Wikipedia:Non-free content/Historical logos in galleries

This is a request for comment (RFC) on the use of historical logos in galleries, in articles about subjects which the logos represent. This RFC aims to gather community opinion on the use of galleries of historical logos claimed to be fair use, and to generate a consensus about whether what has been long-standing usage is acceptable or not, under the current fair use criteria, specifically FUC #3 and FUC #8.

This is not a request or proposal to change existing policy; it is merely an attempt to clarify current policy as it relates to the specific issue of historical logo galleries, and to determine a consensus on such clarification.

There is currently an ongoing dispute at Wikipedia:WikiProject Television Stations about the use of fair use images, specifically historical logos, to illustrate television station articles. User:A Man In Black, an administrator, has been deleting galleries of logos from various television station articles over the last couple of months, and consistently and quickly reverts anyone who restores them, claiming they violate fair use policy. Discussion has been ongoing without resolution on WP:TVS, including here, here, and here.

The issue has broader significance for similar galleries which may appear in any articles about companies or organizations which have used a variety of different branding identities throughout their lifetimes. As such, it is appropriate that the issue be discussed here. Note that while much of the discussion so far relates to the use of galleries of logos in television station articles, feel free to discuss issues which relate to fair use images in galleries more generally.

Examples of current usage

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Below are some examples of articles which use fair use images in the fashion that is presently disputed (static versions are linked to; notice that many of the galleries may be missing images due to the removal of such galleries from article pages and the policy of deleting orphaned images after 7 days):

Arguments for and against

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This is a very brief summary of the major arguments for and against the use of fair use historical logo images in galleries. Note that this is only intended to be an extremely brief summary, and all substantive development of arguments should be directed to this page's discussion page.

Discussion

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All discussion should be directed to this page's discussion page. Discussion should not be added below.