Public domain works must be out of copyright in both the United States and in the source country of the work in order to be hosted on the Commons. If the work is not a U.S. work, the file must have an additional copyright tag indicating the copyright status in the source country. Note: This tag should not be used for sound recordings.PD-1923Public domain in the United States//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jozef_Stefan.jpg
For a simple photograph ("Lichtbild"), such as simple passport photos from Photo booths, photos from satellites, pictures from radiography, it was either published more than 50 years ago or it was taken more than 50 years ago and never published within 50 years of its creation.
Photographs that involve artistic interpretations, such as studio shots and those that involve lighting and poses, qualify as photographic works ("Lichtbildwerke") or "works of literature, music and art" (Eurobike: OGH, Beschluss vom 12.9.2001, 4 Ob 179/01d and Article 60). As such, a 70-year p.m.a. term of protection is applied (see this discussion).
In order to be acceptable on Commons, works must be in the public domain in the United States as well as in their source country. Austrian works are currently in the public domain in the United States if their copyright had expired in Austria on the U.S. date of restoration (January 1, 1996). However, some works might have a subsisting U.S. copyright resulting from the long-standing copyright relations between Austria and the United States.
Type of material
Copyright has expired in Austria if...
Copyright has expired in the U.S. if...
Unpublished simple photographs
created prior to 1974 and never published within 50 years of creation
created prior to 1946 and never published within 50 years of creation
Published simple photographs
published prior to 1974
published prior to 1946
All other photographs
author death prior to 1954 and published
published prior to 1932
This is a featured picture on the Slovenian language Wikipedia (Izbrane slike) and is considered one of the finest images. See its nomination here.
If you think this file should be featured on Wikimedia Commons as well, feel free to nominate it. If you have an image of similar quality that can be published under a suitable copyright license, be sure to upload it, tag it, and nominate it.
File history
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