Internal:Public Policy

Workspace: Public policy

Shortcut: I:PP

The Public Policy Committee (PPC) 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.

Issue areas and activities

• /Copyright policy issues
  • /Orphan works -- Wikimedia DC participating in workshop on copyrights for orphan works on March 10-11
  • We should watch [1] for future copyright inquiries we might want to respond to.
• /Patents on software and related -- note Alice vs CLS Bank case to be heard at Supreme Court on March 31
• /Congressional briefings
• /Net neutrality
  • Call for comments on the FCC's Open Internet Order
• /Reform of Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (e.g. Aaron's law)
• /Wiki for evaluations of scientific work
• /Practices and rules for federal government staff who edit on work time

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
• Public Domain Day mentioned in Signpost
• The potential right-to-repair [2], [3], [4]
• Wikipedias in Native American languages ; Native Language Immersion Student Achievement Act
• 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
• could organize an edit-a-thon on government procurement topics ; or, again do one on legislation -- with Cato Institute
• join WikiProject Public Policy

Our role and constraints

• The Wikimedia DC board must approve any public document from the committee representing the chapter, before release
• Committee members should not claim to represent Wiki DC without board approval of specifics, but can self-identify as members of Wiki DC
• Generally Wiki-DC and this group should take only stances that are in the public interest of free knowledge, not stances organized towards the narrow interest of the organization
• /Reports to the Wikimedia DC board

Connections and affiliations

• Our chapter is in the process of joining the Congressional Data Coalition
• We held events at Cato Institute and at Sunlight Foundation and plan to do so again
• In April 2012, Wikimedia DC partnered with the Washington European Society and the Estonian Embassy in Washington to present a panel on Internet Freedom & Open Government: An International Conversation, featuring speakers Danny Weitzner, Deputy CTO for Internet Policy at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy; Chairman Marko Mihkelson, Chairman of the Estonian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee; Ian Schuler, Senior Manager for Internet Freedom Programs at the State Department; and Rebecca MacKinnon, Bernard L. Schwartz senior fellow at the New America Foundation and a member of the Wikimedia Foundation Advisory Board. Adam Kushner, Deputy Editor of the National Journal, moderated the discussion.

Answers from the PPC on behalf of the chapter

• How can our chapter advocate for public policy without violating not-for-profit rules? Our answer (Feb-Mar 2014)
• How should copyright rules be changed to allow more use of orphan works? Our published answer (May 2014)
• Should our chapter join the Congressional Data Coalition? Overwhelmingly our committee said YES. (June 2014, in board meeting minutes)
• How should our chapter prepare to give a prize to an international recipient? WMF legal counsel Villa advised (June 2014) that (a) For issues related to chapter status/agreement, ask Stephen LaPorte of WMF legal; (b) Please check with trademarks@wikimedia.org regarding use of trademarks before using them in a contest; (c) WMF-Legal "can't" give us legal advice regarding our 501(c)3 status or money transfers out of the country. Econterms is following up with WM-NYC and can contact LaPorte.
• Should our chapter sign on to these declarations and manifestos? (July 2014) (1) Public Domain Manifesto; (2) Berlin Declaration; (3) Washington Declaration. We'll recommend something by the July 26 meeting.