FBI threatens legal action against Wikipedia

[Petey7]

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has threatened Wikipedia with legal action if the online encyclopedia doesn't remove the FBI's seal from its site.

The seal is featured in an encyclopedia entry about the FBI.

Wikipedia isn't backing down, however. The online encyclopedia -- which is run by a nonprofit group and is edited by the public -- sent a chiding letter to the FBI, explaining why, in its view, the FBI is off its legal rocker.

"In short, then, we are compelled as a matter of law and principle to deny your demand for removal of the FBI Seal from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons," the Wikimedia Foundation's general counsel, Mike Godwin, wrote in a letter to the FBI, which was posted online by the New York Times.

A lot more here: FBI to Wikipedia: Remove our seal - CNN.com

 

[mindinka]

You made my day

Ha ha ha, it seems to me that FBI guys got nothing else to do...

 

[Dwarf]

I agree. A pointless exercise, especially when the Seal of the US President can also be found. Not only that, nearly all prominent companies featured also have their trademark emblems (or corporate logos) displayed.

 

[whs]

Ridiculous - somebody should cut their budget. They have too many morons that have nothing useful to do.

 

[Dwarf]

Just remember who founded the FBI - J. Edgar Hoover. Whilst he might not have been corrupt (and there are some that say he was), he certainly wasn't squeaky-clean either.

I read a book about him and the story of the FBI a while back when I was on one of my hols, and it was a fascinating and interesting read.

 

[Win7User512]

I almost posted this. This is utterly ridiculous. It is owned by the taxpayers AND it's not like Wiki was using it fraudulently--pretending to be the FBI or represent them. Merely writing about them.

Edit:

Just remember who founded the FBI - J. Edgar Hoover. Whilst he might not have been corrupt (and there are some that say he was), he certainly wasn't squeaky-clean either.

Most of our federal gov't has been corrupt to varying degrees for at least the past 50 years if not longer. Mostly congress and the president now, but the CIA is as well.

 

[Kirsch]

FBI has 0% chance of winning this, they should probably fire whoever started this too, bring on the terrible press

 

[BCXtreme]

We have $13 trillion in debt, and they're spending our money to bully a non-profit encyclopedia? Unbelievable...

 

[smarteyeball]

As they say - 'only in America'...

That is so ridiculous it's just not funny.

The F.B.I need a sharp smack and to hear a stern "No! Think about how silly you are behaving"

 

[Lordbob75]

I want my tax money back.

~Lordbob

 

[Barman58]

No David I think that's the IRS not the FBI

The logo is similar though



Courtesy of Internal Revenue Service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Lordbob75]

No David I think that's the IRS not the FBI

The logo is similar though

View attachment 89246

Courtesy of Internal Revenue Service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yes, but the FBI is funded through tax revenue so....

~Lordbob

 

[whs]

As they say - 'only in America'...

Dumb actions of goverment agencies happen in all countries. I have seen those things happen in all the countries I have lived in. It is not specific to the US.

 

[Legaia]

This is just too funny. Why do they even care?

 

[BCXtreme]

This is just too funny. Why do they even care?

I would wager they don't actually care in the least about the "supposed" violation, more likely they're just trying to flex their legal muscle. Since they know they can't actually win this one, they were probably hoping that Wikipedia would opt to settle out of court.

In the U.S., works of the Federal government are automatically public domain. There is also a law prohibiting use of the FBI seal without permission. Those two laws are completely and inescapably contradictory (bit of a mouthful, but there it is). Having those restrictions on the FBI seal is the equivalent of a child saying "All right, I'll clean my room, but I won't pick up that pile" just to be defiant.

 

[Kirsch]

Having those restrictions on the FBI seal is the equivalent of a child saying "All right, I'll clean my room, but I won't pick up that pile" just to be defiant.

Couldn't have said it better myself

 

[Petey7]

Turns out wikipedia isn't the only wiki based site the government is after.

The Defense Department has demanded WikiLeaks return all documents belonging to the Pentagon and delete any records of the documents, department spokesman Geoff Morrell said Thursday.

"The only acceptable course is for Wikileaks to take steps immediately to return all versions of all of these documents to the U.S. government and permanently delete them from its website, computers and records," Morrell said.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said his Web site has an additional 15,000 documents that it wants to publish but is redacting information that could endanger people named.

Pentagon demands WikiLeaks return all leaked documents - CNN.com

 

[BCXtreme]

Turns out wikipedia isn't the only wiki based site the government is after.

The Defense Department has demanded WikiLeaks return all documents belonging to the Pentagon and delete any records of the documents, department spokesman Geoff Morrell said Thursday.

"The only acceptable course is for Wikileaks to take steps immediately to return all versions of all of these documents to the U.S. government and permanently delete them from its website, computers and records," Morrell said.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said his Web site has an additional 15,000 documents that it wants to publish but is redacting information that could endanger people named.

Pentagon demands WikiLeaks return all leaked documents - CNN.com

I'm sure you're aware of this, but this is a very different situation. Hundreds if not thousands of lives are not put at risk by Wikipedia's display of the FBI seal. WikiLeaks has taken classified U.S. military documents and basically handed them on a silver platter to our enemies, putting a huge number of people in grave danger.

 

[Dwarf]

It should be pointed out that, although the names of these sites are similar (both are wiki-based), neither one is affiliated to or associated with the other.