[Foundation-l] Amicus Brief Filed in Golan v. Holder: Fighting for the Public Domain

[Alec Conroy]

I'm so overjoyed to see we've taken this step!  Good work Board,
Staff, Counsel, and everyone else!!!
It always seemed our obvious destiny to lend a helping hand to
important issues like this, I'm really really happy that this day has
arrived.

> Is there anything we can do, in practical terms, to support this?
Yes.   Provided we don't use significant foundation resources,  we do
have power to put this Copyright Question "on the map" if we really
want to.   Jimmy or another prominent wikimedian doing an interview
with Stewart/Colbert, Maddow (who tends toward the geek), or any other
news outlet.

I leave it to wiser minds to decide whether this is worth doing.  But
eventually an issue will come along where it will be worth doing.
Personally, I think think the WMF has already 'crossed the rubicon' by
joining the suit-- the powers-that-be that are upset by that are upset
already--  so having taken a stance, why not publicize it?

I tend to think any time we can be seen standing next to the the
Librarians, we come off looking good.  The most we can associate those
two-- ALA, WMF; ALA, WMF;  The more we do that, the more outsiders
will "get" us as a legitimate social institution, rather than see us
as "just another website" paid for by reader donation.

Alec