[Foundation-l] Board statement on Wikimedia trademarks

[Florence Devouard]

Michael Snow wrote:
> This is the statement on trademarks mentioned earlier. It both states 
> the approach we want the Wikimedia Foundation to take and directs the 
> staff to carry it out. It basically sums up what our understanding has 
> been for a long time, but hadn't really been formally stated anywhere. 
> The board also voted unanimously to approve this. The statement follows:
> 
> The Wikimedia Foundation is committed to enabling our mission through a 
> wide network of chapters, community members, and organizational partners 
> who are all able to better achieve their goals by identifying themselves 
> with the Wikimedia community. Because of these efforts, there is a large 
> amount of value and goodwill associated with the name and marks. 
> Trademark law in the United States and internationally requires that the 
> holder of a mark take affirmative steps to protect the integrity of the 
> mark. However, because of our commitment to openness and community 
> empowerment, we wish to do this in a way that allows chapters and 
> community members to be able to continue to identify themselves with 
> Wikimedia marks without being unnecessarily restrictive.
> 
> Because of this, we ask the Wikimedia staff to take appropriate steps to 
> register and protect the Wikimedia marks, develop a set of policies and 
> practices, and develop a strategy to allow uses by the chapters and 
> community for activities in line with the Wikimedia mission.
> 
> --Michael Snow



Thank you Board.

Ant