Svar fra Jimmy Wales
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jimmy Wales jwales@wikia.com Date: Apr 1, 2006 3:49 AM Subject: Re: Allowing unfree licenses on the Norwegian Wikipedia To: Ray Nicolette raynicolette@gmail.com Cc: board@wikimedia.org
It is a fundamental policy worldwide that all of our work needs to be free. Acceptable licenses would include GNU FDL and some of the creative commons licenses (those which are free in the sense of GNU).
There can be some minor local variations due to local legal reasons. For example, we do allow 'fair use' images in some limited circumstances in English wikipedia, while the Germans do not allow them due to German laws being more restrictive in that area. For another examples, the Germans get permission to show certain coats of arms which would be considered fair use in English.
But, for the most part, we do not allow licenses restricting commercial use anywhere, and we do not allow licenses which give Wikimedia or Wikipedia special rights as against other reusers.
We are creating a free encyclopedia, free as in speech, and this is fundamental. :)
Ray Nicolette wrote:
Dear Mr. Wales
On the Norwegian Wikipedia (no.wikipedia.org http://no.wikipedia.org) we are discussing the use of different image licenses in the project.
Until now the Norwegian Wikipedia has accepted licenses restricting the use of images to Wikipedia only, and licenses restricting commercial use. This rule is now being debated, and during the debate a user has suggested we ask the board of the Wikimedia Foundation if there is an official policy regarding which licenses we may use. I have searched the Metawiki and the wiki of the Foundation, but I have not found official statements from you or from the board regarding this issue. I therfore ask you, may we allow unfree licenses on the Norwegian Wikipedia, or should all licenses be compatible with the GNU FDL?
Yours sincerely,
Ray Nicolette
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