Image copyright and fair use

[vast tulip]

I'm confused regarding image rights. I'm making an althist wiki (very original ik) and I want to use this image in my article about the group, which is also used in Wikipedia's corresponding article . It is a copyrighted image, but Wikipedia uses it under fair use, and I'm likewise solely using it to provide a visual for who I am talking about. Am I allowed to use it as well?

[clear timber]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Press_conference_of_the_Committee_of_the_GKChP_USSR_(August_19,_1991).jpg

When you claim Fair use, you need at least add the copyright status and state the "Non-free use rationale" like they did on the file page.

You don't need to import all the templates they use. Just copy the text and state how you will use it.

note: When you no longer use the image, you need to delete it again, as Fair use allows only the image to be "in use".

Below is the more formal explanation

Copyright law establishes the legal framework for creators to protect their original works from unauthorized use or reproduction, thereby restricting the scope of fair use."```
* [[c:Commons:Fair use|Commons:Fair use]]
* [[w:Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria|Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria]]
* [[w:Fair use|Fair use]]

```You cannot download a whole set of images and upload that under Fair Use, but one image should be fine, as long as it's not under a license that allows for commercial activity. It is one of the main reasons that Commons Wikimedia (The repository for Wikipedia) also prohibits the Fair Use Doctrine. It is simply not compatible with our Creative Commons licenses, and relicensing (publishing with a different license) is not allowed. 

So when you use a copyrighted image or text, be aware of its limitations and make sure to state the Fair Use purpose. You can copy the template from Wikipedia:```
[[w:Template:Non-free fair use|Template:Non-free fair use]].

[mental trench]

as Ro says, if it's fair use you need to provide a rationale for why it's fair use, e.g. for this image there are no free alternatives and it's necessary to identify the people in question and it's intended to be a non-commercial non-political use

idk if alternate history makes it not fair use but other people might have a better idea

[vast tulip]

This is a major thing I'm hung up on
Because I'm not using it for "criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research" but for storytelling. I don't know if me giving a fictional telling of events makes it not allowed to use the image.

[clear timber]

Story telling is not fair use no

In principle you cannot use that image for that purpose

[void moss]

would this image work for you?

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RIAN_archive_857764_V.Yurchenko.jpg

under by-sa 3.0

[cursive island]

If that image will work, you can just link to it using standard file markup (e.g., [[File:RIAN archive 857764 V.Yurchenko.jpg]]). It's already licensed on the commons page, so no worries there.

[clear timber]

Anything from Commons is usable. And you don't have to upload it.