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This is a proposal for a workgroup and should not be relied upon in any way. It is conjunctive to the proposal for Fair Use Policy, Media.

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The idea behind the Media Assets Workgroup is to serve as CZ's "Media Procurement and Permissions Department".

Overview

In short, the Media Assets Workgroup is Citizendium's "Media Procurement Department", as well as an media touch up, restoration, and creation studio.

For the purposes of The Media Assets Workgroup, "media" is defined as all visual, audio, video, and media-related template materials on all Citizendium pages.

Activities

The Media Assests Workgroup actualy functions as the central hub for two different operations. First, the copyright compliance team is located here, and performs the functions of a "go-to guy" for copyright issues. This includes checking to see if new media is copyrighted, obtaining permission to use copyrighted media, and patrolling all media looking for copyright violations. Any violations of copyright will be deleted on sight, and only restored if the uploader can demonstrate that permission has been given.

Second, the "Media Lab" is located here, and assists with altering or creating media. This includes restoring old photographs, brightening or darkening images, creating non-copyrighted images, removing people or objects from photographs, among others.

The Media Lab will not, under any circumstances, alter media, such that it drastically changes the intent of the media. The Media Lab also works to detect any falsified media within CZ, and will delete any falsified media on sight.

Organization

Workgroup Lead

Workgroup activities and initiatives will be overseen by the Media Assets Workgroup Lead (exact title yet-to-be-determined), who shall have syspop powers, subject to both the checks of the Editor-in-Chief and the majority of all constables, over media he or she deems to be substantially problematic as regards copyrights or other Citizendium media policies, and to lock Permissions pages.

Responsibilities include:

• Official contact person and representative of Citizendium, under the Editor-in-Chief, as regards all media content on Citizendium English servers.
• Maintenance of pages and templates that fall within the purview of the Media Assets Workgroup.
  • Image request page
  • Media policy pages
  • Media templates and related pages

• Act as a point of contact with:
  • People or entities who contest usage of their media on Citizendium under the The Digital Millennium Copyright Act or other statutory Act or law
  • Large-scale content providers, inclusive of taking a leading role in negotiations for block permissions

• Oversee the workgroup mailing list and media help requests from Citizendium users

Appointment of:

The Workgroup Lead must have carefully exercised sysop powers over media and will act as to uphold Citizendium media policies. To qualify for the position, he or she must have substantial demonstrable knowledge of media assets in open content projects and preferably at least 6 months duty as a constable. He or she may be appointed by the Editor-in-Chief under the advise and consent of the Executive Committee.

The Workgroup Lead will have access to the media-assets@citizendium.org account.

Assistants to the Lead

The Workgroup Lead will deputize Citizendium members as Assistants (exact title yet-to-be-determined) to help coordinate the responsibilities of the Lead and carry out projects under his or her direction. The minimum amount needed to perform the required tasks shall be deputized.

Appointment of:

An Assistant must be a CZ contributor in good standing, have demonstrable knowledge of media assets in open content projects, and have a clear record of professional interactions with content providers and Citizendium contributors. Assistants may be appointed from volunteers by the Lead under the advise and consent of the Executive Committee.

Assistants will have access to the media-assets@citizendium.org account and may be selected by the Lead to head special projects.

It is expected that the role of Assistant to the Lead will serve as a significant incubator of new Citizendium constables. Certain Assistants may be entrusted with sysop powers to act on their own recognizance, under the careful oversight of the Lead, over exclusively media content that is uncontroversially infringing of copyright, and to lock Permissions pages.

Workgroup members

Members of the Media Assets Workgroup will respond to requests from the larger Citizendium community to find appropriate media, to request that media be released anew under open content licenses, to determine authorship of media with questionable provenance, and to seek permissions for copyright restricted media.