The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of a fair use image as a replaceable image. Please do not modify it.

The result was to delete the image. ℯxplicit 00:18, 8 October 2017 (UTC)

This orphaned talk page, subpage, image page, or similar is not eligible for speedy deletion under CSD G8 as it has been asserted to be useful to Wikipedia. If you believe it should be deleted, please nominate it on Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion.

Stefan2 has initiated a discussion on whether or not this file should be deleted on the grounds that it may be replaceable with a "free alternative" or with text alone. There's only two images of this medal I've been able to find online, one is this, and the other is of the medal in a semi-opaque plastic box. As far as I can see, there is no free alternative that can be found online at this point in time.

Stefan2 has also suggested that I either contact the Sri Lanka Army to release the copyright or take an image of the medal on my own. This is not a realistic suggestion. This is Sri Lanka- copyright laws are not given the same respect as they are in the developed world, and any communication to try and get a copyright waiver from the Sri Lanka Army will be- and I guarantee this- met with no response. I personally do not have access to the medal to take a photo of either. A shame, since this is a pretty poor image of the medal to begin with. But it's the only one available and I've gone ahead and uploaded it on here. As for a simple text description- it's there on the article in question already but I feel that it is not sufficient to describe the medal sufficiently enough for a reader to identify it in real life or in another photo outside Wikipedia. A medal is inherently a very visual object, and this is a particularly intricate one.

In summary, there is no free replacement for this, and I doubt there will be soon. I request the image be left up.- ක - (talk) 12:35, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

It doesn't matter if you can't take a photo of this medal as long as someone else can take a photo of it. --Stefan2 (talk) 12:50, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

That's all well and good, but how does that make what I said wrong? Currently, there is no free alternative. Until such time as one becomes available, this should be left up. If and when one does, this should be replaced with the free one. Is there really a rule that says an image needs to be deleted from Wikipedia if there's some vague chance a free image might become available at some point in the future? From what I can see, the rules specify a free alternative must exist now.- ක - (talk) 12:55, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

WP:NFCC#1 says Non-free content is used only where no free equivalent is available, or could be created, that would serve the same encyclopedic purpose. In this case, a more free file could be created. --Stefan2 (talk) 13:07, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

Another article from a nation with a tiny userbase here has the copyright hammer dropped on it! - ක - (talk) 13:19, 5 October 2017 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it.