This is the statement on trademarks mentioned earlier. It both states
the approach we want the Wikimedia Foundation to take and directs the
staff to carry it out. It basically sums up what our understanding has
been for a long time, but hadn't really been formally stated anywhere.
The board also voted unanimously to approve this. The statement follows:
The Wikimedia Foundation is committed to enabling our mission through a
wide network of chapters, community members, and organizational partners
who are all able to better achieve their goals by identifying themselves
with the Wikimedia community. Because of these efforts, there is a large
amount of value and goodwill associated with the name and marks.
Trademark law in the United States and internationally requires that the
holder of a mark take affirmative steps to protect the integrity of the
mark. However, because of our commitment to openness and community
empowerment, we wish to do this in a way that allows chapters and
community members to be able to continue to identify themselves with
Wikimedia marks without being unnecessarily restrictive.
Because of this, we ask the Wikimedia staff to take appropriate steps to
register and protect the Wikimedia marks, develop a set of policies and
practices, and develop a strategy to allow uses by the chapters and
community for activities in line with the Wikimedia mission.
--Michael Snow