Editing Worldcon (section)

== World Science Fiction Society ==
The name "Worldcon" is owned by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), an unincorporated [[literary society]] whose purpose is to promote interest in science fiction.<ref name="wsfscon">{{cite web | last = WSFS | title = Article 1: Name, Objectives, Membership, and Organization | work = Constitution | publisher = WSFS | year = 2008 | url = http://www.wsfs.org/bm/const-2008.html | access-date = April 5, 2009 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110520081609/http://www.wsfs.org/bm/const-2008.html | archive-date = May 20, 2011 }}</ref> WSFS has no standing officers, only small [[standing committee]]s, and a large membership composed of the members of the current Worldcon. Its main activities are running the selection (voting) process for the annual convention and various awards. The conventions themselves are run by non-profit, volunteer fan organizations, who bid to host the event.

The WSFS constitution itself is discussed and amended by the annual general meeting, known as the "business meeting", held at the Worldcon, usually as three morning sessions on successive days.<ref name="wsfsbm">{{cite web | last = WSFS | title = WSFS Constitution and Standing Rules | work = Constitution | publisher = WSFS | year = 2019 | url = http://www.wsfs.org/rules-of-the-world-science-fiction-society/ | access-date = April 25, 2020 | archive-date = May 5, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200505115124/http://www.wsfs.org/rules-of-the-world-science-fiction-society/ | url-status = live }}</ref> All attending members of the Worldcon may attend, participate, and vote at the Business Meeting, although in practice only a small number of the members actually do so. The WSFS constitution includes rules for site selection, for the Hugo Awards, and for amending itself. The business meeting also empanels a number of [[ad hoc committee]]s to deal with review of amendments and with certain administrative functions.

The only permanent ("standing") committee of WSFS (as opposed to the Business Meeting) is the Mark Protection Committee (MPC), which is responsible for maintaining the society's [[trademark]]s and [[domain name]]s.<ref name="wsfsmpc">{{cite web|url=http://www.wsfs.org/committees/mark-protection-committee/|title=Mark Protection Committee|work=WSFS Web Site|date=July 26, 2018|access-date=April 25, 2020|archive-date=March 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301181746/http://www.wsfs.org/committees/mark-protection-committee/|url-status=live}}</ref>