February 23, 2011 - 19:39 AMT
WikiLeaks opens online gift shop

Aiming to raise funds for both the controversial website and leader Julian Assange’s legal defense fund, WikiLeaks this month opened an online gift shop.

The shop, run by German company Spreadshirt AG, features T-shirts, duffle bags, umbrellas and buttons with the WikiLeaks logo, pictures of Assange and the organization’s tagline, “Courage is contagious.” A note on the page explains that “All proceedings go to WikiLeaks operations.”

The effort comes as Assange is set to receive $1.3 million for his autobiography. In an interview with the Sunday Times in December, Assange explained his financial situation: “I don’t want to write this book, but I have to. I have already spent £200,000 for legal costs and I need to defend myself and to keep WikiLeaks afloat,” Mashable reports.