This is an idea that has been kicked around, and I want to congratulate one of the Wikibooks contributors by being bold and actually getting a print version of Wikibooks content available for purchase from an "on-line" store. It can be found right now at: http://www.lulu.com/content/346504 While I admire the effort that this user has put forth to get this put together, I am concerned that it might affect the tax-exempt status, especially as this link is found on a Wikimedia website and openly "advertising" that this content is available for sale. Please see this page for an example: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior This is some outstanding content that has been fermenting on Wikibooks now for over a year and a half, and is really the first fruits of the Wikijunior sub-project on Wikibooks. This user is also not trying to make any profit from the sale of this, and is really doing this just as a public service and going through Lulu Press simply because they are available. I am posting this to the wider Wikimedia Foundation List because I think some guidelines should be developed regarding "official" links on project pages for commercial content of this nature, and to what extent the use of the name "Wikimedia Foundation" can be on such content. I'm also hoping that the legal list will get wind of this and offer a little bit of input as well in terms of how far can we go before we start to tread on the non-profit status of the WMF. Frankly, I'd like to encourage efforts like this, as it really can be beneficial to spread Wikimedia content beyond the close circle of internet users we currently have. Wikibooks in particular is moving strongly in this direction, as we already have a couple dozen PDF files for Wikibooks that are nearing at least major proofreading stages rather than content building. It seems logical that an on-line bookstore is going to happen in one form or another with this content, and many other users are going to be doing this. Links of this nature should remain relatively low-key and non-intrusive if you are trying to actually read the content The question I pose then is should we push the genie back into the bottle and stop this kind of linking, or should we as a community encourage further commercial publication? Should we allow commercial publication, but not allow links on project pages to commercial resources of this nature? Be real careful here, as it does have implications for other Wikimedia projects as well, including Wikipedia "1.0" suggestions. The GFDL does allow commercial publication, so the real point is if project pages can be used as links. Should there be some sort of formal organization, even if just on a local project level, that should control the content that is published in this manner? Or should it just be done on an ad-hoc basis as individual users feel motivated? This is mainly to see how commercial links are used on Wikimedia project pages, not that any other person can set up their own website and advertise they have published Wikimedia content but not have links on project pages. A more formal organization can help do things like coordinate ISBN numbers and make sure that profits can be plowed back into the project. From my understanding of non-profit laws in the USA (IANAL), as long as we can show a need for the money that is legitimate (staff salaries, equipment costs, reasonable travel expenses, etc.) fundraisers of this nature aren't really too much of a problem. Indeed several non-profit groups have on-line bookstores just for this purpose. Assuming a runaway success with this sort of sale of content, we would have to do direct fundraisers less often. I don't think too many people on this list would complain about that. The only real problem might be apparent endorsement of a commercial enterprise. There is a control issue here that does need to be resolved, and that would be how much control does the WMF want to have directly over this kind of activity as well? That would also involve the use of Wikimedia trademarks (aka Wikijunior) and logos. -- Robert Scott Horning