[Foundation-l] [ANNOUNCEMENT] Greenspan illustration project

[Anthony]

On 11/3/07, Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton at gmail.com> wrote:
> > To what extent does the WMF have to even worry about the rules of
> > different jurisdictions?
>
> Hiring someone in another country means you are doing business in that
> country, and that business falls under that countries jurisdiction.

{{citation_needed}}, although I also find the implication that the
payments the WMF is contemplating constitutes "hiring someone" to be
questionable.  Depends I suppose on the details of the relationship,
which haven't yet been cast in stone.

And in any case, just because a government claims you're under their
jurisdiction doesn't mean you have to listen to it.  I'm sure China
thinks we're under their jurisdiction when someone downloads an
article there, and I'm sure some of those articles are in violation of
Chinese law, doesn't mean the WMF does or should have any intention of
following those laws.

I'd be more worried about the tax treaties that the US has signed with
those other countries than about some obscure law in some obscure
country.  Of course, I wouldn't hold Wikimania outside the US either
:).

> > In any case it sounds like something fun and educational to try.  And
> > in the spirit of spreading human knowledge, I hope someone documents
> > and shares what was learned with all of us.  I also wonder if all the
> > overhead costs (determining the law, complying with the law,
> > transferring the money) will be taken out of the $20K or not.
>
> There's is nothing wrong with learning by trial and error - it's often
> the best way.

As far as complying with the law, I was thinking more along the lines
of trial, ask someone who's done it before, success, write a wikibook
about it.

And actually, the WMF has already done "it" before, if "it" means
paying someone outside the US for non-employee services.