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Thanks for uploading File:Hackleburg ef5tornado.png. I notice that the file page either doesn't contain enough information about the license or it contains contradictory information about the license, so the copyright status is unclear.
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Simply giving credit to the original author of the image is not enough. If the image is not public domain, and the author has not given permission to use it, then you can't use it. You have to provide evidence that you are allowed to use the image. TornadoLGS (talk) 21:00, 11 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]
We can't assume the author "would be glad" without their say so. Since the image isn't public domain, you have to obtain explicit permission from the author. The video is publicly available, but that does not mean you are free to reproduce or redistribute it. It is most likely uploded under a youtube standard license, which means the rights still belong to the uploader. Being unable to contact the author is not an exception to the rule. If you want to upload an image of this tornado, you will either have to obtain permission from the author or find an image that is either public domain (basically no copyright) of filed under an appropriate creative commons license. TornadoLGS (talk) 21:25, 11 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Images posted through the National Weather Service and agencies within it (such as the National Hurricane Center and Storm Prediction Center) are public domain. That is where we get most of the U.S. tornado-related images. Unfortunately, there might not be any public domain images of these tornadoes. The NWS frequently takes photos of damage as part of its surveys, but pictures and videos of the tornadoes themselves are usually taken by storm chasers or civilians who happen to be nearby. The reality is that we can't always have the images we would like. In fact, another picture of the Hackleburg tornado was taken down earlier this year due to copyright issues.
See the page for this image as an example of how to do the attribution and licensing of an NWS photo, using the {{PD-NWS}} template:
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