[Foundation-l] Re: Formal request: Wikinews project

[Jens Ropers]

Fred --
I just remembered something. [[KPMG]] handle these things in an 
interesting way: They have entirely separate legal entities in several 
countries and those entities are then members of a Swiss Verein 
(cooperative). This ensures that they're totally insulated against each 
other in legal respects.

-- ropers [[en:User:Ropers]]
     www.ropersonline.com

On 13 Oct 2004, at 15:19, Fred Bauder wrote:

> I don't have any problem with this as long as legal liabilies are 
> thought
> through and we have funding and help available. Although, as I 
> suggested,
> you might check out how expensive serious litigation is, especially in 
> the
> US and UK.
>
> Fred
>
>> From: Andrew Lih <andrew.lih at gmail.com>
>> Reply-To: Andrew Lih <andrew.lih at gmail.com>, Wikimedia Foundation 
>> Mailing List
>> <foundation-l at wikimedia.org>
>> Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 16:01:33 +0800
>> To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List <foundation-l at wikimedia.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Re: Formal request: Wikinews project
>>
>> On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 16:27:19 +1000, Tim Starling
>> <t.starling at physics.unimelb.edu.au> wrote:
>>> I don't understand why Wikinews will have any more exposure to legal
>>> liability than Wikipedia. Wikipedia has been threatened with legal
>>> action numerous times, for example by Khalid bin Mahfouz. Wikipedia 
>>> has
>>> many biographies of people who are only notable due to recent news
>>> coverage, and these biographies typically consist of facts and 
>>> rumours
>>> originally published by the mainstream media.
>>
>> Technically, you're right that there is no increase in legal
>> liability. However the nature of Wikinews brings about more legal
>> situations currently not seen with Wikipedia. If Wikinews engages in
>> primary source reporting, then it's possible to have whistleblower or
>> leaked information make it into the hands of Wikinews
>> editors/reporters, like with the Pentagon Papers or with the Valerie
>> Plame identity. This is not too far fetched considering the positive
>> reputation Wikipedia has right now. If the US Feds come knocking and
>> say, "reveal your source," Wikinews has got to be prepared for that.
>>
>>> My point is just that if we decide to avoid Wikinews, it shouldn't be
>>> for legal reasons.
>>
>> Yes, but Wikinews should have procedures in place and lawyers ready to
>> tap on such matters.
>>
>> -- 
>> Andrew Lih
>> andrew.lih at gmail.com
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