All,

Just a followup email to let you know that the English Wikipedia community have decided on an action for the English Wikipedia with regard to the SOPA and PROTECT acts. The English Wikipedia will be blacked out, worldwide, from 5am GMT on 18 January. The blackout will last for roughly 24 hours. There’s a timer counting down at http://www.worldtimebuddy.com/event?lid=0&h=0&sts=22114080&sln=5-6&a=show&euid=2a1130f2-81f4-e3c4-7d37-0a1c1001632d.

If you get any UK press interest, forward them to Jon and me in the office on 020 7065 0990, or to press@wikimedia.org.uk. We have a few volunteers with press experience who will be helping out, too (many thanks to them, they know who they are!) Bear in mind that tomorrow will be extremely busy in the WMF and WMUK offices, even though Wikipedia itself will be down. The key points to remember are:

· It’s the community who decided to do this – not a decree from Jimmy or the WMF, and not Wikimedia UK. We all support the decision of the community, however – we’re all in this together

· These acts are something that will hurt the freedom of information globally, even though they’re (on the surface) US laws. This may well affect every .com, .org or .net site worldwide

· Non-English Wikipedias may (or may) be blacking out, depending on the views of their individual communities

If you have any major problems over the course of the next 48 hours, or a press query, please get in touch. And if you’re looking for something to do, Commons isn’t being blacked out, and I imagine that there is a fair categorisation backlog…

All the best,

Richard Symonds

Office & Development Manager

Wikimedia UK

Wikimedia UK is the operating name of Wiki UK Limited, a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Our Registered Charity No. is 1144513. The Registered Office is 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT.

Wikimedia UK is the local chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects). It is an independent non-profit organization with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.

Visit http://www.wikimedia.org.uk/ and @wikimediauk