Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/Steamboat Willie

Steamboat Willie
Voting period ends on 30 Oct 2023  at 06:53:11 (UTC)
 * Reason:This film is considered a major milestone in the history of animation. It also complies with the featured picture criteria.
 * Articles in which this image appears:Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Steamboat Willie, etc.
 * FP category for this image:Entertainment
 * Creator:Walt Disney Studios

Hello, I would like to nominate Disney's animated short film Steamboat Willie which has not been uploaded yet. The reason is that the film will famously enter the Public Domain on 1 January 2024 and I would like to showcase it on the Main Page on that exact day (I would upload it on Commons on the evening of 31 December 2023). I know that this is unorthodox, but it would be a really cool way to celebrate Public Domain Day next year. What do you think? --Gnom (talk) 06:53, 20 October 2023 (UTC)


 * Support as nominator – Gnom (talk) 06:53, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Support per talk page comment. The Herald (Benison) (talk) 08:34, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Support with a BIG caveat: In order to avoid any copyright infringement, even one ever so small, it should not be viewable anywhere until January 1st at 00:00 local time. Does the Wiki software actually time the front page view to the actual date/time of the page viewer's location? And how to decide exactly when to upload to Commons? 00:00 according to UTC, or PST - assuming the latter is the time zone for the original copyright? Or even the earliest time zone possible, that of Kiribati, i.e. UTC +14 - which means the upload would be legal at least somewhere on the earth... (This is only half in jest!) --Janke | Talk 09:07, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Support – TheHistoryBuff101 18:55, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Oppose until the file is actually uploaded. While I support the premise of the nomination in principle, I can't support something until I see what the Main Page readers will see. MER-C 19:02, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Comment - Well, you can see the film itself via the YT link above, and the Main Page text can actually be proposed here... perhaps with the help of MP editors? It would be fun to have it at the first possible moment! --Janke | Talk 20:19, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
 * I think MER-C means that you can’t just download a file from YouTube and upload it directly to Commons. You have to convert the file to a format that’s compatible with Commons, and that conversion can have adverse effects on the video if not properly done. Regards, Armbrust The Homunculus 20:26, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Yes, and to add to that someone is likely to release a much higher quality version of this movie on January 1. MER-C 19:33, 25 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Oppose, at least with the proposed source. While I appreciate the sentiment, the YouTube version, at 360p, is too low in quality to meet the FP criteria. And the historic exception argument doesn't quite hold, as the low resolution is a limitation imposed on this digital version, not inherent to the original format. Surely there are archives in possession of the original film prints who will be able to publish higher quality conversions once the copyright finally lapses? There may also be issues over the creativity and copyrightability of the restoration work itself, if such work took place as part of the digitisation. Altogether, I don't think it's practically possible to have Steamboat Willie as POTD for 1 January, so better just take the usual route and nominate it when it's ready (and maybe discuss making an exception for jumping the POTD queue to feature it as early as possible then). --Paul_012 (talk) 21:18, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
 * I'd have to oppose uploading it December 31st, when it's still in copyright. I'd suggest the earliest we can go for is January 2nd. The copyright law is a little vague as to the exact time of changeover online, where there's many timezones. The servers are in Florida and California, I believe, which means we technically should be careful about hosting something before midnight Pacific time, by which time it will be 8 am UTC and the POTD will have been running for 8 hours. We could do it by the same logic as the IAR for Queen Elizabeth's funeral (which might have proven controversial as every section of the main page independently got in on it, but I don't think was an issue otherwise): Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/File:Hrh Princess Elizabeth in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, April 1945 TR2832.jpg - If it's passing, and there's no opposition to it after a reasonable discussion done a few days beforehand, it can jump immediately to the next day's queue. Adam Cuerden (talk)Has about 8.5% of all FPs. 21:49, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
 * @Paul 012 and @Adam Cuerden, thank you for your commens – would you support a FP nomination of the Bluray version (assuming that I can find a way to upload it to Commons)? Gnom (talk) 13:46, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Yes, as long as there's no presumption of new copyright. Adam Cuerden (talk)Has about 8.5% of all FPs. 19:32, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * In principle, yes, though that's also conditional on the other issues being properly addressed. --Paul_012 (talk) 11:25, 25 October 2023 (UTC)
 * oppose A 1080p version apparently exists on the Celebrating Mickey blu ray.©Geni (talk) 22:22, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Considering all of the discussions above, I struck my support. --Janke | Talk 09:13, 21 October 2023 (UTC)
 * @Janke and @Geni, thank you for your comments – would you support a FP nomination of the Bluray version (assuming that I can find a way to upload it to Commons)? Gnom (talk) 13:45, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * probably. I think its worth waiting to see what is available jan 1st. I suspect quite a few people have things planned.©Geni (talk) 16:25, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * @Geni: For the last few years, the annual post about Public Domain Day on Diff has actually come from me, see my last one here: Public Domain Day 2023: Opening a treasure trove of art, science, and literature Gnom (talk) 17:28, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * I was talking about non wikipedians. There are quite a few copyright activist groups out there that will probably post it.©Geni (talk) 18:31, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * I support a January 1st upload (U.S. time) and a January 2nd POTD. I am Ok with the current 360p version on youtube . It's downloadable as MP4 and can be converted to WebM. A 1080p version can be uploaded later to overwrite it (whenever available, and with a proper license if needed for reproduction creativity and restoration). Bammesk (talk) 19:21, 21 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Hi Bammesk, thank you for your comment. Do you support the FP nomination (which is what this discussion is about, after all)? --Gnom (talk) 13:44, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Yes, with the stated caveat. I changed my comment to a vote. When/if the concerns expressed above by others are addressed, regarding the feasibility of a January 1st POTD (i.e. timing), and/or a 1080p version (and its copyright if applicable), then I support those scenarios as well. Bammesk (talk) 14:22, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Yes, we will address the copyright issue separately (I am a media lawyer and actually hold a PhD in copyright law, so I think that I should be able to figure this out). Gnom (talk) 14:29, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * I support the idea, in whatever way it is accomplished. But could we be absolutely sure that a Blu-Ray rip is copyright-free, since such a HD transfer was probably originally done by Disney? --Janke | Talk 19:48, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Oppose Let's wait until the file is a) actually uploaded and b) stable in the relevant articles until a FPC. Nick-D (talk) 10:27, 23 October 2023 (UTC)

--Armbrust The Homunculus 12:37, 30 October 2023 (UTC)
 * With 5 supports and 4 opposes there is no consensus for promotion. Armbrust The Homunculus 12:37, 30 October 2023 (UTC)