elian wrote:
What kind of restrictions are there? I'm just curious.
It's forbidden to use them in misleading context, f.e. in letters for the purpose to make them appear as coming from government institutions, or to put them on products or use them in ads.
O.k., it sounds like we are safe there.
Yep. I don't think they are really copyrighted, there rather appears to be special laws about them (as above). And the problem I forgot to mention: if we include them in Wikipedia it means we are putting them under a new licence, the GFDL, which knows nothing about these restrictions (which still apply). Or do I misunderstand the concept of GFDL here? So it seems we have a conflict here.
Well, the GFDL extends only so far as copyright and license. Any _other_ legal issues are separate and unaffected by GFDL.
For example, some kinds of political writings that are legal in the United States are not legal in Canada. Someone might write a political essay and place it under GFDL. The copyright issues are taken care of by that, and it is of no consequence that these ideas might be banned in Canada.
Another example, more specific to this case. In the United States it would be legal for someone to write a pro-Nazi essay and publish it under the GFDL. This essay would, if I understand things correctly, be illegal in Germany. But that's a separate issue from the copyright issue.
--Jimbo