Misplaced Pages:No legal threats: Difference between revisions

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			{{short description\|Wikimedia policy page prohibiting legal threats}}
	{{dablink\|"WP:LEGAL" redirects here. You may be looking for ].}}
			<noinclude>{{pp-semi-indef}}</noinclude><noinclude>{{pp-move-indef}}</noinclude>
⚫	{{policy\|~~]<br>]<br>]~~}}
			{{dablink\|"WP:LEGAL" redirects here. You may be looking for other uses at ], ] or the ]. For the WikiProject about law and other legal topics, see ].}}
	{{Policy in a nutshell\|Do not make threats or claims of legal action on Misplaced Pages. If you have a dispute with the Community or its members, use ]. A polite report of a legal ''problem'' such as defamation or copyright infringement is not threatening and will be acted on quickly. If you do choose to take legal action, please refrain from editing until it is resolved and note that your user account or ] may be ].}}
			{{dablink\|"WP:THREAT" redirects here. You may be looking for ] or {{Section link\|Misplaced Pages:Arguments to avoid in edit wars#Threats and intimidation}} (shortcut ]). For existential threats to Misplaced Pages, see ].}}
	{{Policylist Behavioral}}
		⚫	{{legal policy\|WP:NLT\|WP:LEGAL\|WP:THREAT}}
	] rather than '''legal threats''', '''for everyone's sake!''']]
			{{Policy in a nutshell\|If you post a legal threat on Misplaced Pages, you are likely to be ] indefinitely. A polite report of a legal problem, such as defamation or copyright infringement, is not a threat and will be acted on quickly.}}
	]. Whilst you may sue in a court of law here, do not threaten to do so on Misplaced Pages.]]
			{{legal policy list}}

			'''Do not post ]s on Misplaced Pages.''' A legal threat, in this context, is a threat to engage in an ''off-wiki'' ("real life") legal or other governmental process that would target other editors or Misplaced Pages itself. It does not refer to any dispute-resolution process within Misplaced Pages. Legal threats should be reported to ] or elsewhere to an ]. Users who post legal threats are typically ] while the threats are outstanding.
	'''Do not make legal threats on Misplaced Pages'''.

	~~You~~ ~~should~~ ~~always~~ ~~first~~ ~~attempt~~ to ~~resolve~~ ~~disputes~~ ~~using~~ Misplaced Pages's ] ~~procedures~~.		Instead of making legal threats, consider using one of Misplaced Pages's ]. If your issue involves Misplaced Pages itself, ].

			The existence of a legal dispute between users, whether as a result of incidents on Misplaced Pages or elsewhere, is not a valid reason to block, as long as no legal threats are made on Misplaced Pages. Editors involved in a legal dispute should not edit articles about parties to the dispute, given the ].
	If you must take legal action, we cannot prevent you from doing so. However, we require that you do not edit Misplaced Pages ''until the legal matter has been resolved'' to ensure that all legal processes happen via proper legal channels. You should instead '''contact the person or people involved directly'''. If your issue involves Misplaced Pages itself, you should contact Misplaced Pages's parent organisation, the ].

		⚫	==What is not a legal threat==
	If you make legal threats, you may be ] from editing so that the matter is not exacerbated through other channels. Users who make legal threats will typically be blocked from editing indefinitely while legal threats are outstanding.
			===Copyright===

		⚫	Complaints of copyright infringement is not a legal threat. If you are the owner of copyrighted material that has been added to Misplaced Pages, a statement about whether it is licensed for such use is welcome. You may contact the ] or the Wikimedia Foundation's ], or use the procedures at ].
	Legal threats should be reported to ] or an ].

			===Defamation===
⚫	==What a legal threat ~~isn't~~==
			{{further\|Misplaced Pages:Libel}}
	'''A ], coherent complaint in cases of copyright infringement or attacks''' is not a "legal threat".
			A discussion as to whether material is ] is not a legal threat. ] is to delete libel as soon as it is identified. If you believe that you are the subject of a libelous statement, email info-en-q{{@}}wikipedia.org.

			===Conflict of interest===
⚫	If you are the owner of copyrighted material ~~which~~ has been ~~inappropriately~~ added to Misplaced Pages, a ~~clear~~ statement about whether it is licensed for such use is welcome ~~and appropriate~~. You may ], ~~contact~~ the Wikimedia Foundation's ], or use the procedures at ].
			{{further\|Misplaced Pages:Paid-contribution disclosure\|Misplaced Pages:Conflict of interest#covert}}
			Making paid editors aware of the requirements of the Wikimedia Foundation's ], or laws against undisclosed advertising, is not a legal threat.

			==Perceived legal threats==
	] is to immediately delete ] when it has been identified. If you believe that you are the subject of a libelous statement on Misplaced Pages, please ].
			Always choose your words carefully when starting or responding to any discussions or disputes, as well as with any messages or communication with other users; you must refrain from making any comments that other editors may translate or interpret (even incorrectly) as legal threats. For example, if you assert that another editor's comments are "defamatory" or "libelous", that editor might interpret your communication as implying such a threat. Use less charged wording, such as "that statement about me is not true, and I ask that it be corrected."

		⚫	==Rationale==
	==Background to the policy==
		⚫	Posting legal threats is ] behavior that causes a number of problems:
		⚫	* It ], risking one side of a dispute intimidating the other and causing a ].
			* It creates bad feelings and lack of trust, making it difficult to ].

			Using the ] process will often lead to a positive solution without resorting to making legal threats or engaging in other unacceptable behavior.
⚫	===Rationale ~~for the policy=~~==
⚫	~~Making~~ legal threats is ] ~~and~~ causes a number of ~~serious~~ problems:

		⚫	==Conclusion of legal threat==
⚫	* It ~~severely~~ ] ~~of pages~~, ~~a concept that is absolutely necessary to ensure that Misplaced Pages remains neutral. Without this freedom, we risk~~ one side of a dispute intimidating the other, ~~thus~~ causing a ] ~~in our articles~~.
		⚫	The Misplaced Pages community has a long-standing principle that people can change: statements made in anger or misjudgment should not be held against once withdrawn.
	* It creates bad feelings and a lack of trust amongst the community, damaging our ability to proceed quickly and efficiently with an assumption of mutual good faith.
	* We have had bad experiences with users who have made legal threats in the past. By making legal threats, you may damage your reputation on Misplaced Pages.

			The aim is to prevent legal threats, not to keep bad content from being fixed. Editors should encourage the aggrieved user to identify errors in the article; a link to ] may be appropriate.
	Attempting to resolve disputes using the ] procedures will often lead to a solution without resorting to the blunt tool of the law. If the dispute resolution procedures do not resolve your problem, and you then choose to take legal action, you do so in the knowledge that you took all reasonable steps to resolve the situation amicably.

			A user threatening a legal action on their talk page is limited in disruption. They should not be prevented from using their talk page until attempts have been made to open a civil discussion. Persistent or vexatious complaints may still lead to a ban.
⚫	==~~=Withdrawal~~ of legal threat===
⚫	The Misplaced Pages community has a long-standing ~~general~~ principle that ~~(almost)~~ ~~anyone~~ ~~is capable of reform. Accordingly,~~ statements made in anger or ~~misjudgement~~ should not ~~always~~ be held against ~~people for the rest of their lives~~ once ~~genuinely and credibly~~ withdrawn.

	This policy removes an editor who makes legal threats to prevent damage or deterioration to the project. The editor is not blocked just because "it's a legal threat", but rather because: -

	# It reduces scope for escalation of a bad situation,
	# It reduces stress and administrative burden on the wiki,
	# It reduces disruption to articles and the editorial environment,
	# It prevents the difficult situation where a person is both seeking to be collaborative partner and also setting themselves up as litigatious adversary (in general those two roles are mutually exclusive).

	If these conflicts are in fact resolved (or a ] is reached to ] if they are resolved), then in fact there may be no current issue against which to protect the project.

	==See also==		==See also==
	*]		* ]
			* ]
	*]
			* ]
	{{Spoken Misplaced Pages\|Nolegalthreats.ogg\|2007-12-09}}
		⚫	* ]
	{{Misplaced Pages policies and guidelines}}		{{Misplaced Pages policies and guidelines}}

	]		]
			]

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Latest revision as of 17:27, 18 December 2024

Wikimedia policy page prohibiting legal threats

"WP:LEGAL" redirects here. You may be looking for other uses at Misplaced Pages:Legal disclaimer, Misplaced Pages:Legal (disambiguation) or the Wikimedia Foundation's legal contact page. For the WikiProject about law and other legal topics, see Misplaced Pages:WikiProject Law. "WP:THREAT" redirects here. You may be looking for Misplaced Pages:Responding to threats of harm or Misplaced Pages:Arguments to avoid in edit wars § Threats and intimidation (shortcut WP:THREATEN). For existential threats to Misplaced Pages, see Misplaced Pages:Threats to Misplaced Pages.

This page documents a Misplaced Pages policy with legal considerations.

Shortcuts

This page in a nutshell: If you post a legal threat on Misplaced Pages, you are likely to be blocked indefinitely. A polite report of a legal problem, such as defamation or copyright infringement, is not a threat and will be acted on quickly.

Legal policies
Child protection Copyright violations Copyrights Libel No legal threats Non-free content criteria Paid-contribution disclosure Reusing Misplaced Pages content Terms of use Privacy policy
v t e

Do not post legal threats on Misplaced Pages. A legal threat, in this context, is a threat to engage in an off-wiki ("real life") legal or other governmental process that would target other editors or Misplaced Pages itself. It does not refer to any dispute-resolution process within Misplaced Pages. Legal threats should be reported to Misplaced Pages:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents or elsewhere to an administrator. Users who post legal threats are typically blocked while the threats are outstanding.

Instead of making legal threats, consider using one of Misplaced Pages's dispute resolution procedures. If your issue involves Misplaced Pages itself, contact the Wikimedia Foundation.

The existence of a legal dispute between users, whether as a result of incidents on Misplaced Pages or elsewhere, is not a valid reason to block, as long as no legal threats are made on Misplaced Pages. Editors involved in a legal dispute should not edit articles about parties to the dispute, given the potential conflict of interest.

What is not a legal threat

Copyright

Complaints of copyright infringement is not a legal threat. If you are the owner of copyrighted material that has been added to Misplaced Pages, a statement about whether it is licensed for such use is welcome. You may contact the information team or the Wikimedia Foundation's designated agent, or use the procedures at Misplaced Pages:Copyright problems.

Defamation

Further information: Misplaced Pages:Libel

A discussion as to whether material is libelous is not a legal threat. The policy on defamation is to delete libel as soon as it is identified. If you believe that you are the subject of a libelous statement, email info-en-qwikipedia.org.

Conflict of interest

Further information: Misplaced Pages:Paid-contribution disclosure and Misplaced Pages:Conflict of interest § covert

Making paid editors aware of the requirements of the Wikimedia Foundation's terms of use, or laws against undisclosed advertising, is not a legal threat.

Perceived legal threats

Always choose your words carefully when starting or responding to any discussions or disputes, as well as with any messages or communication with other users; you must refrain from making any comments that other editors may translate or interpret (even incorrectly) as legal threats. For example, if you assert that another editor's comments are "defamatory" or "libelous", that editor might interpret your communication as implying such a threat. Use less charged wording, such as "that statement about me is not true, and I ask that it be corrected."

Rationale

Posting legal threats is uncivil behavior that causes a number of problems:

It inhibits free editing, risking one side of a dispute intimidating the other and causing a systemic bias.
It creates bad feelings and lack of trust, making it difficult to assume good faith.

Using the dispute resolution process will often lead to a positive solution without resorting to making legal threats or engaging in other unacceptable behavior.

Conclusion of legal threat

The Misplaced Pages community has a long-standing principle that people can change: statements made in anger or misjudgment should not be held against once withdrawn.

The aim is to prevent legal threats, not to keep bad content from being fixed. Editors should encourage the aggrieved user to identify errors in the article; a link to Misplaced Pages:Contact us/Article problem/Factual error (from subject) may be appropriate.

A user threatening a legal action on their talk page is limited in disruption. They should not be prevented from using their talk page until attempts have been made to open a civil discussion. Persistent or vexatious complaints may still lead to a ban.