A long-term project is underway to transfer freely licensed files from Wikipedia to the Wikimedia Commons, which serves as the central file repository for all Wikimedia Foundation projects. When our local files are transferred there, they will provide the added benefit of becoming instantly and globally available across all Wikimedia Foundation projects.
Commons files may be used by any Wikimedia Foundation project, such as Wikipedia, Wikinews, or Wiktionary. Some projects, such as the Simple English Wikipedia, exclusively use files hosted on Commons. A file uploaded to Commons only has to be uploaded and maintained once, as opposed to dozens of times for each individual Wiki.
Commons extensively categorizes of files, making it easy to find a files across a wide variety of topics.
Commons files are maintained even if they are not immediately used to illustrate articles. Wikipedia, by contrast, is not a file host and therefore does not permit unused files.
Instructions
A simple flowchart to help determine whether a file should be moved to Commons
Files created by a third party and uploaded to Wikipedia under a free license must include a permission statement (e.g. link to online permission statement, OTRS permission) so that it can be verified that said party has actually agreed to such publication.
List at FfD and/or tag egregious cases with {{Db-f9}}
N Files which are Public domain in their country of origin, but stillcopyrighted in the USA.
Commons requires that files be free in both their country of origin and the USA. Note that the English Wikipedia does not have such a restriction for uploaded PD files.
N Files which are Public domain in the USA but stillcopyrighted in their country of origin.
Commons requires that files be free in both their country of origin and the USA.
Save the file to transfer onto your computer and upload it at Commons. Include the following information on the file's Commons description page:
The contents of the local {{Information}} template — Note:Fileinfo generates the upload information text to transfer manually.
The license tag — Note: some templates used locally exist with another name on Commons. For example, {{PD-old}} is {{PD-old-100}} on Commons, and {{PD-old}} on Commons is {{PD-old-70}} on Wikipedia.
A copy of the local upload log — You must state the username of each uploader and the date/time at which the upload was performed. This is a strict requirement for the GFDL and Creative Commons licenses. You are not required to upload previous versions of the file, or mention reverted vandalism/file usurpations.
Once you are finished, please tag Wikipedia's copy of the file with {{subst:ncd}} or {{subst:ncd|File:New filename.png}} (if you chose a new name for the Commons file).
Non-free content
Note: Fileinfo generates the upload information text to transfer manually.
Note: 
