Wikipedia:Cosplay images in articles

This proposal has become dormant through lack of discussion by the community.

It is inactive but retained for historical interest. If you want to revive discussion on this subject, try using the talk page or start a discussion at the village pump.

This is an essay.

It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.

Shortcut

WP:COSPLAY

This page in a nutshell:

Wikipedia's third pillar states "Non-free content is allowed under fair use, but strive to find free alternatives to any media or content that you wish to add to Wikipedia."
Deciding when and where to include them.
Examples of accepted, declined, and discussed inclusions.

Introduction[edit]

Wikipedia has many articles on fictional characters that are portrayed by cosplayers as another version of the character.

This guideline will help editors decide on using images of cosplayers used in articles.

Wikipedia's third pillar states "Non-free content is allowed under fair use, but strive to find free alternatives to any media or content that you wish to add to Wikipedia."

Many fictional character article images are copyrighted but still are needed to give the reader a grasp of copyrighted versions of the character. Cosplay images should not replace those but simply give readers a grasp using cosplay versions.

Type of article[edit]

If editors reach consenus on inclusion then cosplay images can be used in any article and not just those of fictional characters. Examples would be King Arthur, Bill Miner, or even Abraham Lincoln. If it is a good image of a well-made costume then articles like rabbit and broccoli may even get consensus for inclusion.

Placement[edit]

Cosplay images should not be in the infobox or lead of an article unless the subject is a cosplayer or used to represent a copy-protected character in any way. However, cosplay images may be used to illustrate sourced content about the real world impact that cosplay has had on a copy-protected character. This content may be placed in a 'Popular culture' section.