FBI demands to remove its emblem from the site of the free encyclopedia

The FBI logo has been the subject of a legal dispute between the bureau and Wikipedia. The FBI is facing a lawsuit over the use of its emblem in the free encyclopedia, citing the fact that the emblem is used without permission, which violates federal law. The online encyclopedia, which is run by a non-profit group, and the articles are edited by users, refuses to remove it from the bureau article, considering its actions to be legitimate.


The chief consultant of the Wikimedia Foundation, Mike Godwin, in his letter to the FBI, reproached the bureau that their demands were groundless, that the foundation had spoken to independent consultants and was ready to challenge its point of view in court. The company considers the law referred to by the bureau to put it mildly as “peculiar” and even “wrong”, noting that the FBI emblem is also placed on other sites in the network, for example, in the article of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.


In a response letter, the FBI reports that Wikipedia should delete the image, since the bureau did not approve its use and gave sanctions for its placement. Especially the FBI is concerned that high-resolution images are freely available, as this makes it easy for anyone to copy and use the emblem to commit fraudulent acts. The legal department of the bureau, citing federal law, says that duplication of official marks without the proper permission of the director of the FBI is illegal, threatening legal action in the event of non-compliance with the set requirement.

Wikipedia parries, stating that the law does not mean placing the emblem separately for non-commercial purposes, but in relation to identity cards or other insignia, the copying of which is prohibited. In addition, the FBI emblem on Wikipedia is not used to deceive or represent anyone as an agent of the federal government.
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Many experts call the scandal "stupid" and "disturbing", believing that Wikipedia has the right to place the emblem, guided by the first amendment to the US Constitution, and the FBI obviously has more important things to do.

Based on: CNET and NYTimes