The United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation has targeted online encyclopaedia Wikipedia for using the Bureau’s seal, claiming it actually against the law to do so.
The FBI contacted the Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, demanding the logo be taken down. “Failure to comply may result in further legal action. We appreciate your timely attention to this matter,” the FBI stated.
The New York Times reports the FBI cited a law that said the logo couldn’t be used without permission, due to an attempt to stop people from counterfeiting actual agent badges.
However, Wikipedia fought back. It stated in a letter: “While we appreciate your desire to revise the statute to reflect your expansive vision of it, the fact is that we must work with the actual language of the statute, not the aspirational version”.
Wikimedia general counsel Michael Godwin wrote the site is “prepared to argue our view in court.”
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
