Silliness in Washington

[unixronin]

It appears the FBI sent Wikipedia a cease-and-desist letter for displaying an image of the FBI seal on the Wikipedia main article page about the FBI, citing a law intended to prohibit use of the Seal for profit or for misrepresentation of identity.

It also appears that Wikipedia's response was appropriately snarky.

(Via rosencrantz23)

Comments

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Wikimedia's general counsel, Michael Godwin....

*blink*

Is that *the* Mike Godwin?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I have no idea.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

*google* *google* *google*

Hee. It is indeed *the* Mike Godwin of Godwin's Law fame:

http://www.onenewspage.com/news/Technology/20100803/13689354/Wikipedia-lawyer-Godwin-schools-FBI-on-the-law.htm

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

He's a good speaker, too -- I got to see him once at the UT College of Law on copyright and intellectual property. (I'm not a lawyer or a law student, but I work at UT and the lecture was open to the public.)

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

when you quote the law, use ALL the provided words, in the correct order, or it's not the law. FBI 101 skooled.

#

[hannahsarah.livejournal.com]

That response letter is a thing of beauty.

*wipes tear*

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Isn't it, though? There had to have been red faces at the FBI over this one.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

I am reading quickly. I place this article next to the one about video capture of police in the public arena. The overall effect is somewhat disturbing. Are we truly back to police saying, "The law is what I want it to be."?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

To a large extent, I think, yes. Too many laws are selectively enforced only against those people someone wants to punish for bucking the system ... harassment on obscure technicalities, charges that amount to "contempt of cop", enforcement of only the profitable laws.