Re: A new Semantic Web logo?

On 16 Oct 2007, at 11:23, Dan Brickley wrote:

> Ian B. Jacobs wrote:
>> On Fri, 2007-10-12 at 16:41 +0200, Richard Cyganiak wrote:
>>> Benjamin,
>>>
>>> Thanks for the background. This is much appreciated.
>>>
>>> Here are some concrete gripes I have with the usage policy.
>> Hi Richard,
>> Thank you for the input. We will review the suggestions and try to  
>> have answers by early next week. I will say that one
>> challenge is finding the right balance between trying to maintain
>> consistent usage of the logo ('more control by W3C') and promoting  
>> modifications to fit user needs in context ('less control by W3C').
>> I can see the case for both and are thinking about this question
>> actively.
>
> Re usage and the idea of "disparage" in
>
> "The logo may not be used to disparage W3C, its Member  
> organizations, services, or products.",
>
> here's a concrete test case: do you consider http://www.flickr.com/ 
> photos/danbri/428172848/ as disparaging W3C products, services etc?  
> I just think it's funny and honest, but I can see how it might be  
> read that way.

Parodies are protected as fair use, at least in the US. See:
	<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use#Fair_use_and_parody>

Of course, per usual, IANAL and everything is settled by cases. I  
think that image satires aspects of the W3C and semantic web by means  
of parodying the much loathed (by me :)) layer cake. I would be  
surprised if the W3C would send cease and desist letters for almost  
any use, and even more surprised if they took it to court. Indeed, my  
AC reps would have something to say if it did.

I don't think I'm personally all that interested in using these  
logos, so in a certain sense, I don't care. But I might suggest to  
people who feel strongly about it to parody the heck out of it.

(I do find the irony of "we invite you to open your data by means of  
our locked down image" amusing!)

Ok, I have the first entry in the parody contest :) I attach it.  
Please note that this is meant *entirely* in the spirit of fun and no  
particular person group is the target. The restrictions seem to be  
more or less standard boilerplate to me.

I'll be interested if the W3C deletes this message from the archives  
(actaully, I'd be *shocked; I have difficulty imagining that they  
would do such a thing!).

I hereby grant anyone permission to reuse or modify this parody in  
anyway they see fit! If you can get it smooth and properly sized, I'd  
be grateful (the font and font color need a bit of tweaking too).

Other slogans come to mind: "It's boxes all the way down", "Open Your  
Mind, or a Box", "Open Your Data, or a Box", "Semantic Boxes", "Web  
of Data, Not Box of Data", "World Wide Boxen", "A Box has *6* sides,  
damnit!", "Triples, Quads, Boxes!", "Is that some data in your box,  
or are you just glad to see me", "I came, I browsed, I unpacked",  
"Unbox Your Data"....

Cheers,
Bijan.