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Created WikiPaintball copyright policy covering contributor rights, original content, historical sources, quotations, archived publications, media, third-party licences, AI-generated material and infringement reporting.
 
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'''WikiPaintball copyrights''' explains the rules governing copyrighted material published on WikiPaintball, including original articles, historical documents, photographs, illustrations, equipment information and other content.
'''WikiPaintball copyrights''' explains the copyright and licensing arrangements governing material published on WikiPaintball.


WikiPaintball is an independent encyclopaedia dedicated to documenting and preserving the history of paintball worldwide.
WikiPaintball is an independent, collaborative encyclopaedia dedicated to documenting and preserving the history of paintball worldwide.


The project respects the intellectual property rights of authors, photographers, publishers, manufacturers and other rights holders.
WikiPaintball has adopted the '''Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence (CC BY-SA 4.0)''' as its standard licence for original encyclopaedia article text.


Historical preservation does not remove copyright protection. Contributors must ensure that material published on WikiPaintball can be used lawfully.
This licence allows information to be shared, reused and developed by others while requiring appropriate attribution and the continued availability of adaptations under compatible open licensing terms.


== General principles ==
The licence applies only to material that its rights holders have authorised for release under these terms. Photographs, logos, historical documents and other third-party materials may have separate copyright conditions.


All WikiPaintball contributors must follow these principles:
== Content licence ==


* '''Respect copyright.''' Do not reproduce copyrighted material without an appropriate legal basis.
Original WikiPaintball article text is intended to be published under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence unless otherwise stated.
* '''Write original content.''' Articles should normally be written in the contributor's own words.
* '''Credit sources.''' Identify the publications, websites and documents supporting factual information.
* '''Understand that attribution is not permission.''' Naming the original author does not automatically authorise reproduction.
* '''Respect individual rights holders.''' Different elements of an article may have different copyright owners.
* '''Preserve history responsibly.''' Historical information can be documented without reproducing entire copyrighted works.
* '''Check reuse permissions.''' Material available online is not necessarily in the public domain or released under a free licence.


WikiPaintball's goal is to preserve information about paintball, not to create unauthorised copies of other publications.
The full licence is available at:


== Copyright ownership ==
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


Copyright in original contributions generally remains with the person or organisation that owns the rights, unless those rights have been transferred or otherwise assigned.
Under this licence, users may:


Publishing an article on WikiPaintball does not automatically transfer copyright ownership to WikiPaintball.
* Copy and redistribute licensed material in any medium or format.
* Share licensed material with others.
* Adapt, translate, modify and build upon licensed material.
* Use licensed material for educational, personal or commercial purposes.


However, contributors must have the necessary rights to permit their material to be published and edited as part of the encyclopaedia.
These permissions are subject to the licence's conditions.


WikiPaintball's own branding, original materials and other protected elements may be subject to separate rights.
The licence does not apply automatically to content whose rights holders have not authorised its use under CC BY-SA 4.0.


The presence of content on WikiPaintball does not mean that WikiPaintball owns every element displayed.
== Licence requirements ==


== Contributor permissions ==
Anyone reusing WikiPaintball material under CC BY-SA 4.0 must comply with the applicable licence conditions.


Contributors should submit only original material or material they are authorised to publish under the applicable terms.
=== Attribution ===


For new contributions made with notice of this policy, contributors grant WikiPaintball a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free permission to store, publish, reproduce, display, edit and preserve their submitted material as part of the operation and maintenance of the encyclopaedia.
Users must provide appropriate credit to the original contributors, retain required notices, identify the licence and provide a link to the licence.


This includes ordinary article revisions, historical version storage, backups and technical changes necessary to operate the website.
Where reasonably practicable, attribution should also identify the source article.


Contributors retain any copyright they hold in their original work, subject to permissions they have already granted.
For collaboratively edited WikiPaintball articles, a link to the original article and its revision history can help identify the contributors whose work is being reused.


This provision does not retroactively change the copyright status of earlier contributions or override separate licences.
Attribution must not imply that WikiPaintball or its contributors endorse the reuse.


The rights granted to WikiPaintball for operating the encyclopaedia do not, by themselves, grant unrelated third parties unrestricted permission to republish its contents.
=== ShareAlike ===


== Reusing WikiPaintball content ==
If a user adapts CC BY-SA 4.0 material and distributes the adaptation, they must make the adaptation available under CC BY-SA 4.0 or another licence permitted by the original licence's compatibility provisions.


Readers may access WikiPaintball for research, education and historical reference.
This requirement applies to adaptations covered by copyright and does not automatically extend to every independent work included alongside the material.


However, public access does not automatically authorise unrestricted reproduction or commercial reuse.
=== Indicating changes ===


Before reproducing substantial amounts of WikiPaintball content elsewhere, users should check the applicable copyright and licensing information.
Users who modify licensed material must indicate that changes were made and retain required notices of previous modifications.


Where a specific licence is stated for particular material, reuse must comply with its terms.
=== No additional restrictions ===


Where no reuse licence is established, permission may be required from the relevant rights holder unless an applicable copyright exception permits the intended use.
Users must not impose additional legal terms or technological restrictions that prevent recipients from exercising the rights granted by the applicable Creative Commons licence.


The copyright status of an article's text may differ from that of photographs, logos, diagrams and other materials included in the article.
== Copyright ownership ==


A licence covering article text must not be assumed to cover all accompanying media.
Contributors retain any copyright they hold in their original contributions.


== Using information from other sources ==
Publishing original material under CC BY-SA 4.0 does not transfer ownership of copyright to WikiPaintball.


WikiPaintball relies on historical publications, tournament results, manufacturer records, archived websites and other sources.
Instead, the licence grants the public permission to reuse the licensed material under its published terms.


Contributors may research these materials and use verified factual information to produce original encyclopaedia articles.
The licence is non-exclusive, meaning that a rights holder may also make their own work available under other terms.


However, contributors should distinguish between facts and the copyrighted expression used to communicate them.
Permissions already granted under CC BY-SA 4.0 are irrevocable while users comply with the licence conditions.


For example, a tournament's date, location, participating teams and final results may be documented using independently written text.
== Contributing to WikiPaintball ==


This does not automatically authorise copying an entire tournament report, its commentary, photographs or distinctive presentation.
By saving an original textual contribution after receiving notice of the applicable licensing terms, contributors agree to publish that contribution under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International.


Contributors should:
Contributors must have the authority to grant this licence.


* Read and understand the original source.
Contributors should submit only:
* Extract the relevant verifiable facts.
* Write an independent summary.
* Cite the source appropriately.
* Avoid reproducing substantial passages.
* Avoid closely following the original wording or structure.


Changing a few words in a copyrighted article is not necessarily sufficient to create an independently written work.
* Text they created and have the right to license.
* Material already available under a compatible licence, with the necessary attribution and notices.
* Material in the public domain.
* Material whose inclusion is otherwise lawful and is clearly distinguished from CC BY-SA licensed content.


== Quotations ==
Contributors must not submit third-party copyrighted text under CC BY-SA 4.0 unless they have the necessary rights or authorisation.


Short quotations may be appropriate where the original wording is directly relevant to the subject and the proposed use is lawful.
Publication under this licence permits other contributors to edit, correct, reorganise and expand the material in accordance with WikiPaintball's editorial policies.


Examples might include:
== Existing articles and earlier contributions ==


* A historically important statement by a tournament organiser.
Adoption of CC BY-SA 4.0 does not automatically change the copyright status of material published before the licence was introduced.
* A brief quotation from a player interview.
* An official explanation of a rule change.
* A short extract from a contemporary manufacturer announcement.


Quotations should be clearly identified, accurately reproduced and properly attributed.
Existing material may be made available under CC BY-SA 4.0 where the necessary rights are held or permission has been obtained.


They should be limited to what is reasonably necessary for the article's purpose.
Where earlier text was contributed by another rights holder under different terms, appropriate permission or another valid legal basis is required before representing that text as CC BY-SA 4.0.


There is no universal number of words that automatically makes a quotation lawful. Applicable copyright exceptions depend on the circumstances and relevant law.
Material whose licensing status has not been established should be reviewed and, where necessary, clearly identified or excluded from the site's general licensing claim.


Contributors should not reproduce lengthy interviews, magazine articles or historical reports merely because they are relevant to paintball.
== Reusing WikiPaintball articles ==


Where appropriate, summarise the information and link to the original publication instead.
WikiPaintball encourages the lawful reuse of its licensed encyclopaedia content.


== Historical magazines and publications ==
Users may reproduce an article, translate it, incorporate it into another publication or adapt it for another project, subject to the licence conditions.


Paintball magazines are valuable sources of historical information.
An appropriate attribution should ordinarily identify:


Publications may contain tournament coverage, player interviews, equipment advertisements, photographs and articles that are no longer readily available elsewhere.
* The WikiPaintball article.
* WikiPaintball and the relevant contributors, including a link to the article history where appropriate.
* The CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.
* Whether the material has been modified.


However, a magazine's age or discontinued publication does not automatically place its contents in the public domain.
For example:


Contributors may use these publications for research and cite them as sources.
<pre>
Text adapted from WikiPaintball,
[Article title], licensed under
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).


Reproducing entire articles, magazine pages or substantial portions of copyrighted material requires appropriate authorisation or another valid legal basis.
See the original article and its
revision history for contributors.


Possession of a physical magazine does not necessarily include the right to reproduce its contents publicly.
Changes have been made.
</pre>


== Archived websites ==
This is an illustrative attribution. Actual attribution must satisfy the applicable licence requirements and preserve any additional required notices.


Many historic paintball websites are accessible through services such as the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
== Third-party content ==


Archived websites are useful research sources, but their appearance in an archive does not remove existing copyright protection.
Not everything displayed on WikiPaintball is necessarily available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


Contributors may link to archived pages and use verified factual information to prepare original articles.
Articles may refer to or contain material owned by other rights holders.


Do not assume that an archived website can be copied into WikiPaintball in its entirety.
Examples include:


This applies to historical team websites, manufacturer catalogues, tournament reports, online publications and other archived content.
* Historical photographs.
* Team logos.
* Manufacturer trademarks and artwork.
* Tournament posters.
* Scanned magazine pages.
* Historical advertisements.
* Maps and illustrations.
* Quotations from copyrighted publications.
* Other material published with specific permission or under an applicable legal exception.


Where possible, link directly to the relevant archived page.
Such material retains its own copyright status.


== Tournament records and databases ==
The WikiPaintball article-text licence does not automatically grant permission to reproduce independently protected third-party material.


Tournament results are central to WikiPaintball's historical documentation.
== Historical sources ==


Contributors may use reliable records to establish factual information such as:
WikiPaintball relies on historical publications, tournament results, manufacturer information, archived websites and other documentary records.


* Tournament dates and locations.
Contributors may use verified factual information from these sources when preparing original encyclopaedia articles.
* Participating teams.
* Competition divisions.
* Published placements.
* Recorded match scores.
* Season standings.


These facts should be presented accurately and supported by references.
However, facts and the original copyrighted expression used to describe them are not necessarily subject to the same protections.


However, copyright or other rights may protect particular databases, original written commentary, illustrations and creative arrangements of information.
Contributors should research the source, identify the relevant facts and write independently.


Contributors should avoid unnecessarily reproducing complete third-party databases or copying their distinctive presentation.
Copying substantial passages from another publication without an appropriate legal basis is not permitted.


Where substantial historical records are being incorporated, contributors should consider the source's applicable permissions and any relevant database rights.
Providing a citation does not automatically authorise copying copyrighted material.


== Photographs and other media ==
== Historical magazines and archived websites ==


Photographs, illustrations, video footage and other media may be protected by copyright independently of the subjects they depict.
Many important records of paintball history survive in magazines, archived websites, equipment catalogues and historical publications.


In general, the photographer or other rights holder controls reproduction of a copyrighted photograph.
These are valuable research resources.


The person appearing in a photograph does not necessarily own its copyright.
However, their age or availability through an online archive does not automatically place them in the public domain.


Similarly, owning a physical print, magazine, poster or other historical item does not automatically grant reproduction rights.
Contributors should normally summarise relevant information in their own words and cite the original source.


Media should only be published on WikiPaintball when an appropriate legal basis exists.
Reproducing entire articles, scanned pages or other substantial copyrighted material requires an appropriate legal basis.


Possible grounds include:
== Tournament results and historical databases ==


* Ownership of the relevant rights.
Tournament results may be used to document factual information about paintball competitions.
* Permission from the rights holder.
* A licence permitting the intended use.
* Public-domain status.
* An applicable legal exception.


Material should not be presumed free to use merely because it appears on social media, a search engine, a forum or an archived website.
Relevant information includes:


Credit should be provided where required, but credit alone does not replace permission.
* Tournament dates.
* Event locations.
* Team participation.
* Competition divisions.
* Final placements.
* Published match scores.
* Season standings.


== Logos and trademarks ==
Contributors should cite the relevant records and reproduce factual information accurately.
 
However, compilations and databases may be subject to copyright or other legal protections, including database rights.


Paintball team logos, manufacturer branding, tournament emblems and other identifying marks may be protected by copyright, trademark law or both.
The adoption of CC BY-SA 4.0 does not authorise the unrestricted copying of protected third-party databases.


WikiPaintball may refer to registered and unregistered trademarks when documenting historical subjects.
== Photographs and other media ==


Such references do not imply endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation.
Photographs, illustrations and other uploaded files must have an identifiable and lawful basis for publication.


The use of a name for factual identification does not necessarily grant permission to reproduce a protected logo or graphic.
Images are not automatically released under CC BY-SA 4.0 merely because they appear within a WikiPaintball article.


Contributors should distinguish between using a brand name in an article and reproducing copyrighted brand artwork.
Each file may be subject to its own licence, permission or copyright exception.


== Public-domain material ==
The copyright holder may be the photographer, an employer, a publisher or another party, depending on the circumstances.


Material in the public domain may generally be reused without obtaining copyright permission, although other rights or restrictions may still apply.
Owning a physical photograph or appearing in a photograph does not necessarily establish ownership of its copyright.


However, public-domain status must be established rather than assumed.
Where media is published, its copyright and reuse conditions should be identified wherever practicable.


A work does not automatically enter the public domain because:
== Logos and trademarks ==


* It was published many years ago.
Team logos, manufacturer branding and tournament emblems may be protected by copyright, trademark law or both.
* The author has died.
* The original company is no longer operating.
* The material is available on the internet.
* The work has no visible copyright notice.
* The identity of the rights holder is unknown.


Copyright duration and public-domain rules vary by jurisdiction and type of work.
WikiPaintball may identify and discuss trademarks for historical and encyclopaedic purposes.


Where a contributor relies on public-domain status, the basis for that status should be identifiable.
Such references do not imply endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation.


== Creative Commons and other licences ==
The CC BY-SA 4.0 licence does not grant trademark rights.


Some material is published under Creative Commons or other licences that permit reuse subject to specified conditions.
Reproduction of protected logos or artwork must have an appropriate legal basis.


Contributors must read and comply with the applicable licence.
== Public-domain material ==


Depending on the licence, conditions may include:
Material that is genuinely in the public domain may be reused without copyright permission.


* Attribution to the original creator.
However, public-domain status must be established rather than assumed.
* Providing a link to the licence.
* Identifying modifications.
* Releasing adaptations under compatible terms.
* Restrictions on commercial use.
* Restrictions on derivative works.


Different Creative Commons licences provide different permissions.
A work does not automatically enter the public domain because:


The existence of a Creative Commons licence does not automatically mean that every form of reuse is permitted.
* It was published decades ago.
* The original business has closed.
* Its author is unknown.
* It has no visible copyright notice.
* It appears in an online archive.
* It has been widely reproduced elsewhere.


Contributors must also ensure that the licence is compatible with WikiPaintball's intended publication and editing arrangements.
Copyright duration and applicable exceptions vary between jurisdictions.


== Content from Wikipedia and other wikis ==
== Content from Wikipedia and other wikis ==


WikiPaintball is an independent encyclopaedia and is not affiliated with Wikipedia or the Wikimedia Foundation.
WikiPaintball is independent of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation.
 
Material published on Wikipedia and other wikis may be subject to specific reuse licences.


Contributors must not assume that text or media can be copied merely because it appears on another publicly editable website.
Material from Wikipedia and other collaborative encyclopaedias may be available under Creative Commons or other licences.


Any reuse must comply with the original material's licence, including attribution and any applicable share-alike requirements.
Reuse must comply with the specific licence governing the original material.


A simple reference to Wikipedia is not necessarily sufficient to satisfy those licensing conditions.
Contributors must preserve required attribution, links and notices.


Where practical, WikiPaintball articles should be independently researched and written using original sources.
WikiPaintball's use of CC BY-SA 4.0 does not mean that material from every other wiki can be copied without additional conditions.


== Artificial intelligence and copyright ==
Where possible, WikiPaintball articles should be independently researched and written using original historical sources.


Artificial intelligence tools may assist contributors in researching, summarising and drafting articles.
== Artificial intelligence ==


However, AI-generated material is not automatically free of copyright concerns.
Artificial intelligence may assist with researching and drafting WikiPaintball articles.


AI tools may reproduce protected wording, closely imitate existing publications or generate content whose origin is unclear.
However, contributors must ensure that AI-assisted content is suitable for publication and does not unlawfully reproduce protected material.


Contributors remain responsible for checking material before publication.
AI-generated text should not be assumed to be copyright-free or independently verified.


In particular:
Contributors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality and lawful publication of their submissions.
 
* Do not use AI to reproduce entire copyrighted articles.
* Do not submit material that closely copies protected source text.
* Verify the original sources behind factual claims.
* Check that any reproduced quotations are lawful and appropriately attributed.
* Do not assume that AI-generated images or text are automatically available for unrestricted use.


See [[WikiPaintball:Using AI to write articles]].
See [[WikiPaintball:Using AI to write articles]].
Line 269: Line 264:
== Obtaining permission ==
== Obtaining permission ==


Where permission is required, contributors should seek authorisation from the appropriate rights holder before publication.
Where permission is required, contributors should obtain it from the appropriate rights holder.


Permission should clearly identify:
Permission should identify the material concerned and explain how it may be used.


* The material being authorised.
Permission to display material on WikiPaintball does not necessarily authorise its release under CC BY-SA 4.0.
* The person or organisation granting permission.
* The uses being permitted.
* Whether modification is allowed.
* Any conditions concerning attribution or further distribution.


Permission to publish material on WikiPaintball does not necessarily include permission to release it under a broader public licence.
If material is intended to be freely reusable under CC BY-SA 4.0, the rights holder must have authorised that licensing arrangement.


Where possible, permissions should be recorded in a form that can be reviewed if questions arise later.
Permissions should be documented wherever practical.


== Reporting copyright infringement ==
== Reporting copyright infringement ==


WikiPaintball aims to respond appropriately to credible reports of copyright infringement.
WikiPaintball respects the intellectual property rights of others.


Rights holders or their authorised representatives who believe that material has been used without permission may contact WikiPaintball administrators.
Rights holders who believe their material has been reproduced unlawfully may report the issue to WikiPaintball administrators.


A useful report should include:
A useful report should identify:


* The URL of the WikiPaintball page containing the material.
* The WikiPaintball page concerned.
* Identification of the material believed to infringe copyright.
* The material believed to infringe copyright.
* Identification of the original copyrighted work.
* The original work.
* An explanation of the claimant's rights.
* The claimant's rights or authority to act.
* Relevant supporting information.
* Relevant supporting information.


Administrators may review the material, request clarification, restrict access or remove content where appropriate.
Credible complaints will be reviewed and appropriate action taken where necessary.
 
A copyright complaint does not automatically establish infringement, but credible complaints should be examined carefully and without unnecessary delay.


Copyright concerns should not be used as a means of suppressing factual information, legitimate criticism or lawful historical reporting.
Administrators may remove or restrict access to disputed material while the issue is examined.


== Correcting copyright problems ==
== Correcting copyright problems ==


If a contributor discovers material that may have been copied without authorisation, the issue should be addressed promptly.
If material is discovered to have been published without the necessary rights or permission, appropriate corrective action should be taken.


Possible actions include:
This may include:


* Rewriting copied text in original language.
* Rewriting copied text independently.
* Replacing the material with a concise factual summary.
* Replacing copied material with a factual summary.
* Adding missing licence information.
* Adding missing licence information.
* Seeking permission from the relevant rights holder.
* Obtaining permission from the rights holder.
* Removing material that cannot lawfully remain.
* Removing material that cannot lawfully remain.
* Requesting administrative assistance where necessary.
* Reviewing affected page histories where necessary.
 
Removing material from the current article does not necessarily remove it from historical revisions.
 
== Licence information ==
 
'''Standard article-text licence:'''


Removing material from the current article does not necessarily remove it from publicly accessible page histories.
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).


Administrators may need to consider whether affected revisions require further attention.
'''Licence summary:'''


== Contributor responsibility ==
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


Contributors are responsible for respecting copyright when submitting material to WikiPaintball.
'''Full legal code:'''


The fact that information is historically valuable does not create an automatic exemption from copyright law.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode


Likewise, citing the original creator does not necessarily authorise reproduction.
The official Creative Commons licence governs the rights and obligations associated with licensed material.


Where the rights status of material is uncertain, contributors should prefer independently written summaries and links to the original source rather than copying the material.
This policy explains how WikiPaintball applies its licensing arrangements but does not replace or modify the legal terms of CC BY-SA 4.0.


== Final principle ==
== Final principle ==


WikiPaintball exists to preserve paintball history and make verified information accessible to future generations.
WikiPaintball exists to make verified paintball history accessible and useful to future generations.


That mission must be pursued while respecting the rights of the people and organisations whose work has documented the sport.
Open licensing allows that knowledge to be shared, improved and preserved beyond a single website.


'''Preserve the facts, credit the sources and respect the rights of creators.'''
'''WikiPaintball encourages the free sharing of historical knowledge while respecting the copyright of its contributors and source creators.'''


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 348: Line 343:
== External links ==
== External links ==


* [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International]
* [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode Official licence legal code]
* [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Copyright MediaWiki copyright documentation]
* [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Copyright MediaWiki copyright documentation]
* [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Creative Commons licences]
* [https://web.archive.org/ Internet Archive]


[[Category:WikiPaintball help]]
[[Category:WikiPaintball help]]

Latest revision as of 07:31, 20 October 2026

WikiPaintball copyrights explains the copyright and licensing arrangements governing material published on WikiPaintball.

WikiPaintball is an independent, collaborative encyclopaedia dedicated to documenting and preserving the history of paintball worldwide.

WikiPaintball has adopted the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence (CC BY-SA 4.0) as its standard licence for original encyclopaedia article text.

This licence allows information to be shared, reused and developed by others while requiring appropriate attribution and the continued availability of adaptations under compatible open licensing terms.

The licence applies only to material that its rights holders have authorised for release under these terms. Photographs, logos, historical documents and other third-party materials may have separate copyright conditions.

Content licence

[edit]

Original WikiPaintball article text is intended to be published under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence unless otherwise stated.

The full licence is available at:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Under this licence, users may:

  • Copy and redistribute licensed material in any medium or format.
  • Share licensed material with others.
  • Adapt, translate, modify and build upon licensed material.
  • Use licensed material for educational, personal or commercial purposes.

These permissions are subject to the licence's conditions.

The licence does not apply automatically to content whose rights holders have not authorised its use under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Licence requirements

[edit]

Anyone reusing WikiPaintball material under CC BY-SA 4.0 must comply with the applicable licence conditions.

Attribution

[edit]

Users must provide appropriate credit to the original contributors, retain required notices, identify the licence and provide a link to the licence.

Where reasonably practicable, attribution should also identify the source article.

For collaboratively edited WikiPaintball articles, a link to the original article and its revision history can help identify the contributors whose work is being reused.

Attribution must not imply that WikiPaintball or its contributors endorse the reuse.

ShareAlike

[edit]

If a user adapts CC BY-SA 4.0 material and distributes the adaptation, they must make the adaptation available under CC BY-SA 4.0 or another licence permitted by the original licence's compatibility provisions.

This requirement applies to adaptations covered by copyright and does not automatically extend to every independent work included alongside the material.

Indicating changes

[edit]

Users who modify licensed material must indicate that changes were made and retain required notices of previous modifications.

No additional restrictions

[edit]

Users must not impose additional legal terms or technological restrictions that prevent recipients from exercising the rights granted by the applicable Creative Commons licence.

[edit]

Contributors retain any copyright they hold in their original contributions.

Publishing original material under CC BY-SA 4.0 does not transfer ownership of copyright to WikiPaintball.

Instead, the licence grants the public permission to reuse the licensed material under its published terms.

The licence is non-exclusive, meaning that a rights holder may also make their own work available under other terms.

Permissions already granted under CC BY-SA 4.0 are irrevocable while users comply with the licence conditions.

Contributing to WikiPaintball

[edit]

By saving an original textual contribution after receiving notice of the applicable licensing terms, contributors agree to publish that contribution under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

Contributors must have the authority to grant this licence.

Contributors should submit only:

  • Text they created and have the right to license.
  • Material already available under a compatible licence, with the necessary attribution and notices.
  • Material in the public domain.
  • Material whose inclusion is otherwise lawful and is clearly distinguished from CC BY-SA licensed content.

Contributors must not submit third-party copyrighted text under CC BY-SA 4.0 unless they have the necessary rights or authorisation.

Publication under this licence permits other contributors to edit, correct, reorganise and expand the material in accordance with WikiPaintball's editorial policies.

Existing articles and earlier contributions

[edit]

Adoption of CC BY-SA 4.0 does not automatically change the copyright status of material published before the licence was introduced.

Existing material may be made available under CC BY-SA 4.0 where the necessary rights are held or permission has been obtained.

Where earlier text was contributed by another rights holder under different terms, appropriate permission or another valid legal basis is required before representing that text as CC BY-SA 4.0.

Material whose licensing status has not been established should be reviewed and, where necessary, clearly identified or excluded from the site's general licensing claim.

Reusing WikiPaintball articles

[edit]

WikiPaintball encourages the lawful reuse of its licensed encyclopaedia content.

Users may reproduce an article, translate it, incorporate it into another publication or adapt it for another project, subject to the licence conditions.

An appropriate attribution should ordinarily identify:

  • The WikiPaintball article.
  • WikiPaintball and the relevant contributors, including a link to the article history where appropriate.
  • The CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.
  • Whether the material has been modified.

For example: 

Text adapted from WikiPaintball,
[Article title], licensed under
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).

See the original article and its
revision history for contributors.

Changes have been made.

This is an illustrative attribution. Actual attribution must satisfy the applicable licence requirements and preserve any additional required notices.

Third-party content

[edit]

Not everything displayed on WikiPaintball is necessarily available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Articles may refer to or contain material owned by other rights holders.

Examples include:

  • Historical photographs.
  • Team logos.
  • Manufacturer trademarks and artwork.
  • Tournament posters.
  • Scanned magazine pages.
  • Historical advertisements.
  • Maps and illustrations.
  • Quotations from copyrighted publications.
  • Other material published with specific permission or under an applicable legal exception.

Such material retains its own copyright status.

The WikiPaintball article-text licence does not automatically grant permission to reproduce independently protected third-party material.

Historical sources

[edit]

WikiPaintball relies on historical publications, tournament results, manufacturer information, archived websites and other documentary records.

Contributors may use verified factual information from these sources when preparing original encyclopaedia articles.

However, facts and the original copyrighted expression used to describe them are not necessarily subject to the same protections.

Contributors should research the source, identify the relevant facts and write independently.

Copying substantial passages from another publication without an appropriate legal basis is not permitted.

Providing a citation does not automatically authorise copying copyrighted material.

Historical magazines and archived websites

[edit]

Many important records of paintball history survive in magazines, archived websites, equipment catalogues and historical publications.

These are valuable research resources.

However, their age or availability through an online archive does not automatically place them in the public domain.

Contributors should normally summarise relevant information in their own words and cite the original source.

Reproducing entire articles, scanned pages or other substantial copyrighted material requires an appropriate legal basis.

Tournament results and historical databases

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Tournament results may be used to document factual information about paintball competitions.

Relevant information includes:

  • Tournament dates.
  • Event locations.
  • Team participation.
  • Competition divisions.
  • Final placements.
  • Published match scores.
  • Season standings.

Contributors should cite the relevant records and reproduce factual information accurately.

However, compilations and databases may be subject to copyright or other legal protections, including database rights.

The adoption of CC BY-SA 4.0 does not authorise the unrestricted copying of protected third-party databases.

Photographs and other media

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Photographs, illustrations and other uploaded files must have an identifiable and lawful basis for publication.

Images are not automatically released under CC BY-SA 4.0 merely because they appear within a WikiPaintball article.

Each file may be subject to its own licence, permission or copyright exception.

The copyright holder may be the photographer, an employer, a publisher or another party, depending on the circumstances.

Owning a physical photograph or appearing in a photograph does not necessarily establish ownership of its copyright.

Where media is published, its copyright and reuse conditions should be identified wherever practicable.

Logos and trademarks

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Team logos, manufacturer branding and tournament emblems may be protected by copyright, trademark law or both.

WikiPaintball may identify and discuss trademarks for historical and encyclopaedic purposes.

Such references do not imply endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation.

The CC BY-SA 4.0 licence does not grant trademark rights.

Reproduction of protected logos or artwork must have an appropriate legal basis.

Public-domain material

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Material that is genuinely in the public domain may be reused without copyright permission.

However, public-domain status must be established rather than assumed.

A work does not automatically enter the public domain because:

  • It was published decades ago.
  • The original business has closed.
  • Its author is unknown.
  • It has no visible copyright notice.
  • It appears in an online archive.
  • It has been widely reproduced elsewhere.

Copyright duration and applicable exceptions vary between jurisdictions.

Content from Wikipedia and other wikis

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WikiPaintball is independent of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation.

Material from Wikipedia and other collaborative encyclopaedias may be available under Creative Commons or other licences.

Reuse must comply with the specific licence governing the original material.

Contributors must preserve required attribution, links and notices.

WikiPaintball's use of CC BY-SA 4.0 does not mean that material from every other wiki can be copied without additional conditions.

Where possible, WikiPaintball articles should be independently researched and written using original historical sources.

Artificial intelligence

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Artificial intelligence may assist with researching and drafting WikiPaintball articles.

However, contributors must ensure that AI-assisted content is suitable for publication and does not unlawfully reproduce protected material.

AI-generated text should not be assumed to be copyright-free or independently verified.

Contributors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality and lawful publication of their submissions.

See WikiPaintball:Using AI to write articles.

Obtaining permission

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Where permission is required, contributors should obtain it from the appropriate rights holder.

Permission should identify the material concerned and explain how it may be used.

Permission to display material on WikiPaintball does not necessarily authorise its release under CC BY-SA 4.0.

If material is intended to be freely reusable under CC BY-SA 4.0, the rights holder must have authorised that licensing arrangement.

Permissions should be documented wherever practical.

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WikiPaintball respects the intellectual property rights of others.

Rights holders who believe their material has been reproduced unlawfully may report the issue to WikiPaintball administrators.

A useful report should identify:

  • The WikiPaintball page concerned.
  • The material believed to infringe copyright.
  • The original work.
  • The claimant's rights or authority to act.
  • Relevant supporting information.

Credible complaints will be reviewed and appropriate action taken where necessary.

Administrators may remove or restrict access to disputed material while the issue is examined.

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If material is discovered to have been published without the necessary rights or permission, appropriate corrective action should be taken.

This may include:

  • Rewriting copied text independently.
  • Replacing copied material with a factual summary.
  • Adding missing licence information.
  • Obtaining permission from the rights holder.
  • Removing material that cannot lawfully remain.
  • Reviewing affected page histories where necessary.

Removing material from the current article does not necessarily remove it from historical revisions.

Licence information

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Standard article-text licence:

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Licence summary:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Full legal code:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode

The official Creative Commons licence governs the rights and obligations associated with licensed material.

This policy explains how WikiPaintball applies its licensing arrangements but does not replace or modify the legal terms of CC BY-SA 4.0.

Final principle

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WikiPaintball exists to make verified paintball history accessible and useful to future generations.

Open licensing allows that knowledge to be shared, improved and preserved beyond a single website.

WikiPaintball encourages the free sharing of historical knowledge while respecting the copyright of its contributors and source creators.

See also

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