The below generally applies only when you upload a photo that does not belong to you.

Until today, our plant database did not support various licenses. Every photo uploaded to the system was a "Copyrighted, All rights retained" type license.

But we have had a few people who needed to upload a Creative Commons, GNU FDL, or Public Domain images to the database. In order to do that, the system needed to be programmed to support those licenses.

That work has been finished and the database now supports licenses.

So, when you upload a photo to the database, it now asks you what license you want to use. You can keep it the default (which is "All Rights Retained", the same as it has always been).

You can also choose the FDL, CC or PD. If you choose CC, you will get additional choices where you choose what kinds of restrictions are placed on this image.

If you don't understand all of this and you only upload your own photos to the database, just stick with the default option and nothing will change for you.

If you propose the import of a photo from the forums, it is given the most restrictive "All Rights Retained" license, as always.

The subject of content licensing is very complicated, so if anyone has any questions on this, feel free to post them below.

Where is the 'Tears of Joy' emoticon.
Thank you so much Dave. This is going to be a big boon to getting photos entered of species type plants that most of us would never see.

Dave would you check this entry to see if I did it correctly. The photo is in the image que Aaronsohnia factorovskyi

Wikipedia link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...

Yes, you did it exactly right, Lynn.

And BTW, if an image is ever available as GNU FDL, you should prefer that license, and fall back to CC only when that's the last choice. (CC was the only choice in this particular image).

I will get started. Thank you Dave.

A quick question regarding photos and credits ... one nurseryman/ plant breeder I talked with wanted the photo credit superimposed on the photo itself or printed just below (rather than in a hover-over) in order for us to use his photos. Is that doable in any way when photos are uploaded?

No, the superimposed text would need to be added by image software running on your local machine.

Honestly, it sounds like a lot of work and a lot of trouble.

I thought so. And I think I can get photos of most of the same plants elsewhere with a lot less hassle.

>> Creative Commons, GNU FDL, or Public Domain

>> FDL, CC or PD. If you choose CC, you will get additional choices where you choose what kinds of restrictions

Which option would I use if I'm uploading a photo that I took, but want to let anyone do anything they want to with it?

At most, I would ask someone to let me know, just so I could feel tickled.

Public domain means that you give up rights to the image. It can be taken and used by anyone without permission or attribution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P...

Creative Commons "Attribution" sounds more like what you want, Rick.

http://creativecommons.org/lic...

>> Creative Commons "Attribution"

Thanks for those links, Dave!

Yes, "CC BY" is closest to what I was looking for, as long as no one ever feels a need to discuss it with a lawyer to re-use one of my photos.

Does this fall under the same rules? http://species.wikimedia.org/w...

Is Wikimedia the same as Wikipedia?

Lynn, that link tells you the terms.

"I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide."

So it's public domain.

OK, where do the ones I upload from other nurseries fit in? Call me confused. Also, the right click copy option remains disabled right?

Sue, for those, continue to use "All rights reserved".

The right click option remains disabled, as always.

Once I started adding a few after I posted here, I saw that.

Wow, will we ever have a LOT of pictures now!! Off to get some permission