't exist or does not cover the work.
Officially-licensed AI depictions of copyrighted content (See Commons:Village pump/Copyright/Archive/2025/06#AI depictions of non-free works (Crash Bandicoot))

Screenshot from a CC-BY video by GranaTV. The original video contains unauthorized footage from Trackmania, but the webcam footage is fully owned by the author and is therefore eligible for Commons.
Quito sculpture with the graffiti of Mario edited out. While Brazil's freedom of panorama law allows photos of public 2D artworks, the graffiti's use of Mario was not authorized.
An AI-generated official Star Wars video - despite being stated as taking place in the Star Wars universe, it only features generic hybrid animals and not copyrighted characters, species, or settings, meaning that it is elegible for Commons.