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Clarify that the four freedoms apply to any and all users,
and that requiring users to pay to exercise some of these freedoms is
a way of denying them.

1 yavor 1.95 <!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
2 ineiev 1.161 <!-- Parent-Version: 1.86 -->
3 ineiev 1.123 <title>What is free software?
4     - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
5 th_g 1.160 <style type="text/css" media="print,screen"><!--
6     .note { margin-left: 6%; margin-right: 6%; }
7     @media (min-width: 48em) {
8     .note { margin-top: .8em; }
9     }
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11 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" />
12     <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." />
13 johnsu01 1.45
14 ineiev 1.120 <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/free-sw.translist" -->
15 mattl 1.52 <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
16 wkotwica 1.24
17 brett 1.107 <h2>What is free software?</h2>
18    
19 th_g 1.160 <div class="article">
20     <h3>The Free Software Definition</h3>
21    
22 rms 1.151 <blockquote class="note" id="fsf-licensing"><p style="font-size: 80%">
23     Have a question about free software licensing not answered here?
24     See our other <a href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing">licensing resources</a>,
25     and if necessary contact the FSF Compliance Lab
26     at <a href="mailto:licensing@fsf.org">licensing@fsf.org</a>.</p>
27     </blockquote>
28    
29 th_g 1.160 <div class="comment">
30 ineiev 1.112 <p>
31 rms 1.110 The free software definition presents the criteria for whether a
32     particular software program qualifies as free software. From time to
33     time we revise this definition, to clarify it or to resolve questions
34     about subtle issues. See the <a href="#History">History section</a>
35     below for a list of changes that affect the definition of free
36     software.
37 ineiev 1.112 </p>
38 rms 1.157
39     <p>
40     &ldquo;Open source&rdquo; is something different: it has a very
41     different philosophy based on different values. Its practical
42     definition is different too, but nearly all open source programs are
43     in fact free. We explain the
44 ineiev 1.158 difference in <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">
45     Why &ldquo;Open Source&rdquo; misses the point of Free Software</a>.
46 rms 1.157 </p>
47 th_g 1.160 </div>
48 rms 1.110
49     <p>
50     &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; means software that respects users'
51 rms 1.127 freedom and community. Roughly, it means that <b>the users have the
52     freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the
53     software</b>. Thus, &ldquo;free software&rdquo; is a matter of
54     liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of
55     &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo; not as in
56 rms 1.139 &ldquo;free beer&rdquo;. We sometimes call it &ldquo;libre
57 rms 1.148 software,&rdquo; borrowing the French or Spanish word for
58     &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in freedom, to show we do not mean the software
59     is gratis.
60 rms 1.110 </p>
61    
62 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
63 rms 1.127 We campaign for these freedoms because everyone deserves them. With
64     these freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control
65     the program and what it does for them. When users don't control the
66     program, we call it a &ldquo;nonfree&rdquo; or
67     &ldquo;proprietary&rdquo; program. The nonfree program controls the
68 rms 1.128 users, and the developer controls the program; this makes the
69 rms 1.127 program <a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">
70     an instrument of unjust power</a>.
71 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
72    
73 th_g 1.149 <h4> The four essential freedoms</h4>
74    
75 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
76 rms 1.110 A program is free software if the program's users have the
77 th_g 1.159 four essential freedoms: <a href="#f1">[1]</a>
78 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
79 webcvs 1.1
80 th_g 1.160 <ul class="important">
81 rms 1.135 <li>The freedom to run the program as you wish,
82     for any purpose (freedom 0).</li>
83 rms 1.105 <li>The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it
84     does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source
85     code is a precondition for this.
86 sinuhe 1.48 </li>
87 rms 1.157 <li>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others
88 sinuhe 1.48 (freedom 2).
89     </li>
90 rms 1.90 <li>The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions
91     to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole
92     community a chance to benefit from your changes.
93 sinuhe 1.48 Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
94     </li>
95 wkotwica 1.24 </ul>
96 webcvs 1.1
97 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
98 rms 1.125 A program is free software if it gives users adequately all of these
99     freedoms. Otherwise, it is nonfree. While we can distinguish various
100     nonfree distribution schemes in terms of how far they fall short of
101     being free, we consider them all equally unethical.</p>
102    
103 rms 1.141 <p>In any given scenario, these freedoms must apply to whatever code
104     we plan to make use of, or lead others to make use of. For instance,
105     consider a program A which automatically launches a program B to
106     handle some cases. If we plan to distribute A as it stands, that
107     implies users will need B, so we need to judge whether both A and B
108     are free. However, if we plan to modify A so that it doesn't use B,
109 rms 1.148 only A needs to be free; B is not pertinent to that plan.</p>
110 rms 1.141
111 th_g 1.149 <p>
112     &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial&rdquo;. A free
113     program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,
114     and commercial distribution. Commercial development of free software
115     is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.
116     You may have paid money to get copies of free software, or you may have
117     obtained copies at no charge. But regardless of how you got your copies,
118     you always have the freedom to copy and change the software, even to
119     <a href="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</a>.
120     </p>
121    
122 rms 1.163 <p>
123     A free program must offer the four freedoms to any user that obtains a
124     copy of the software, provided the user has complied thus far with the
125     conditions of the free license covering the software. Putting some of
126     the freedoms off limits to some users, or requiring that users pay, in
127     money or in kind, to exercise them, is tantamount to not granting the
128     freedoms in question, and thus renders the program nonfree.
129     </p>
130    
131 rms 1.125 <p>The rest of this page clarifies certain points about what makes
132     specific freedoms adequate or not.</p>
133    
134 th_g 1.149 <h4>The freedom to run the program as you wish</h4>
135 sinuhe 1.48
136 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
137 sinuhe 1.48 The freedom to run the program means the freedom for any kind of person
138     or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind of
139     overall job and purpose, without being required to communicate about it
140     with the developer or any other specific entity. In this freedom, it is
141     the <em>user's</em> purpose that matters, not the <em>developer's</em>
142 rms 1.88 purpose; you as a user are free to run the program for your purposes,
143 sinuhe 1.48 and if you distribute it to someone else, she is then free to run it
144     for her purposes, but you are not entitled to impose your purposes on her.
145 rms 1.46 </p>
146 sinuhe 1.48
147 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
148 rms 1.134 The freedom to run the program as you wish means that you are not
149 rms 1.153 forbidden or stopped from making it run. This has nothing to do with what
150     functionality the program has, whether it is technically capable of
151     functioning in any given environment, or whether it is useful for any
152     particular computing activity.</p>
153 rms 1.134
154 th_g 1.149 <h4>The freedom to study the source code and make changes</h4>
155 sinuhe 1.48
156 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
157 rms 1.88 In order for freedoms 1 and 3 (the freedom to make changes and the
158 rms 1.118 freedom to publish the changed versions) to be meaningful, you must have
159 rms 1.88 access to the source code of the program. Therefore, accessibility of
160 rms 1.92 source code is a necessary condition for free software. Obfuscated
161     &ldquo;source code&rdquo; is not real source code and does not count
162     as source code.
163 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
164    
165 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
166 rms 1.80 Freedom 1 includes the freedom to use your changed version in place of
167     the original. If the program is delivered in a product designed to
168 rms 1.105 run someone else's modified versions but refuse to run yours &mdash; a
169     practice known as &ldquo;tivoization&rdquo; or &ldquo;lockdown&rdquo;,
170     or (in its practitioners' perverse terminology) as &ldquo;secure
171 rms 1.137 boot&rdquo; &mdash; freedom 1 becomes an empty pretense rather than a
172     practical reality. These binaries are not free
173     software even if the source code they are compiled from is free.
174 rms 1.80 </p>
175    
176     <p>
177 rms 1.74 One important way to modify a program is by merging in available free
178     subroutines and modules. If the program's license says that you
179 rms 1.88 cannot merge in a suitably licensed existing module &mdash; for instance, if it
180     requires you to be the copyright holder of any code you add &mdash; then the
181 rms 1.74 license is too restrictive to qualify as free.
182 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
183    
184 novalis 1.40 <p>
185 th_g 1.149 Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.
186     If your right to modify a program is limited, in substance, to changes that
187     someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
188     </p>
189    
190     <h4>The freedom to redistribute if you wish: basic requirements</h4>
191    
192     <p>Freedom to distribute (freedoms 2 and 3) means you are free to
193     redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either
194     gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
195     <a href="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</a>. Being free to do these
196     things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay
197     for permission to do so.
198     </p>
199    
200     <p>
201     You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them
202     privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they
203     exist. If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to
204     notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way.
205     </p>
206    
207     <p>
208 rms 1.93 Freedom 3 includes the freedom to release your modified versions
209 rms 1.89 as free software. A free license may also permit other ways of
210     releasing them; in other words, it does not have to be
211     a <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a> license. However, a
212     license that requires modified versions to be nonfree does not qualify
213     as a free license.
214     </p>
215    
216     <p>
217 th_g 1.149 The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable
218     forms of the program, as well as source code, for both modified and
219     unmodified versions. (Distributing programs in runnable form is necessary
220     for conveniently installable free operating systems.) It is OK if there
221     is no way to produce a binary or executable form for a certain program
222     (since some languages don't support that feature), but you must have the
223     freedom to redistribute such forms should you find or develop a way to
224     make them.
225 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
226    
227 th_g 1.149 <h4>Copyleft</h4>
228    
229 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
230 th_g 1.149 Certain kinds of rules about the manner of distributing free
231 webcvs 1.1 software are acceptable, when they don't conflict with the central
232 rms 1.138 freedoms. For example, <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a>
233     (very simply stated) is the rule that when redistributing the program,
234     you cannot add restrictions to deny other people the central freedoms.
235     This rule does not conflict with the central freedoms; rather it
236     protects them.
237 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
238    
239     <p>
240 rms 1.138 In the GNU project, we use copyleft to protect the four freedoms
241     legally for everyone. We believe there are important reasons why
242 rms 1.130 <a href="/philosophy/pragmatic.html">it is better to use
243     copyleft</a>. However,
244     <a href="/philosophy/categories.html#Non-CopyleftedFreeSoftware">
245     noncopylefted free software</a> is ethical
246     too. See <a href="/philosophy/categories.html">Categories of Free
247     Software</a> for a description of how &ldquo;free software,&rdquo;
248     &ldquo;copylefted software&rdquo; and other categories of software
249     relate to each other.
250     </p>
251    
252 th_g 1.149 <h4>Rules about packaging and distribution details</h4>
253 rms 1.74
254     <p>
255 th_g 1.149 Rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable,
256 rms 1.98 if they don't substantively limit your freedom to release modified
257     versions, or your freedom to make and use modified versions privately.
258     Thus, it is acceptable for the license to require that you change the
259     name of the modified version, remove a logo, or identify your
260     modifications as yours. As long as these requirements are not so
261     burdensome that they effectively hamper you from releasing your
262     changes, they are acceptable; you're already making other changes to
263     the program, so you won't have trouble making a few more.
264     </p>
265    
266     <p>
267     Rules that &ldquo;if you make your version available in this way, you
268     must make it available in that way also&rdquo; can be acceptable too,
269     on the same condition. An example of such an acceptable rule is one
270     saying that if you have distributed a
271     modified version and a previous developer asks for a copy of it, you
272     must send one. (Note that such a rule still leaves you the choice of
273     whether to distribute your version at all.) Rules that require release
274     of source code to the users for versions that you put into public use
275     are also acceptable.
276 rms 1.39 </p>
277 sinuhe 1.48
278 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
279 rms 1.121 A special issue arises when a license requires changing the name by
280     which the program will be invoked from other programs. That
281     effectively hampers you from releasing your changed version so that it
282     can replace the original when invoked by those other programs. This
283     sort of requirement is acceptable only if there's a suitable aliasing
284     facility that allows you to specify the original program's name as an
285     alias for the modified version.</p>
286    
287 th_g 1.149 <h4>Export regulations</h4>
288    
289 rms 1.121 <p>
290 sinuhe 1.48 Sometimes government <a id="exportcontrol">export control regulations</a>
291     and trade sanctions can constrain your freedom to distribute copies of
292     programs internationally. Software developers do not have the power to
293     eliminate or override these restrictions, but what they can and must do
294     is refuse to impose them as conditions of use of the program. In this
295     way, the restrictions will not affect activities and people outside the
296 rms 1.74 jurisdictions of these governments. Thus, free software licenses
297 rms 1.122 must not require obedience to any nontrivial export regulations as a
298     condition of exercising any of the essential freedoms.
299     </p>
300    
301     <p>
302     Merely mentioning the existence of export regulations, without making
303     them a condition of the license itself, is acceptable since it does
304     not restrict users. If an export regulation is actually trivial for
305     free software, then requiring it as a condition is not an actual
306     problem; however, it is a potential problem, since a later change in
307     export law could make the requirement nontrivial and thus render the
308     software nonfree.
309 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
310    
311 th_g 1.149 <h4>Legal considerations</h4>
312    
313     <p>
314     In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and
315     irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the
316     software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively add
317     restrictions to its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give
318     cause, the software is not free.
319     </p>
320    
321 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
322 rms 1.131 A free license may not require compliance with the license of a
323     nonfree program. Thus, for instance, if a license requires you to
324     comply with the licenses of &ldquo;all the programs you use&rdquo;, in
325     the case of a user that runs nonfree programs this would require
326     compliance with the licenses of those nonfree programs; that makes the
327     license nonfree.
328     </p>
329    
330     <p>
331 rms 1.129 It is acceptable for a free license to specify which jurisdiction's
332     law applies, or where litigation must be done, or both.
333     </p>
334    
335 th_g 1.149 <h4>Contract-based licenses</h4>
336    
337 rms 1.129 <p>
338 sinuhe 1.48 Most free software licenses are based on copyright, and there are limits
339     on what kinds of requirements can be imposed through copyright. If a
340     copyright-based license respects freedom in the ways described above, it
341     is unlikely to have some other sort of problem that we never anticipated
342     (though this does happen occasionally). However, some free software
343     licenses are based on contracts, and contracts can impose a much larger
344     range of possible restrictions. That means there are many possible ways
345 rms 1.88 such a license could be unacceptably restrictive and nonfree.
346 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
347    
348 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
349 rms 1.41 We can't possibly list all the ways that might happen. If a
350     contract-based license restricts the user in an unusual way that
351     copyright-based licenses cannot, and which isn't mentioned here as
352 sinuhe 1.48 legitimate, we will have to think about it, and we will probably conclude
353 rms 1.88 it is nonfree.
354 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
355    
356 th_g 1.149 <h4>Use the right words when talking about free software</h4>
357    
358 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
359 sinuhe 1.48 When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms
360 karl 1.91 like &ldquo;give away&rdquo; or &ldquo;for free,&rdquo; because those terms imply that
361 sinuhe 1.48 the issue is about price, not freedom. Some common terms such
362 karl 1.91 as &ldquo;piracy&rdquo; embody opinions we hope you won't endorse. See
363 sinuhe 1.48 <a href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html">Confusing Words and Phrases that
364     are Worth Avoiding</a> for a discussion of these terms. We also have
365 rms 1.88 a list of proper <a href="/philosophy/fs-translations.html">translations of
366 karl 1.91 &ldquo;free software&rdquo;</a> into various languages.
367 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
368    
369 th_g 1.149 <h4>How we interpret these criteria</h4>
370    
371 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
372 webcvs 1.2 Finally, note that criteria such as those stated in this free software
373 sinuhe 1.48 definition require careful thought for their interpretation. To decide
374     whether a specific software license qualifies as a free software license,
375     we judge it based on these criteria to determine whether it fits their
376     spirit as well as the precise words. If a license includes unconscionable
377     restrictions, we reject it, even if we did not anticipate the issue
378     in these criteria. Sometimes a license requirement raises an issue
379     that calls for extensive thought, including discussions with a lawyer,
380     before we can decide if the requirement is acceptable. When we reach
381     a conclusion about a new issue, we often update these criteria to make
382     it easier to see why certain licenses do or don't qualify.
383     </p>
384    
385 th_g 1.149 <h4>Get help with free licenses</h4>
386    
387 sinuhe 1.48 <p>
388     If you are interested in whether a specific license qualifies as a free
389     software license, see our <a href="/licenses/license-list.html">list
390     of licenses</a>. If the license you are concerned with is not
391     listed there, you can ask us about it by sending us email at
392     <a href="mailto:licensing@gnu.org">&lt;licensing@gnu.org&gt;</a>.
393     </p>
394    
395     <p>
396 rms 1.88 If you are contemplating writing a new license, please contact the
397     Free Software Foundation first by writing to that address. The
398     proliferation of different free software licenses means increased work
399     for users in understanding the licenses; we may be able to help you
400     find an existing free software license that meets your needs.
401 novalis 1.29 </p>
402 webcvs 1.2
403 novalis 1.29 <p>
404     If that isn't possible, if you really need a new license, with our
405 rms 1.88 help you can ensure that the license really is a free software license
406 novalis 1.29 and avoid various practical problems.
407     </p>
408 sinuhe 1.48
409 dora 1.117 <h3 id="beyond-software">Beyond Software</h3>
410 rms 1.57
411     <p>
412 yavor 1.61 <a href="/philosophy/free-doc.html">Software manuals must be free</a>,
413     for the same reasons that software must be free, and because the
414     manuals are in effect part of the software.
415 rms 1.57 </p>
416    
417     <p>
418     The same arguments also make sense for other kinds of works of
419 yavor 1.61 practical use &mdash; that is to say, works that embody useful knowledge,
420 rms 1.57 such as educational works and reference
421 jrasata 1.103 works. <a href="http://wikipedia.org">Wikipedia</a> is the best-known
422 rms 1.57 example.
423     </p>
424    
425     <p>
426     Any kind of work <em>can</em> be free, and the definition of free software
427     has been extended to a definition of <a href="http://freedomdefined.org/">
428     free cultural works</a> applicable to any kind of works.
429     </p>
430    
431 dora 1.117 <h3 id="open-source">Open Source?</h3>
432 webcvs 1.1
433 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
434 jrasata 1.143 Another group uses the term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; to mean
435 joeko 1.109 something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software&rdquo;. We
436 karl 1.91 prefer the term &ldquo;free software&rdquo; because, once you have heard that
437 yavor 1.61 it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom. The
438 karl 1.91 word &ldquo;open&rdquo; <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">
439 yavor 1.61 never refers to freedom</a>.
440 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
441 th_g 1.160 </div>
442 wkotwica 1.24
443 dora 1.117 <h3 id="History">History</h3>
444 brett 1.72
445 rms 1.110 <p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition. Here is
446 rms 1.121 the list of substantive changes, along with links to show exactly what
447     was changed.</p>
448 brett 1.72
449     <ul>
450    
451 rms 1.163 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.162&amp;r2=1.163">Version
452     1.163</a>: Clarify that the four freedoms apply to any and all users,
453     and that requiring users to pay to exercise some of these freedoms is
454     a way of denying them.</li>
455    
456 rms 1.153 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.152&amp;r2=1.153">Version
457     1.153</a>: Clarify that freedom to run the program means nothing stops
458     you from making it run.</li>
459    
460 rms 1.141 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.140&amp;r2=1.141">Version
461     1.141</a>: Clarify which code needs to be free.</li>
462    
463 rms 1.135 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.134&amp;r2=1.135">Version
464     1.135</a>: Say each time that freedom 0 is the freedom to run the program
465     as you wish.</li>
466    
467 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
468     1.134</a>: Freedom 0 is not a matter of the program's functionality.</li>
469    
470 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
471     1.131</a>: A free license may not require compliance with a nonfree license
472     of another program.</li>
473    
474 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
475     1.129</a>: State explicitly that choice of law and choice of forum
476     specifications are allowed. (This was always our policy.)</li>
477    
478 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
479     1.122</a>: An export control requirement is a real problem if the
480     requirement is nontrivial; otherwise it is only a potential problem.</li>
481    
482 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
483     1.118</a>: Clarification: the issue is limits on your right to modify,
484     not on what modifications you have made. And modifications are not limited
485     to &ldquo;improvements&rdquo;</li>
486    
487 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
488     1.111</a>: Clarify 1.77 by saying that only
489     retroactive <em>restrictions</em> are unacceptable. The copyright
490     holders can always grant additional <em>permission</em> for use of the
491     work by releasing the work in another way in parallel.</li>
492    
493 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
494     1.105</a>: Reflect, in the brief statement of freedom 1, the point
495 rms 1.105 (already stated in version 1.80) that it includes really using your modified
496     version for your computing.</li>
497    
498 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
499     1.92</a>: Clarify that obfuscated code does not qualify as source code.</li>
500    
501 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
502     1.90</a>: Clarify that freedom 3 means the right to distribute copies
503     of your own modified or improved version, not a right to participate
504     in someone else's development project.</li>
505    
506 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
507     1.89</a>: Freedom 3 includes the right to release modified versions as
508     free software.</li>
509    
510 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
511     1.80</a>: Freedom 1 must be practical, not just theoretical;
512     i.e., no tivoization.</li>
513    
514 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
515     1.77</a>: Clarify that all retroactive changes to the license are
516     unacceptable, even if it's not described as a complete
517     replacement.</li>
518    
519 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
520 rms 1.75 1.74</a>: Four clarifications of points not explicit enough, or stated
521 rms 1.74 in some places but not reflected everywhere:
522     <ul>
523     <li>"Improvements" does not mean the license can
524     substantively limit what kinds of modified versions you can release.
525     Freedom 3 includes distributing modified versions, not just changes.</li>
526     <li>The right to merge in existing modules
527     refers to those that are suitably licensed.</li>
528     <li>Explicitly state the conclusion of the point about export controls.</li>
529 rms 1.75 <li>Imposing a license change constitutes revoking the old license.</li>
530 rms 1.74 </ul>
531     </li>
532 brett 1.72
533     <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
534     1.57</a>: Add &quot;Beyond Software&quot; section.</li>
535    
536     <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
537     1.46</a>: Clarify whose purpose is significant in the freedom to run
538     the program for any purpose.</li>
539    
540     <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
541     1.41</a>: Clarify wording about contract-based licenses.</li>
542    
543     <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
544     1.40</a>: Explain that a free license must allow to you use other
545 brett 1.73 available free software to create your modifications.</li>
546 brett 1.72
547     <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
548     1.39</a>: Note that it is acceptable for a license to require you to
549     provide source for versions of the software you put into public
550 brett 1.73 use.</li>
551 brett 1.72
552     <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
553     1.31</a>: Note that it is acceptable for a license to require you to
554     identify yourself as the author of modifications. Other minor
555     clarifications throughout the text.</li>
556    
557     <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
558     1.23</a>: Address potential problems related to contract-based
559     licenses.</li>
560    
561     <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
562     1.16</a>: Explain why distribution of binaries is important.</li>
563    
564     <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
565     1.11</a>: Note that a free license may require you to send a copy of
566 rms 1.148 versions you distribute to previous developers on request.</li>
567 brett 1.72
568     </ul>
569    
570 rms 1.110 <p>There are gaps in the version numbers shown above because there are
571 rms 1.126 other changes in this page that do not affect the definition or its
572     interpretations. For instance, the list does not include changes in
573     asides, formatting, spelling, punctuation, or other parts of the page.
574     You can review the complete list of changes to the page through
575 rms 1.110 the <a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;view=log">cvsweb
576 brett 1.72 interface</a>.</p>
577    
578 th_g 1.159 <h3 style="font-size:1em">Footnote</h3>
579     <ol>
580     <li id="f1">The reason they are numbered 0, 1, 2 and 3 is historical. Around
581     1990 there were three freedoms, numbered 1, 2 and 3. Then we realized that
582     the freedom to run the program needed to be mentioned explicitly.
583     It was clearly more basic than the other three, so it properly should
584     precede them. Rather than renumber the others, we made it freedom&nbsp;0.</li>
585     </ol>
586 alex_muntada 1.32
587 ineiev 1.123 </div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
588 mattl 1.52 <!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
589     <div id="footer">
590 ineiev 1.132 <div class="unprintable">
591 wkotwica 1.24
592 ineiev 1.123 <p>Please send general FSF &amp; GNU inquiries to
593 yavor 1.82 <a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org">&lt;gnu@gnu.org&gt;</a>.
594 ineiev 1.123 There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a>
595     the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent
596     to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org">&lt;webmasters@gnu.org&gt;</a>.</p>
597    
598     <p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph,
599     replace it with the translation of these two:
600    
601     We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality
602     translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection.
603     Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard
604     to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org">
605     &lt;web-translators@gnu.org&gt;</a>.</p>
606    
607     <p>For information on coordinating and submitting translations of
608     our web pages, see <a
609     href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
610     README</a>. -->
611     Please see the <a
612     href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
613     README</a> for information on coordinating and submitting translations
614     of this article.</p>
615 ineiev 1.132 </div>
616 ineiev 1.123
617     <!-- Regarding copyright, in general, standalone pages (as opposed to
618     files generated as part of manuals) on the GNU web server should
619 gnun 1.142 be under CC BY-ND 4.0. Please do NOT change or remove this
620 ineiev 1.123 without talking with the webmasters or licensing team first.
621     Please make sure the copyright date is consistent with the
622     document. For web pages, it is ok to list just the latest year the
623     document was modified, or published.
624    
625     If you wish to list earlier years, that is ok too.
626     Either "2001, 2002, 2003" or "2001-2003" are ok for specifying
627     years, as long as each year in the range is in fact a copyrightable
628     year, i.e., a year in which the document was published (including
629     being publicly visible on the web or in a revision control system).
630    
631     There is more detail about copyright years in the GNU Maintainers
632     Information document, www.gnu.org/prep/maintain. -->
633 wkotwica 1.24
634 gnun 1.156 <p>Copyright &copy; 1996, 2002, 2004-2007, 2009-2018
635 ineiev 1.123 Free Software Foundation, Inc.</p>
636 wkotwica 1.24
637 jturner 1.104 <p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
638 gnun 1.142 href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">Creative
639     Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p>
640 wkotwica 1.24
641 ineiev 1.119 <!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" -->
642    
643 ineiev 1.133 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
644 paulv 1.3 <!-- timestamp start -->
645 rms 1.163 $Date: 2018/12/15 14:02:38 $
646 paulv 1.3 <!-- timestamp end -->
647 wkotwica 1.24 </p>
648     </div>
649 ineiev 1.162 </div><!-- for class="inner", starts in the banner include -->
650 wkotwica 1.24 </body>
651     </html>

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