Is Wikimedia commons a valid source for book covers?

[Margaux Andrea]

I know there is a list of valid sources for adding book covers:
(https://www.goodreads.com/help/show/2...)

However, I would like to ask if images uploaded to Wikimedia commons is an acceptable source.

If it is, can someone update the cover of the following to a higher resolution?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

High res image:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...

[Margaux Andrea]

Does anyone know?

[Krazykiwi]

If the specific image is licensed public domain by it's uploader, you will have to check the license on each image individually. Very very few book covers will be PD licensed (primarily those where the book itself has fallen into the public domain), as most are provided to Wikipedia under the fair use doctrine, which does not allow GR to re-use them.

See the licensing paragraph here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ha...

[Margaux Andrea]

Thank you for taking the time to answer.

I just ventured to ask when I read the following on a separate thread:

"Use of limited quotes and the cover of a published book is within Fair Usage."

[Krazykiwi]

Fair Use in general doesn't apply to commercial use (there are exceptions, but copying an image and using it unchanged isn't one of them). GR is a business. Wikipedia is a non-commercial non-profit organisation, and operates under different rules.

As long as GR itself says it's not a permissible source, then it's not a permissible source, unfortunately.

[Abcdarian]

Amazon had a higher resolution cover for the edition you linked. I cropped and added it.

[Krazykiwi]

Abcdarian wrote: "Amazon had a higher resolution cover for the edition you linked. I cropped and added it."

Gah. I swear I looked and didn't find it (I even gave Kodansha's website a go lol.)

[Abcdarian]

The edition in the link isn't the edition at the top of the page; probably what you were looking for?

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Krazykiwi wrote: "If the specific image is licensed public domain by it's uploader, you will have to check the license on each image individually. Very very few book covers will be PD licensed (primarily those where the book itself has fallen into the public domain), as most are provided to Wikipedia under the fair use doctrine, which does not allow GR to re-use them."

All quite true. Additionally, covers on Wikipedia are not infrequently linked to no specific ISBN or are linked to the wrong ISBN(s).