[WikiEN-l] Fair use issues; we need serious help

[John Lee]

On 7/13/07, WikipediaEditor Durin <wikidurin at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 7/12/07, Erik Moeller <erik at wikimedia.org> wrote:
> > On 7/12/07, WikipediaEditor Durin <wikidurin at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > I guarantee you that no consensus will evolve.
> >
> > Probably not. But a lack of consensus should not paralyze a project.
> > If a supermajority favors particular policies, that may be an
> > acceptable outcome.
> >
> > Really, if these issues cannot be resolved, that is more symptomatic
> > for the lack of maturity of decision making processes in the English
> > Wikipedia than it is for a need for a more specific policy.
>
> Removing other people's work, or in the least tagging it for deletion
> has created droves of people who are quite opposed to the principles
> on which we are founded. They are not interested in free content.
> They are focused on adding fair use content, and trying to make it
> stick...usually by making strenuous arguments that it is legal under
> fair use law.
>
> Is the option of opening a consensus targetting forum for these
> issues open and not yet tried? Yes. But, maybe pessimistic,
> I doubt it will achieve the effect we want; using fair use minimally.
> I frankly a bit scared of the possibility that consensus may evolve
> to liberally allow fair use.
>
> A number of us have stated before that consensus to liberally
> allow fair use can not and will not trump Foundation resolutions.
> We just need more clarification.


I should think it would be obvious to anyone who has been in a few of these
debates about our non-free content policies that if a consensus evolves at
all, it will be definitely one that favours very liberal inclusion of
non-free content, simply because legally we can. There are also some who
don't see any conflict between our free nature and the inclusion of non-free
content that identifies certain things without any discussion.

Johnleemk