[Foundation-l] Wikimedia Foundation's help to the projects

[Yann Forget]

Anthere a écrit :
> Yann Forget wrote:
>  > Hi,
>  >
>  > I think that there are several areas where the projects would benefit
>  > from a more proactive help from the Foundation. I will speak about 
> two here:
>  >
>  > 1. Legal counselling.
>  >
>  > Some projects (mainly Commons and Wikisource) need more input about
>  > copyright issues from knowledgeable persons. I have asked twice to
>  > juriwiki-l specific issues for Wikisource without receiving an answer,
>  > even an acknowledgement that my request was received. Another concrete
>  > example: Commons and Wikisource would benefit most from a cross table
>  > about copyright rules, which countries use "most favourable rule apply",
>  > etc.
> 
> For various reasons, which are controversial, some consider the
> Foundation should not give such advice. As such, your requests will
> probably not meet answers.

Is there any possibility between professional legal advice and no advice
at all? Here we don't need professional legal advice, but rather general
information about how copyright laws from different countries works
together.

For my practical use, is a photograph taken in India in 1908 by a Indian
photographer is public domain in USA (first published in India)? and if
it is taken in 1920? in 1945? and if the photographer is American (first
published in USA)? and if the photographer is from a third country,
England, for example? (Indian copyright law is "public domain 60 years
after publication" for photographs and sound recordings).

>  > 2. Helping small projects. It seems that some projects have a difficult
>  > start. Indian languages projects are my first examples. I will go to
>  > India in January, and I would like to use this opportunity to recruit
>  > new contributors. The Foundation could help coordinate this kind of
>  > recruitement.
> 
> Why not. Practically speaking, how do you think the Foundation could
> help ? What do you mean by "coordination" here ? Example of things we
> could do ?

As Mickael Bimmer mentionned, the coordination might be the work of the
language subcommittee. I subscribed to the list and created an account
on the wiki. ;o)

More generally, I would like to know how far the Foundation as an
organisation is willing to get involved into active promotion for small
projects and new languages. Can the recruitement be made in the name of
the Foundation or not? Can I make leaflets saying "the Wikimedia
Foundation is looking for new contributors for Indian languages"?

> Ant

Regards,

Yann