Internal:Public Policy
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The Public Policy Committee is a chapter committee to develop expertise and consensus on public policy matters and advise the board. In the long run we may write white papers and recommend public policy, when these recommendations are approved by the board. Any chapter money we budget for policy positions and lobbying must be small in order to stay within the rules on nopnprofit organizations.
Here are constructive things we can do:
- edit articles on legislation and court cases (meeting usual criteria of neutral language, sourcing of statements, and working cooperatively online) -- we've done well creating the article on the upcoming case Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International
- team up with Cato Institute for edit-a-thons
- could organize an edit-a-thon on government procurement topics ; or, again do one on legislation
- Can organize group trip to see software patents case argued at Supreme Court.
- Can take public positions on copyrights, patents, and free knowledge issues? Coordinated with WMF and others? Erik Moeller pointed me to a Luis Villa and Stephen P. in the WMF general counsel's office to coordinate with on software patents issue.
- Issue areas and activities
- /Copyright policy issues -- Wikimedia DC participating in workshop on copyrights for orphan works on March 10-11
- /Patents on software and related -- note Alice vs CLS Bank case to be heard at Supreme Court on March 31
- /Net neutrality
- /Taking positions on public policy and nonprofit-charity status for Wikimedia DC
- /Congressional briefings
- The Wikimedia DC board must approve any public document from the committee representing the chapter, before release
- Work group should not claim to represent Wiki-DC without board approval of specifics
- Generally Wiki-DC and this group should takes stances (if any) that are in the public interest of free knowledge, not stances organized towards the narrow interest of the organization
- Members can self-identify as members of Wiki DC in public, without apology, but do not generally represent the organization except with board approval
- Wikipedias in Native American languages
- Background, and other topics of interest
- ACTA: The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), is a multinational treaty for the purpose of establishing international standards for intellectual property; agreed on in 2011 if I understand correctly
- CISPA: Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act -- a proposed U.S. law to "allow" (require?) sharing of Internet traffic data between the U.S. government and some companies, intended to help the government investigate cyber threats and ensure security of networks.
- CALEA: The wikipedia:Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act is a United States wiretapping law passed in 1994
- Research "Aaron's law" proposal (named for Aaron Swartz) from Rep. Lofgren's office: proposed revision to Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to reduce penalties and maybe more. [1]. A contact person at Lofgren's office is senior legislative counsel: harley.geiger at mail.house.gov ; 225-3072.
- Public Domain Day mentioned in Signpost
- The potential right-to-repair [2], [3], [4]
- Native Language Immersion Student Achievement Act