[Wikipedia-l] foundation of a German registered association

[Jimmy Wales]

Ivo Köthnig wrote:
> The actual plan is to call it
> 
>    "Wikimedia Deutschland - Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens",
> 
> that nearly means
> 
>    "Wikimedia Germany - society for promotion of free knowledge".
> 
> "Friends of wikipedia e.V." and several other variants was discussed but for 
> some reasons not wished by the majority.

I request two things --

1.  Ask the majority to reconsider, and give them good reasons for it.

2.  Wait on actually forming anything at least until we get a German
lawyer to talk to me about all the ramifications.  If you simply MUST
form something now, please make it very clear that it can only be a
"friends of Wikipedia" unless it is blessed by the board of the
existing foundation.

I am very opposed to the existence of an organization of the name that
you are favoring, done against my wishes, without my approval, and
without any time for discussion of what it means and how it will be
controlled.

--Jimbo