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Freedom 0 is not a matter of the functionality of the program.

1 yavor 1.95 <!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
2 ineiev 1.133 <!-- Parent-Version: 1.77 -->
3 ineiev 1.123 <title>What is free software?
4     - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
5 johnsu01 1.45
6 mattl 1.55 <meta http-equiv="Keywords" content="GNU, FSF, Free Software Foundation, Linux, Emacs, GCC, Unix, Free Software, Operating System, GNU Kernel, HURD, GNU HURD, Hurd" />
7     <meta http-equiv="Description" content="Since 1983, developing the free Unix style operating system GNU, so that computer users can have the freedom to share and improve the software they use." />
8 johnsu01 1.45
9 ineiev 1.120 <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/free-sw.translist" -->
10 mattl 1.52 <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
11 wkotwica 1.24
12 brett 1.107 <h2>What is free software?</h2>
13    
14     <h3>The Free Software Definition</h3>
15 webcvs 1.1
16 rms 1.110 <blockquote>
17 ineiev 1.112 <p>
18 rms 1.110 The free software definition presents the criteria for whether a
19     particular software program qualifies as free software. From time to
20     time we revise this definition, to clarify it or to resolve questions
21     about subtle issues. See the <a href="#History">History section</a>
22     below for a list of changes that affect the definition of free
23     software.
24 ineiev 1.112 </p>
25 rms 1.110 </blockquote>
26    
27     <p>
28     &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; means software that respects users'
29 rms 1.127 freedom and community. Roughly, it means that <b>the users have the
30     freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the
31     software</b>. Thus, &ldquo;free software&rdquo; is a matter of
32     liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of
33     &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo; not as in
34     &ldquo;free beer&rdquo;.
35 rms 1.110 </p>
36    
37 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
38 rms 1.127 We campaign for these freedoms because everyone deserves them. With
39     these freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control
40     the program and what it does for them. When users don't control the
41     program, we call it a &ldquo;nonfree&rdquo; or
42     &ldquo;proprietary&rdquo; program. The nonfree program controls the
43 rms 1.128 users, and the developer controls the program; this makes the
44 rms 1.127 program <a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">
45     an instrument of unjust power</a>.
46 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
47    
48 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
49 rms 1.110 A program is free software if the program's users have the
50     four essential freedoms:
51 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
52 webcvs 1.1
53 wkotwica 1.24 <ul>
54     <li>The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).</li>
55 rms 1.105 <li>The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it
56     does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source
57     code is a precondition for this.
58 sinuhe 1.48 </li>
59 wkotwica 1.24 <li>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
60 sinuhe 1.48 (freedom 2).
61     </li>
62 rms 1.90 <li>The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions
63     to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole
64     community a chance to benefit from your changes.
65 sinuhe 1.48 Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
66     </li>
67 wkotwica 1.24 </ul>
68 webcvs 1.1
69 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
70 rms 1.125 A program is free software if it gives users adequately all of these
71     freedoms. Otherwise, it is nonfree. While we can distinguish various
72     nonfree distribution schemes in terms of how far they fall short of
73     being free, we consider them all equally unethical.</p>
74    
75     <p>The rest of this page clarifies certain points about what makes
76     specific freedoms adequate or not.</p>
77    
78     <p>Freedom to distribute (freedoms 2 and 3) means you are free to
79     redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either
80     gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
81 sinuhe 1.48 <a href="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</a>. Being free to do these
82     things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay
83 rms 1.88 for permission to do so.
84 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
85    
86 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
87 webcvs 1.1 You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them
88     privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they
89     exist. If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to
90 sinuhe 1.48 notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way.
91     </p>
92    
93 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
94 sinuhe 1.48 The freedom to run the program means the freedom for any kind of person
95     or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind of
96     overall job and purpose, without being required to communicate about it
97     with the developer or any other specific entity. In this freedom, it is
98     the <em>user's</em> purpose that matters, not the <em>developer's</em>
99 rms 1.88 purpose; you as a user are free to run the program for your purposes,
100 sinuhe 1.48 and if you distribute it to someone else, she is then free to run it
101     for her purposes, but you are not entitled to impose your purposes on her.
102 rms 1.46 </p>
103 sinuhe 1.48
104 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
105 rms 1.134 The freedom to run the program as you wish means that you are not
106     forbidden or stopped from doing so. It has nothing to do with what
107     functionality the program has, or whether it is useful for what you
108     want to do.</p>
109    
110     <p>
111 webcvs 1.1 The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable
112 rms 1.5 forms of the program, as well as source code, for both modified and
113 sinuhe 1.48 unmodified versions. (Distributing programs in runnable form is necessary
114 rms 1.88 for conveniently installable free operating systems.) It is OK if there
115 sinuhe 1.48 is no way to produce a binary or executable form for a certain program
116     (since some languages don't support that feature), but you must have the
117     freedom to redistribute such forms should you find or develop a way to
118     make them.
119     </p>
120    
121 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
122 rms 1.88 In order for freedoms 1 and 3 (the freedom to make changes and the
123 rms 1.118 freedom to publish the changed versions) to be meaningful, you must have
124 rms 1.88 access to the source code of the program. Therefore, accessibility of
125 rms 1.92 source code is a necessary condition for free software. Obfuscated
126     &ldquo;source code&rdquo; is not real source code and does not count
127     as source code.
128 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
129    
130 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
131 rms 1.80 Freedom 1 includes the freedom to use your changed version in place of
132     the original. If the program is delivered in a product designed to
133 rms 1.105 run someone else's modified versions but refuse to run yours &mdash; a
134     practice known as &ldquo;tivoization&rdquo; or &ldquo;lockdown&rdquo;,
135     or (in its practitioners' perverse terminology) as &ldquo;secure
136     boot&rdquo; &mdash; freedom 1 becomes a theoretical fiction rather
137     than a practical freedom. This is not sufficient. In other words,
138     these binaries are not free software even if the source code they are
139     compiled from is free.
140 rms 1.80 </p>
141    
142     <p>
143 rms 1.74 One important way to modify a program is by merging in available free
144     subroutines and modules. If the program's license says that you
145 rms 1.88 cannot merge in a suitably licensed existing module &mdash; for instance, if it
146     requires you to be the copyright holder of any code you add &mdash; then the
147 rms 1.74 license is too restrictive to qualify as free.
148 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
149    
150 novalis 1.40 <p>
151 rms 1.93 Freedom 3 includes the freedom to release your modified versions
152 rms 1.89 as free software. A free license may also permit other ways of
153     releasing them; in other words, it does not have to be
154     a <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a> license. However, a
155     license that requires modified versions to be nonfree does not qualify
156     as a free license.
157     </p>
158    
159     <p>
160 rms 1.79 In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and
161     irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the
162 rms 1.111 software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively add
163     restrictions to its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give
164     cause, the software is not free.
165 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
166    
167 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
168 webcvs 1.1 However, certain kinds of rules about the manner of distributing free
169     software are acceptable, when they don't conflict with the central
170     freedoms. For example, copyleft (very simply stated) is the rule that
171     when redistributing the program, you cannot add restrictions to deny
172     other people the central freedoms. This rule does not conflict with
173 sinuhe 1.48 the central freedoms; rather it protects them.
174     </p>
175    
176     <p>
177 rms 1.130 In the GNU project, we use <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">
178     copyleft </a> to protect the four freedoms legally for everyone. We
179     believe there are important reasons why
180     <a href="/philosophy/pragmatic.html">it is better to use
181     copyleft</a>. However,
182     <a href="/philosophy/categories.html#Non-CopyleftedFreeSoftware">
183     noncopylefted free software</a> is ethical
184     too. See <a href="/philosophy/categories.html">Categories of Free
185     Software</a> for a description of how &ldquo;free software,&rdquo;
186     &ldquo;copylefted software&rdquo; and other categories of software
187     relate to each other.
188     </p>
189    
190     <p>
191 joeko 1.109 &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial&rdquo;. A free
192 rms 1.75 program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,
193     and commercial distribution. Commercial development of free software
194     is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.
195 sinuhe 1.48 You may have paid money to get copies of free software, or you may have
196     obtained copies at no charge. But regardless of how you got your copies,
197     you always have the freedom to copy and change the software, even to
198     <a href="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</a>.
199     </p>
200    
201 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
202 rms 1.74 Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.
203 rms 1.118 If your right to modify a program is limited, in substance, to changes that
204     someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
205 rms 1.74 </p>
206    
207     <p>
208 rms 1.98 However, rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable,
209     if they don't substantively limit your freedom to release modified
210     versions, or your freedom to make and use modified versions privately.
211     Thus, it is acceptable for the license to require that you change the
212     name of the modified version, remove a logo, or identify your
213     modifications as yours. As long as these requirements are not so
214     burdensome that they effectively hamper you from releasing your
215     changes, they are acceptable; you're already making other changes to
216     the program, so you won't have trouble making a few more.
217     </p>
218    
219     <p>
220     Rules that &ldquo;if you make your version available in this way, you
221     must make it available in that way also&rdquo; can be acceptable too,
222     on the same condition. An example of such an acceptable rule is one
223     saying that if you have distributed a
224     modified version and a previous developer asks for a copy of it, you
225     must send one. (Note that such a rule still leaves you the choice of
226     whether to distribute your version at all.) Rules that require release
227     of source code to the users for versions that you put into public use
228     are also acceptable.
229 rms 1.39 </p>
230 sinuhe 1.48
231 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
232 rms 1.121 A special issue arises when a license requires changing the name by
233     which the program will be invoked from other programs. That
234     effectively hampers you from releasing your changed version so that it
235     can replace the original when invoked by those other programs. This
236     sort of requirement is acceptable only if there's a suitable aliasing
237     facility that allows you to specify the original program's name as an
238     alias for the modified version.</p>
239    
240     <p>
241 sinuhe 1.48 Sometimes government <a id="exportcontrol">export control regulations</a>
242     and trade sanctions can constrain your freedom to distribute copies of
243     programs internationally. Software developers do not have the power to
244     eliminate or override these restrictions, but what they can and must do
245     is refuse to impose them as conditions of use of the program. In this
246     way, the restrictions will not affect activities and people outside the
247 rms 1.74 jurisdictions of these governments. Thus, free software licenses
248 rms 1.122 must not require obedience to any nontrivial export regulations as a
249     condition of exercising any of the essential freedoms.
250     </p>
251    
252     <p>
253     Merely mentioning the existence of export regulations, without making
254     them a condition of the license itself, is acceptable since it does
255     not restrict users. If an export regulation is actually trivial for
256     free software, then requiring it as a condition is not an actual
257     problem; however, it is a potential problem, since a later change in
258     export law could make the requirement nontrivial and thus render the
259     software nonfree.
260 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
261    
262 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
263 rms 1.131 A free license may not require compliance with the license of a
264     nonfree program. Thus, for instance, if a license requires you to
265     comply with the licenses of &ldquo;all the programs you use&rdquo;, in
266     the case of a user that runs nonfree programs this would require
267     compliance with the licenses of those nonfree programs; that makes the
268     license nonfree.
269     </p>
270    
271     <p>
272 rms 1.129 It is acceptable for a free license to specify which jurisdiction's
273     law applies, or where litigation must be done, or both.
274     </p>
275    
276     <p>
277 sinuhe 1.48 Most free software licenses are based on copyright, and there are limits
278     on what kinds of requirements can be imposed through copyright. If a
279     copyright-based license respects freedom in the ways described above, it
280     is unlikely to have some other sort of problem that we never anticipated
281     (though this does happen occasionally). However, some free software
282     licenses are based on contracts, and contracts can impose a much larger
283     range of possible restrictions. That means there are many possible ways
284 rms 1.88 such a license could be unacceptably restrictive and nonfree.
285 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
286    
287 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
288 rms 1.41 We can't possibly list all the ways that might happen. If a
289     contract-based license restricts the user in an unusual way that
290     copyright-based licenses cannot, and which isn't mentioned here as
291 sinuhe 1.48 legitimate, we will have to think about it, and we will probably conclude
292 rms 1.88 it is nonfree.
293 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
294    
295 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
296 sinuhe 1.48 When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms
297 karl 1.91 like &ldquo;give away&rdquo; or &ldquo;for free,&rdquo; because those terms imply that
298 sinuhe 1.48 the issue is about price, not freedom. Some common terms such
299 karl 1.91 as &ldquo;piracy&rdquo; embody opinions we hope you won't endorse. See
300 sinuhe 1.48 <a href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html">Confusing Words and Phrases that
301     are Worth Avoiding</a> for a discussion of these terms. We also have
302 rms 1.88 a list of proper <a href="/philosophy/fs-translations.html">translations of
303 karl 1.91 &ldquo;free software&rdquo;</a> into various languages.
304 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
305    
306 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
307 webcvs 1.2 Finally, note that criteria such as those stated in this free software
308 sinuhe 1.48 definition require careful thought for their interpretation. To decide
309     whether a specific software license qualifies as a free software license,
310     we judge it based on these criteria to determine whether it fits their
311     spirit as well as the precise words. If a license includes unconscionable
312     restrictions, we reject it, even if we did not anticipate the issue
313     in these criteria. Sometimes a license requirement raises an issue
314     that calls for extensive thought, including discussions with a lawyer,
315     before we can decide if the requirement is acceptable. When we reach
316     a conclusion about a new issue, we often update these criteria to make
317     it easier to see why certain licenses do or don't qualify.
318     </p>
319    
320     <p>
321     If you are interested in whether a specific license qualifies as a free
322     software license, see our <a href="/licenses/license-list.html">list
323     of licenses</a>. If the license you are concerned with is not
324     listed there, you can ask us about it by sending us email at
325     <a href="mailto:licensing@gnu.org">&lt;licensing@gnu.org&gt;</a>.
326     </p>
327    
328     <p>
329 rms 1.88 If you are contemplating writing a new license, please contact the
330     Free Software Foundation first by writing to that address. The
331     proliferation of different free software licenses means increased work
332     for users in understanding the licenses; we may be able to help you
333     find an existing free software license that meets your needs.
334 novalis 1.29 </p>
335 webcvs 1.2
336 novalis 1.29 <p>
337     If that isn't possible, if you really need a new license, with our
338 rms 1.88 help you can ensure that the license really is a free software license
339 novalis 1.29 and avoid various practical problems.
340     </p>
341 sinuhe 1.48
342 dora 1.117 <h3 id="beyond-software">Beyond Software</h3>
343 rms 1.57
344     <p>
345 yavor 1.61 <a href="/philosophy/free-doc.html">Software manuals must be free</a>,
346     for the same reasons that software must be free, and because the
347     manuals are in effect part of the software.
348 rms 1.57 </p>
349    
350     <p>
351     The same arguments also make sense for other kinds of works of
352 yavor 1.61 practical use &mdash; that is to say, works that embody useful knowledge,
353 rms 1.57 such as educational works and reference
354 jrasata 1.103 works. <a href="http://wikipedia.org">Wikipedia</a> is the best-known
355 rms 1.57 example.
356     </p>
357    
358     <p>
359     Any kind of work <em>can</em> be free, and the definition of free software
360     has been extended to a definition of <a href="http://freedomdefined.org/">
361     free cultural works</a> applicable to any kind of works.
362     </p>
363    
364 dora 1.117 <h3 id="open-source">Open Source?</h3>
365 webcvs 1.1
366 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
367 karl 1.91 Another group has started using the term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; to mean
368 joeko 1.109 something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software&rdquo;. We
369 karl 1.91 prefer the term &ldquo;free software&rdquo; because, once you have heard that
370 yavor 1.61 it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom. The
371 karl 1.91 word &ldquo;open&rdquo; <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">
372 yavor 1.61 never refers to freedom</a>.
373 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
374 wkotwica 1.24
375 dora 1.117 <h3 id="History">History</h3>
376 brett 1.72
377 rms 1.110 <p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition. Here is
378 rms 1.121 the list of substantive changes, along with links to show exactly what
379     was changed.</p>
380 brett 1.72
381     <ul>
382    
383 rms 1.134 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.133&amp;r2=1.134">Version
384     1.134</a>: Freedom 0 is not a matter of the program's functionality.</li>
385    
386 rms 1.131 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.130&amp;r2=1.131">Version
387     1.131</a>: A free license may not require compliance with a nonfree license
388     of another program.</li>
389    
390 rms 1.129 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.128&amp;r2=1.129">Version
391     1.129</a>: State explicitly that choice of law and choice of forum
392     specifications are allowed. (This was always our policy.)</li>
393    
394 rms 1.122 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.121&amp;r2=1.122">Version
395     1.122</a>: An export control requirement is a real problem if the
396     requirement is nontrivial; otherwise it is only a potential problem.</li>
397    
398 rms 1.126 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.117&amp;r2=1.118">Version
399     1.118</a>: Clarification: the issue is limits on your right to modify,
400     not on what modifications you have made. And modifications are not limited
401     to &ldquo;improvements&rdquo;</li>
402    
403 rms 1.111 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.110&amp;r2=1.111">Version
404     1.111</a>: Clarify 1.77 by saying that only
405     retroactive <em>restrictions</em> are unacceptable. The copyright
406     holders can always grant additional <em>permission</em> for use of the
407     work by releasing the work in another way in parallel.</li>
408    
409 jturner 1.108 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.104&amp;r2=1.105">Version
410     1.105</a>: Reflect, in the brief statement of freedom 1, the point
411 rms 1.105 (already stated in version 1.80) that it includes really using your modified
412     version for your computing.</li>
413    
414 rms 1.92 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.91&amp;r2=1.92">Version
415     1.92</a>: Clarify that obfuscated code does not qualify as source code.</li>
416    
417 rms 1.90 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.89&amp;r2=1.90">Version
418     1.90</a>: Clarify that freedom 3 means the right to distribute copies
419     of your own modified or improved version, not a right to participate
420     in someone else's development project.</li>
421    
422 rms 1.89 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.88&amp;r2=1.89">Version
423     1.89</a>: Freedom 3 includes the right to release modified versions as
424     free software.</li>
425    
426 rms 1.80 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.79&amp;r2=1.80">Version
427     1.80</a>: Freedom 1 must be practical, not just theoretical;
428     i.e., no tivoization.</li>
429    
430 brett 1.77 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.76&amp;r2=1.77">Version
431     1.77</a>: Clarify that all retroactive changes to the license are
432     unacceptable, even if it's not described as a complete
433     replacement.</li>
434    
435 rms 1.74 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.73&amp;r2=1.74">Version
436 rms 1.75 1.74</a>: Four clarifications of points not explicit enough, or stated
437 rms 1.74 in some places but not reflected everywhere:
438     <ul>
439     <li>"Improvements" does not mean the license can
440     substantively limit what kinds of modified versions you can release.
441     Freedom 3 includes distributing modified versions, not just changes.</li>
442     <li>The right to merge in existing modules
443     refers to those that are suitably licensed.</li>
444     <li>Explicitly state the conclusion of the point about export controls.</li>
445 rms 1.75 <li>Imposing a license change constitutes revoking the old license.</li>
446 rms 1.74 </ul>
447     </li>
448 brett 1.72
449     <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.56&amp;r2=1.57">Version
450     1.57</a>: Add &quot;Beyond Software&quot; section.</li>
451    
452     <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.45&amp;r2=1.46">Version
453     1.46</a>: Clarify whose purpose is significant in the freedom to run
454     the program for any purpose.</li>
455    
456     <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.40&amp;r2=1.41">Version
457     1.41</a>: Clarify wording about contract-based licenses.</li>
458    
459     <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.39&amp;r2=1.40">Version
460     1.40</a>: Explain that a free license must allow to you use other
461 brett 1.73 available free software to create your modifications.</li>
462 brett 1.72
463     <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.38&amp;r2=1.39">Version
464     1.39</a>: Note that it is acceptable for a license to require you to
465     provide source for versions of the software you put into public
466 brett 1.73 use.</li>
467 brett 1.72
468     <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.30&amp;r2=1.31">Version
469     1.31</a>: Note that it is acceptable for a license to require you to
470     identify yourself as the author of modifications. Other minor
471     clarifications throughout the text.</li>
472    
473     <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.22&amp;r2=1.23">Version
474     1.23</a>: Address potential problems related to contract-based
475     licenses.</li>
476    
477     <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.15&amp;r2=1.16">Version
478     1.16</a>: Explain why distribution of binaries is important.</li>
479    
480     <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.10&amp;r2=1.11">Version
481     1.11</a>: Note that a free license may require you to send a copy of
482     versions you distribute to the author.</li>
483    
484     </ul>
485    
486 rms 1.110 <p>There are gaps in the version numbers shown above because there are
487 rms 1.126 other changes in this page that do not affect the definition or its
488     interpretations. For instance, the list does not include changes in
489     asides, formatting, spelling, punctuation, or other parts of the page.
490     You can review the complete list of changes to the page through
491 rms 1.110 the <a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;view=log">cvsweb
492 brett 1.72 interface</a>.</p>
493    
494 alex_muntada 1.32
495 ineiev 1.123 </div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
496 mattl 1.52 <!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
497     <div id="footer">
498 ineiev 1.132 <div class="unprintable">
499 wkotwica 1.24
500 ineiev 1.123 <p>Please send general FSF &amp; GNU inquiries to
501 yavor 1.82 <a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org">&lt;gnu@gnu.org&gt;</a>.
502 ineiev 1.123 There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a>
503     the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent
504     to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org">&lt;webmasters@gnu.org&gt;</a>.</p>
505    
506     <p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph,
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508    
509     We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality
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511     Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard
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514    
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517     href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
518     README</a>. -->
519     Please see the <a
520     href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
521     README</a> for information on coordinating and submitting translations
522     of this article.</p>
523 ineiev 1.132 </div>
524 ineiev 1.123
525     <!-- Regarding copyright, in general, standalone pages (as opposed to
526     files generated as part of manuals) on the GNU web server should
527     be under CC BY-ND 3.0 US. Please do NOT change or remove this
528     without talking with the webmasters or licensing team first.
529     Please make sure the copyright date is consistent with the
530     document. For web pages, it is ok to list just the latest year the
531     document was modified, or published.
532    
533     If you wish to list earlier years, that is ok too.
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535     years, as long as each year in the range is in fact a copyrightable
536     year, i.e., a year in which the document was published (including
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539     There is more detail about copyright years in the GNU Maintainers
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541 wkotwica 1.24
542 ineiev 1.123 <p>Copyright &copy; 1996-2002, 2004-2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013
543     Free Software Foundation, Inc.</p>
544 wkotwica 1.24
545 jturner 1.104 <p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
546     href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/">Creative
547 ineiev 1.123 Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License</a>.</p>
548 wkotwica 1.24
549 ineiev 1.119 <!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" -->
550    
551 ineiev 1.133 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
552 paulv 1.3 <!-- timestamp start -->
553 rms 1.134 $Date: 2014/04/12 12:40:01 $
554 paulv 1.3 <!-- timestamp end -->
555 wkotwica 1.24 </p>
556     </div>
557 mattl 1.52 </div>
558 wkotwica 1.24 </body>
559     </html>

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