Wikipedia and FBI in logo use row

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

A row has broken out between Wikipedia and the FBI over the use of its seal.

In a letter sent to Wikipedia's San Francisco office, the FBI said that "unauthorised reproduction of the FBI Seal was prohibited by US law".

"Whoever possesses any insignia...or any colourable imitation thereof..shall be fined...or imprisoned... or both," the FBI wrote.

However, Wikipedia denied that it had done anything wrong and said that FBI lawyers had "misquoted the law".

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10851394

[SkyDaddy7]

1. OMG! How freakin childish!

That is my club icon and you can't use it!

[saigon68]

9. Maybe this fucking icon is better

[SkyDaddy7]

14. CLASSIC! SCARY BUT A CLASSIC!

[MineralMan]

2. Bite me, FBI!

[zabet]

3. Sounds like the Feebs

are grasping at straws to find something to charge anyone on the net with. Wikileaks sure put the Intellegence Agencies panties in a big wad so they have to go on the offensive to get some sort of retaliation on the net.

[MineralMan]

4. FBI needs to take a look at Google Images

http://www.google.com/images?q=fbi+seal&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=1xZYTNTDOcKCnQfPl9HmCA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQsAQwAA&biw=1024&bih=651

About 266,000 results (0.10 seconds)

Every private detective on the planet seems to have their logo on their website, along with lots and lots more. Silliness!

[mbperrin]

5. No crime to investigate in America, eh?

Nice to know this is a priority.


Never could figure why bureaucrats cannot figure out why they look so stupid....

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. Is it too much to ask for FBI needs to study the law?

And is that "FBI Warning" and logo on almost every commercial VCR tape and DVD sold actually "Authorized"?

:eyes:

[X_Digger]

7. Actually, yes.. you have to apply to be able to use it.

In the early 90's I did IT consulting for a company in the business of producing VHS tapes.

[NBachers]

8. I got yer FBI Seal right here

[Lord Magus]

12. LMAO

That's perfect.

[sofa king]

10. As an American, I OWN THAT DAMNED SEAL, not the FBI!

And I say Wikipedia can do whatever it wants with it, as will I.

[alp227]

11. Isn't FBI logo and stuff public domain?

Geez what the hell is the FBI wanting some attention right now? Gosh unless I'm not totally informed about public domain vs. "unauthorized use" then the FBI has sunken to dumb female celeb levels with this fake controversy. As fake as the average woman celebrity's breasts.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

18. Yes. Everything made by, or under contract for, the US Government, is in the PD.

That's them law.

[Rex]

13. And yet these idiots couldn't stop or predict 9/11...catch OBL or find a way

to stop their insane leader (diche chenie) from starting two trillion dollar wars! The FBI should really stand for Fuck Being Intelligent.

[chrisa]

15. Wah Wah Wahhhhhh!

Haha. I like the FBI, but that's what they sound like now. No better time to admit defeat by Wikileaks than now.

[Thor_MN]

16. Ten to one this isn't about the seal

My take this is pressure for some type of control they want over Wikipedia.

Either that, or there is someone so dumb in the "Intelligence" world that they don't know the difference between Wikileaks and Wikipedia.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. The FBI sounds as bad as Samaranch

and his excellency's Olympic symbol thugs.