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Wikipedia:Non-free content/Fair use images in lists

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This is a request for comment (RFC) on the use of fair use images in lists. This RFC aims to gather community opinion on the use in lists of images claimed to be fair use, and to generate a consensus about whether current usage is acceptable, and if not, how affected lists ought to change in order for the use of images to be acceptable.

There is currently an ongoing dispute at list of Lost episodes about the use of fair use images (specifically screenshots from the television program, and images of DVD covers) to illustrate the list. The issue has broader significance for similar lists of television episodes, and lists generally, which use fair use images. As such, it is appropriate that the issue be discussed here.

Note that much of the discussion so far relates to lists of episodes in television shows, and much of that relates to the Lost list, although feel free to discuss issues which relate to fair use images in lists more generally.

Newcomers to this discussion may wish to look at Talk:List of Lost episodes/Use of images for reference of previous discussion, but should direct new discussion here.

Examples of current usage

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Below are some examples of lists which use fair use images in the fashion that is presently disputed (static versions are linked to):

As illustrated by the above examples, the use of such images which is presently disputed is their use in long lists which provide at most one or two sentences of general description about each item in the list.

Arguments for and against

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This is a very brief summary of the major arguments for and against the use of fair use images in lists. Note that this is only intended to be an extremely brief summary, and all substantive development of arguments should be directed to this page's discussion page.

Discussion

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All discussion should be directed to this page's discussion page. Discussion should not be added below.