Wikimedia Community Logo
The Wikimedia Community Logo was created in 2006 by user:WarX as a public-domain logo intended to be free of trademark and visual identity guidelines, that community members and groups could use and remix as they wished. Following the Toolserver example, in 2008 it was chosen as the new logo for the Meta-wiki, replacing the WMF logo, with "Wikimedia Meta-Wiki" underneath, «so that the community could use a logo without having to request authorization» (in the words of WMF's board chair Florence). The Strategic Planning Wiki also used the Wikimedia Community Logo, with "Wikimedia Strategic Planning" underneath (an RFC to change it fizzled out).
Variations
[edit]Some of the variations on the logo include
- the Toolserver logo (see File:Wikimedia Community Logo-Toolserver.svg)
- wikinews:pl:2008-01-04: Wikipedyści wspomagają akcję WOŚP licytując płyty DVD z Wikipedią (en)
- Kiva group 'Wikipedians' previously used File:Wikimedia Kiva community logo.svg
- Toolserver tool Mayflower - now abandoned (see File:Wikimedia_Community_Logo-Mayflower.svg and File:Wikimedia Community Logo-Mayflower search.svg)
- Email and IRC logos at wikinews:es:Wikinoticias:Contacto, wikinews:Wikinews:Contact us, wikisource:fr:Aide:IRC Chat, etc
- Logos for Polish Wikipedia competitions and projects and gatherings such as wikinews:pl:2007-12-17: Zimowy Zlot Wikimedian 2007, w:pl:Wikipedia:Najaktywniejsi wikipedyści, w:pl:Wikipedia:Dzień Nowego Artykułu and w:pl:Wikipedia:Weekend dokarmiania zalążków
- File:Rabka-nova-logo.svg, with notice that it is copyrighted by WMPL and subject to their trademark policy (see wmpl:Informacje prawne)
- many other logos in wmpl:Kategoria:Loga
- Red, green, and blue
Proposal and withdrawal of trademark protection
[edit]In 2012 the community logo was trademarked by the WMF as US Serial number 85671072; following some confusion about whether it was a Meta-specific logo or a community logo. In March 2013, a discussion about its status ensued; a formal opposition to the registration was envisaged and discussed. In September 2013, an opposition to EU trademark application of the Community Logo has been initiated, and explained at Community Logo/Reclaim the Logo. The Wikimedia Foundation posted a response and request for consultation from the community at Community Logo/Request for consultation. On 4 February 2014 Wikimedia Board of Trustees voted to withdraw trademark registration and protection for the Community logo, leaving it for community use. The U.S. trademark was cancelled on 10 March 2014 and the withdrawal of EU trademark application was communicated by OHIM on 5 June 2014.
On 30 October 2014 the Wikimedia Foundation announced that all of the logos it owns would be licensed with Creative Commons By-SA 3.0 licenses, which was the default license most commonly in use. This announcement noted that the Community Logo would not get this license as it was already free for use.