Use photo from Wikipedia?

[Jimmy]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
Would I be able to use the above photo on Bill Nelson's author page?

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bi...

says this photo is in the public domain. So, yes.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

In this case yes, but only because that image's detail page on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Ne...) specifically states that it is a public domain image.

Please note that is NOT true of most images on Wikipedia.

[Kyla]

Hello, I have been wanting to change the profile picture to the author Anne McCaffrey for a very long time. I finally found the perfect picture for it, but I am worried about some type of copyright. Here is the link to the picture I wanted to upload. Can you see if it's okay to use?
http://www.nndb.com/people/155/000026...

[Paula]

I would say no, there is no information about reusing data from their site

[Kyla]

Is there a way for someone who knows these things better to find the proper version of the picture? I feel like the picture here is more happy and vibrant than the current one.

[lethe]

Photos of living and recently-deceased authors are almost never free of copyright. Only if the photographer has given explicit permission to use the photo without credit can it be used.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Kyla wrote: "I feel like the picture here is more happy and vibrant than the current one."

That may be, but it's not really relevant. Without permission of the copyright holder, we cannot use it.

[Kyla]

rivka wrote: "Kyla wrote: "I feel like the picture here is more happy and vibrant than the current one."

That may be, but it's not really relevant. Without permission of the copyright holder, we cannot use it."

That's why I asked if someone who knows more about this stuff can find the proper version that is not breaking the rule.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

As lethe implied, that is difficult -- often impossible.

lethe wrote: "Photos of living and recently-deceased authors are almost never free of copyright."

[Kyla]

Sure.