Copyrights

Copyright, licensing, attribution, and reuse policy for WikiMD

WikiMD Copyrights

WikiMD supports the free exchange of reliable medical information, health education, and wellness knowledge.

Unless a page, file, image, quotation, dataset, or other item clearly states otherwise, original textual content published on WikiMD is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, commonly abbreviated as CC BY-SA 4.0.

Default WikiMD text license

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

CC BY-SA 4.0

Important: Images, videos, audio files, diagrams, documents, logos, and other media may have licenses or copyright restrictions different from the surrounding article text. Always review the respective file-description page before reusing media.

Summary of the license

Under CC BY-SA 4.0, users may generally:

• Share—copy and redistribute licensed material in any medium or format
• Adapt—remix, transform, translate, and build upon licensed material
• Use the material for educational, nonprofit, or commercial purposes

These permissions apply only when the user follows the license conditions.

Attribution

When sharing or adapting WikiMD content, users must provide appropriate credit. Attribution should ordinarily include:

• The title of the WikiMD page
• A link or URL to the original page
• Identification of WikiMD and, where practical, relevant contributors
• A link to the CC BY-SA 4.0 license
• An indication of whether changes were made

Attribution must not imply that WikiMD, its contributors, editors, reviewers, or associated organizations endorse the user, the adaptation, or the way the material is being used.

ShareAlike

If a person translates, modifies, remixes, or otherwise creates adapted material from CC BY-SA 4.0 content, the resulting contribution must be distributed under:

• CC BY-SA 4.0;
• A later version of the same license when permitted; or
• Another license formally recognized as compatible by Creative Commons.

No additional restrictions

Users may not impose legal terms, digital restrictions, or technological measures that prevent recipients from exercising rights granted by the license.

The official Creative Commons summary and complete legal code govern the license:

• CC BY-SA 4.0 license summary
• CC BY-SA 4.0 legal code

Suggested attribution

A reasonable attribution for an unmodified WikiMD page is:

“[ARTICLE TITLE],” WikiMD, available at [PAGE URL], licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

For adapted content:

Adapted from “[ARTICLE TITLE],” WikiMD, [PAGE URL], under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made. This adaptation is distributed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

For online use, linking to the article and license is ordinarily the clearest form of attribution.

For printed use, include the article title, WikiMD, the full page URL, the license name, and the license URL.

Attribution to contributors

WikiMD articles may be collaboratively written by multiple contributors. The revision history associated with each page records usernames, account names, or IP-based contributions where applicable.

A link to the article’s history page may be used to identify contributors:

```text https://wikimd.org/wiki/PAGE_NAME?action=history ````

Attribution may therefore be provided through:

• A direct link to the WikiMD article
• A link to its revision history
• A list of principal authors when one is supplied
• Another reasonable method appropriate to the medium

Scope of the default license

The default CC BY-SA 4.0 license generally applies to original WikiMD textual content unless otherwise stated.

It does not automatically apply to:

• Images and other uploaded files
• Third-party quotations
• Externally embedded media
• Logos and trademarks
• Material used under fair use or another legal limitation
• Content carrying a different Creative Commons license
• Public-domain material
• Third-party datasets
• Software code
• Material linked from external websites
• Personal information or rights of publicity
• Content specifically marked as copyrighted or restricted

A notice attached to a particular item takes precedence over the general WikiMD licensing notice for that item.

Images and other media

Every image and media file is subject to the licensing information shown on its respective file-description page.

Before copying or reusing a file:

1. Open the file-description page.

1. Identify the creator and source.

1. Review the copyright status and license.

1. Confirm whether commercial reuse is permitted.

1. Determine whether modification is permitted.

1. Follow all attribution requirements.

1. Check for personality, privacy, publicity, trademark, or other rights.

1. Link to the original file page when practical.

A file-description page can ordinarily be opened by selecting the image or by visiting:

```text https://wikimd.org/wiki/File:FILENAME ```

Possible file statuses include:

• Public domain
• CC BY 4.0
• CC BY-SA 4.0
• Another Creative Commons license
• GNU Free Documentation License
• Copyrighted material used with permission
• Material used under fair use
• A government work
• A license specific to the original source

Wikimedia Commons files

Some files displayed by WikiMD may originate from Wikimedia Commons through MediaWiki’s shared-media or InstantCommons functionality.

Their copyright and licensing information is controlled by the relevant Wikimedia Commons file page. WikiMD’s general text license does not replace the license displayed there.

Medical and patient images

A copyright license does not necessarily resolve every issue associated with a medical image.

Reuse may also be limited by:

• Patient privacy
• Informed consent
• Personality rights
• Publicity rights
• Confidentiality obligations
• Institutional policies
• Ethical requirements
• Applicable health-information laws

Do not assume that a medically de-identified image may be reused merely because it can be viewed online.

Quotations and third-party content

WikiMD articles may contain limited quotations, excerpts, data, or other material from third-party sources.

Such material remains subject to the rights of its original owner unless:

• It is in the public domain;
• It has been released under a compatible license;
• Permission has been granted; or
• Its use is permitted by fair use, fair dealing, or another applicable legal exception.

The CC BY-SA 4.0 license applied to WikiMD text does not convert separately owned third-party material into CC BY-SA content.

Users intending to reuse an article are responsible for identifying and separately evaluating third-party elements.

References and external links

A citation or external link does not grant permission to copy the content of the cited source.

Journal articles, books, clinical guidelines, government documents, news reports, and websites may have their own copyright and reuse conditions.

Facts are generally not protected by copyright in the same way as creative expression, but:

• The wording used to express facts may be protected.
• Tables, compilations, and databases may have additional rights.
• Images and figures may be separately copyrighted.
• Contractual or database-access terms may apply.
• Attribution may be ethically or academically required.

Imported and adapted content

Content imported or adapted from another source must comply with the source license.

Contributors should:

• Identify the source
• Confirm license compatibility
• Provide required attribution
• Link to the source when practical
• Identify significant modifications
• Preserve applicable copyright notices
• Avoid importing material under an incompatible license

Material released only under a noncommercial or no-derivatives license may not necessarily be compatible with CC BY-SA 4.0.

Content merely available without charge is not automatically openly licensed.

Contributor agreement

By submitting original text to WikiMD, a contributor agrees to release that contribution under CC BY-SA 4.0 unless a clearly identified alternative arrangement has been approved.

Contributors represent that:

• They created the submitted material; or
• They have the legal right to submit and license it; or
• The material is in the public domain; or
• The material is available under a compatible license and properly attributed.

Contributors must not submit:

• Copyrighted articles copied without permission
• Substantial portions of books or subscription publications
• Images copied from search results without license verification
• Proprietary clinical materials
• Confidential medical records
• Identifiable patient information without appropriate authority
• Content generated from a source whose terms prohibit redistribution
• Falsely attributed or fabricated material

Submitting material to WikiMD does not transfer ownership of a contributor’s copyright. Instead, the contributor grants the public the permissions provided by the applicable license.

Artificial intelligence-generated content

Text or media created with generative artificial intelligence may raise copyright, attribution, privacy, reliability, and provenance concerns.

Contributors using AI-assisted material remain responsible for:

• Verifying that the content can lawfully be published
• Checking for copied or substantially similar protected expression
• Verifying citations
• Avoiding fabricated sources
• Protecting confidential information
• Disclosing substantial AI assistance when appropriate
• Ensuring compliance with WikiMD’s editorial policy
• Confirming that the submitted material can be licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

An AI service’s availability does not guarantee that its output is free of third-party rights.

Software and technical components

MediaWiki software, extensions, skins, JavaScript, style sheets, fonts, icons, and other technical components may be distributed under licenses different from CC BY-SA 4.0.

Examples may include:

• GNU General Public License
• MIT License
• BSD licenses
• Apache License
• Open Font License
• Proprietary licenses

The license notice included with each software package or technical asset governs its reuse.

WikiMD’s default content license does not relicense MediaWiki software or third-party technical components.

WikiMD name, logo, and trademarks

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

The WikiMD name, logos, branding, trade dress, domain names, and related identifiers may be protected by trademark or other laws.

Reuse of article content must not:

• Imply sponsorship or endorsement by WikiMD
• Falsely present an adapted site as the official WikiMD website
• Mislead users about the origin of the content
• Suggest that WikiMD reviewed or approved an adaptation
• Use WikiMD branding in a deceptive manner

Nominative reference to WikiMD for attribution is permitted to the extent allowed by applicable law.

Medical information and reuse

Permission to reuse content does not establish medical accuracy for a particular purpose.

Medical information may:

• Become outdated
• Contain errors or omissions
• Differ across jurisdictions
• Be inappropriate for an individual patient
• Require professional interpretation
• Change after regulatory or scientific updates

Anyone adapting WikiMD medical content should preserve appropriate context, references, uncertainty, safety information, and the medical disclaimer.

The CC BY-SA 4.0 license provides no warranty of accuracy, fitness, noninfringement, or suitability for clinical use.

Copyright complaints

WikiMD respects the rights of authors, publishers, photographers, artists, researchers, patients, institutions, and other rights holders.

A copyright complaint should include:

• Identification of the copyrighted work
• The exact WikiMD page or file URL
• Identification of the allegedly infringing material
• An explanation of the complainant’s rights
• Contact information
• A statement that the information provided is accurate
• Any other information required by applicable law

Submit copyright concerns through Contact WikiMD or by email:

```text bath2003@gmail.com ```

For faster review, use a subject line such as:

```text WikiMD copyright concern — [page or file name] ```

WikiMD may temporarily remove or restrict access to disputed material while investigating a credible complaint.

Knowingly submitting a false copyright complaint or misrepresenting ownership may have legal consequences.

Corrections and removal requests

A request should clearly distinguish among:

• Copyright infringement
• Privacy concern
• Medical inaccuracy
• Defamation concern
• Trademark issue
• Licensing or attribution error
• Broken source link
• Personal preference for removal

These issues may require different review processes.

Copyright and licensing corrections may also be proposed on the associated article or file discussion page. Do not post confidential personal information on a public discussion page.

No endorsement

Reuse of WikiMD content does not imply that WikiMD, its contributors, editors, medical reviewers, sponsors, or associated organizations endorse:

• The reuse
• The user
• A product or service
• A political position
• A medical treatment
• A commercial website
• Changes made to the original material

No legal advice

This page provides general information about WikiMD’s copyright and licensing practices. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship.

Copyright, database, privacy, publicity, trademark, and licensing laws vary by jurisdiction. Anyone planning substantial, commercial, or legally sensitive reuse should consult a qualified legal professional.

License notice for page footers

The following concise notice may be used in WikiMD page footers:

Except where otherwise specified, WikiMD textual content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images and other media are subject to the copyright and licensing information shown on their respective file-description pages.

Related pages

• About WikiMD
• Editorial policy
• Conflict of interest policy
• Medical disclaimer
• Privacy policy
• How to contribute
• Contact WikiMD
• Creative Commons license
• Copyright
• Public domain
• Fair use
• Open access
• Open educational resources

External links

• [[1](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) CC BY-SA 4.0 license summary]
• [[2](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode.en) CC BY-SA 4.0 legal code]
• [[3](https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses/) About Creative Commons licenses]
• [[4](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/) Public-domain tools from Creative Commons]

Policy status: Active
Default text license: CC BY-SA 4.0 unless otherwise specified
Media licensing: See the respective file-description page
Last reviewed: August 2026