[Foundation-l] a new free image!

[Erik Moeller]

On 3/2/07, Robert Horning <robert_horning at netzero.net> wrote:
> This is effectively banning fair use from all but the absolutely most
> active projects and mandating that there is no fair use.

I don't agree that the project has to be among "the most active". A
similar policy has been in place on Wikinews for a while (new editions
were not permitted to enable local uploads unless they had a fair use
policy in place). Wikinews is orders of magnitude smaller than
Wikipedia, yet editions like the Polish Wikinews managed to come up
with a reasonable fair use policy. Necessity is the mother of
invention.

We don't expect these policies to be perfect from the start - they can
be improved over time. However, they have to be in place before fair
use uploads can be permitted. I don't see this as a major issue at all
-- it's not like the survival of any of our projects depends on fair
use -- nor do I agree with your characterization of this decision as
"micromanagement". To the contrary, this is pure "macro"management:
setting a standard which all projects must follow.

-- 
Peace & Love,
Erik

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