The FBI recently sent a letter to the Wikipedia Foundation saying it should take down an image of the FBI shield — that is, a picture of an FBI badge — and threatened legal action. Supposedly the Wikipedia Foundation was breaking a law by posting it.
The Wikipedia Foundation responded that
The law cited in the F.B.I.’s letter is largely about keeping people from flashing fake badges or profiting from the use of the seal
If nobody knows what an authentic badge looks like it becomes easier to fool people with a fake badge.
Generally love your posts, but…..
If counterfeiters learn how to make more authentic badges, even more people will be fooled…..
IJS
IJS, the sensible way to deter counterfeits is to make the design hard to copy.
federal bureaucracy of investigation