Wikimedia Foundation/Communications/Brand Studio/Updated brand resources for affiliates 2022 and legal disclaimer
Updated brand resources 2022 & legal disclaimer[edit]
In 2022, the Wikimedia Foundation Communications Department updated and shared resources for affiliates and individuals who use the Wikimedia movement brands. The following is a brief compilation of these resources and where to find them.
October 2021 Board of Trustees resolution[edit]
In October 2021, the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees resolution on branding paused the work on renaming projects and included next steps for the Wikimedia Foundation Brand activities. The resolution project included exploring the adoption of a sound logo, updating the movement brand guidelines, adopting affiliate taglines and piloting brand identity changes with Wikimedia affiliates prioritizing affiliates in emerging markets.
Brand Guidelines & Resources[edit]
In late 2021 and early 2022, the Brand Studio team has conducted updates to the movement brand guidelines portal on Meta-wiki. The new portal, with a new look and easier navigation, provides the user with seven sections that include all the information the user needs about the movement brand assets in addition to easy-to-use tools that help non-professionals design logos for their affiliates.
Affiliate Taglines[edit]
In june 2022, an important complimentary section was added to the portal about Affiliate Taglines. In essence, the project aims to provide a resource for creating descriptive taglines for affiliates. With this resource, affiliates will be able to introduce themselves to local partners, the press, donors, potential readers and volunteers, in a way that helps mitigate legal risks more and yet clearly shows you’re part of the Wiki family.
Sample legal disclaimer text[edit]
Sometimes legal, business, or privacy-related requests are routed to affiliates. Particularly with legal requests, these requestors may ask affiliates to do things that affiliates have no power to do unilaterally without community support: remove content or full articles, ban users, submit to legal jurisdiction, etc. Some claims may be legitimate while others may be used maliciously to threaten or harass affiliates. The Foundation, because it hosts the projects, is better equipped to evaluate and respond to the legitimacy or illegitimacy of any request.
The Foundation has observed that inappropriate requests are often sent because requestors misunderstand that:
- Affiliates don't host the projects
- Affiliates don't have additional power over the projects above those of normal community members
- Affiliates are independently organized
The Foundation created the language below to publicly address those issues.
COPY PASTE THIS DISCLAIMER TEXT AS IS Wikimedia affiliates are independent organizations of people who care about the Wikimedia movement. Affiliates do not own any of the equipment for hosting the Wikimedia projects, nor do they have any special control over the content on the projects beyond a regular member of the public. For concerns about material hosted on the Wikimedia projects or legal notices, please contact the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit entity that hosts the projects. |
Ways to use this disclaimer may include:
- Posting this on your website about page or as a disclaimer in a footer of your website
- Posting this on your social media about page (like a Facebook page), perhaps in the same place that includes your group's contact information
- Sending this language as part of a response to trivial, insubstantial complaints (while passing along more serious complaints in the manner that is most appropriate to the claim and to your position as an affiliate)
Contact[edit]
- For questions about the affiliate disclaimer please reach out to the legal team trademarks
wikimedia
org. - For questions and feedback about the brand portal and affiliate taglines, please email talktocommswikimediaorg.
