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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>
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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
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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 rms 1.169 &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial&rdquo;.
113     On the contrary, a free program must be available for commercial use,
114     commercial development, and commercial distribution. This policy is
115     of fundamental importance&mdash;without this, free software could not
116     achieve its aims.
117 th_g 1.149 </p>
118    
119 rms 1.163 <p>
120 rms 1.169 We want to invite everyone to use the GNU system, including businesses
121     and their workers. That requires allowing commercial use. We hope
122     that free replacement programs will supplant comparable proprietary
123     programs, but they can't do that if businesses are forbidden to use
124     them. We want commercial products that contain software to include
125     the GNU system, and that would constitute commercial distribution for
126     a price. Commercial development of free software is no longer
127     unusual; such free commercial software is very important. Paid,
128     professional support for free software fills an important need.
129     </p>
130    
131     <p>
132     Thus, to exclude commercial use, commercial development or commercial
133     distribution would hobble the free software community and obstruct its
134     path to success. We must conclude that a program licensed with such
135     restrictions does not qualify as free software.
136     </p>
137    
138     <p>
139     A free program must offer the four freedoms to any would-be user that
140     obtains a copy of the software, who has complied thus far with the
141     conditions of the free license covering the software in any previous
142     distribution of it. Putting some of the freedoms off limits to some
143     users, or requiring that users pay, in money or in kind, to exercise
144     them, is tantamount to not granting the freedoms in question, and thus
145     renders the program nonfree.
146     </p>
147    
148     <p>
149     You may have paid money to get copies of a free program, or you may
150     have obtained copies at no charge. But regardless of how you got your
151     copies, you always have the freedom to copy and change the software,
152     even to <a href="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</a>.
153 rms 1.163 </p>
154    
155 rms 1.170 <h3>Clarifying the boundary between free and nonfree</h3>
156 rms 1.165
157 ineiev 1.168 <p>In the rest of this article we explain more precisely how far the
158 rms 1.165 various freedoms need to extend, on various issues, in order for a
159     program to be free.</p>
160 rms 1.125
161 th_g 1.149 <h4>The freedom to run the program as you wish</h4>
162 sinuhe 1.48
163 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
164 sinuhe 1.48 The freedom to run the program means the freedom for any kind of person
165     or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind of
166     overall job and purpose, without being required to communicate about it
167     with the developer or any other specific entity. In this freedom, it is
168     the <em>user's</em> purpose that matters, not the <em>developer's</em>
169 rms 1.88 purpose; you as a user are free to run the program for your purposes,
170 sinuhe 1.48 and if you distribute it to someone else, she is then free to run it
171     for her purposes, but you are not entitled to impose your purposes on her.
172 rms 1.46 </p>
173 sinuhe 1.48
174 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
175 rms 1.134 The freedom to run the program as you wish means that you are not
176 rms 1.153 forbidden or stopped from making it run. This has nothing to do with what
177     functionality the program has, whether it is technically capable of
178     functioning in any given environment, or whether it is useful for any
179     particular computing activity.</p>
180 rms 1.134
181 bandali 1.167 <p>For example, if the code arbitrarily rejects certain meaningful
182 rms 1.166 inputs&mdash;or even fails unconditionally&mdash;that may make the
183     program less useful, perhaps even totally useless, but it does not
184     deny users the freedom to run the program, so it does not conflict
185     with freedom 0. If the program is free, the users can overcome the
186     loss of usefulness, because freedoms 1 and 3 permit users and
187     communities to make and distribute modified versions without the
188 bandali 1.167 arbitrary nuisance code.</p>
189 rms 1.166
190 rms 1.169 <p>&ldquo;As you wish&rdquo; includes, optonally, &ldquo;not at
191     all&rdquo; if that is what you wish. So there is no need for a
192 dora 1.172 separate &ldquo;freedom not to run a program.&rdquo;</p>
193 rms 1.169
194 th_g 1.149 <h4>The freedom to study the source code and make changes</h4>
195 sinuhe 1.48
196 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
197 rms 1.88 In order for freedoms 1 and 3 (the freedom to make changes and the
198 rms 1.165 freedom to publish the changed versions) to be meaningful, you need to have
199 rms 1.88 access to the source code of the program. Therefore, accessibility of
200 rms 1.92 source code is a necessary condition for free software. Obfuscated
201     &ldquo;source code&rdquo; is not real source code and does not count
202     as source code.
203 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
204    
205 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
206 rms 1.80 Freedom 1 includes the freedom to use your changed version in place of
207     the original. If the program is delivered in a product designed to
208 rms 1.105 run someone else's modified versions but refuse to run yours &mdash; a
209     practice known as &ldquo;tivoization&rdquo; or &ldquo;lockdown&rdquo;,
210     or (in its practitioners' perverse terminology) as &ldquo;secure
211 rms 1.137 boot&rdquo; &mdash; freedom 1 becomes an empty pretense rather than a
212     practical reality. These binaries are not free
213     software even if the source code they are compiled from is free.
214 rms 1.80 </p>
215    
216     <p>
217 rms 1.74 One important way to modify a program is by merging in available free
218     subroutines and modules. If the program's license says that you
219 rms 1.88 cannot merge in a suitably licensed existing module &mdash; for instance, if it
220     requires you to be the copyright holder of any code you add &mdash; then the
221 rms 1.74 license is too restrictive to qualify as free.
222 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
223    
224 novalis 1.40 <p>
225 th_g 1.149 Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.
226     If your right to modify a program is limited, in substance, to changes that
227     someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
228     </p>
229    
230 rms 1.169 <p>
231     One special case of freedom 1 is to delete the program's code so it
232     returns after doing nothing, or make it invoke some other program.
233     Thus, freedom 1 includes the &ldquo;freedom to delete the program.&rdquo;
234     </p>
235    
236 th_g 1.149 <h4>The freedom to redistribute if you wish: basic requirements</h4>
237    
238     <p>Freedom to distribute (freedoms 2 and 3) means you are free to
239     redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either
240     gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
241     <a href="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</a>. Being free to do these
242     things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay
243     for permission to do so.
244     </p>
245    
246     <p>
247     You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them
248     privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they
249     exist. If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to
250     notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way.
251     </p>
252    
253     <p>
254 rms 1.93 Freedom 3 includes the freedom to release your modified versions
255 rms 1.89 as free software. A free license may also permit other ways of
256     releasing them; in other words, it does not have to be
257     a <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a> license. However, a
258     license that requires modified versions to be nonfree does not qualify
259     as a free license.
260     </p>
261    
262     <p>
263 th_g 1.149 The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable
264     forms of the program, as well as source code, for both modified and
265     unmodified versions. (Distributing programs in runnable form is necessary
266     for conveniently installable free operating systems.) It is OK if there
267     is no way to produce a binary or executable form for a certain program
268     (since some languages don't support that feature), but you must have the
269     freedom to redistribute such forms should you find or develop a way to
270     make them.
271 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
272    
273 th_g 1.149 <h4>Copyleft</h4>
274    
275 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
276 th_g 1.149 Certain kinds of rules about the manner of distributing free
277 webcvs 1.1 software are acceptable, when they don't conflict with the central
278 rms 1.138 freedoms. For example, <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a>
279     (very simply stated) is the rule that when redistributing the program,
280     you cannot add restrictions to deny other people the central freedoms.
281     This rule does not conflict with the central freedoms; rather it
282     protects them.
283 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
284    
285     <p>
286 rms 1.138 In the GNU project, we use copyleft to protect the four freedoms
287     legally for everyone. We believe there are important reasons why
288 rms 1.130 <a href="/philosophy/pragmatic.html">it is better to use
289     copyleft</a>. However,
290     <a href="/philosophy/categories.html#Non-CopyleftedFreeSoftware">
291     noncopylefted free software</a> is ethical
292     too. See <a href="/philosophy/categories.html">Categories of Free
293     Software</a> for a description of how &ldquo;free software,&rdquo;
294     &ldquo;copylefted software&rdquo; and other categories of software
295     relate to each other.
296     </p>
297    
298 th_g 1.149 <h4>Rules about packaging and distribution details</h4>
299 rms 1.74
300     <p>
301 th_g 1.149 Rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable,
302 rms 1.98 if they don't substantively limit your freedom to release modified
303     versions, or your freedom to make and use modified versions privately.
304     Thus, it is acceptable for the license to require that you change the
305     name of the modified version, remove a logo, or identify your
306     modifications as yours. As long as these requirements are not so
307     burdensome that they effectively hamper you from releasing your
308     changes, they are acceptable; you're already making other changes to
309     the program, so you won't have trouble making a few more.
310     </p>
311    
312     <p>
313     Rules that &ldquo;if you make your version available in this way, you
314     must make it available in that way also&rdquo; can be acceptable too,
315     on the same condition. An example of such an acceptable rule is one
316     saying that if you have distributed a
317     modified version and a previous developer asks for a copy of it, you
318     must send one. (Note that such a rule still leaves you the choice of
319     whether to distribute your version at all.) Rules that require release
320     of source code to the users for versions that you put into public use
321     are also acceptable.
322 rms 1.39 </p>
323 sinuhe 1.48
324 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
325 rms 1.121 A special issue arises when a license requires changing the name by
326     which the program will be invoked from other programs. That
327     effectively hampers you from releasing your changed version so that it
328     can replace the original when invoked by those other programs. This
329     sort of requirement is acceptable only if there's a suitable aliasing
330     facility that allows you to specify the original program's name as an
331     alias for the modified version.</p>
332    
333 th_g 1.149 <h4>Export regulations</h4>
334    
335 rms 1.121 <p>
336 sinuhe 1.48 Sometimes government <a id="exportcontrol">export control regulations</a>
337     and trade sanctions can constrain your freedom to distribute copies of
338     programs internationally. Software developers do not have the power to
339     eliminate or override these restrictions, but what they can and must do
340     is refuse to impose them as conditions of use of the program. In this
341     way, the restrictions will not affect activities and people outside the
342 rms 1.74 jurisdictions of these governments. Thus, free software licenses
343 rms 1.122 must not require obedience to any nontrivial export regulations as a
344     condition of exercising any of the essential freedoms.
345     </p>
346    
347     <p>
348     Merely mentioning the existence of export regulations, without making
349     them a condition of the license itself, is acceptable since it does
350     not restrict users. If an export regulation is actually trivial for
351     free software, then requiring it as a condition is not an actual
352     problem; however, it is a potential problem, since a later change in
353     export law could make the requirement nontrivial and thus render the
354     software nonfree.
355 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
356    
357 th_g 1.149 <h4>Legal considerations</h4>
358    
359     <p>
360     In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and
361     irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the
362     software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively add
363     restrictions to its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give
364     cause, the software is not free.
365     </p>
366    
367 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
368 rms 1.131 A free license may not require compliance with the license of a
369     nonfree program. Thus, for instance, if a license requires you to
370     comply with the licenses of &ldquo;all the programs you use&rdquo;, in
371     the case of a user that runs nonfree programs this would require
372     compliance with the licenses of those nonfree programs; that makes the
373     license nonfree.
374     </p>
375    
376     <p>
377 rms 1.129 It is acceptable for a free license to specify which jurisdiction's
378     law applies, or where litigation must be done, or both.
379     </p>
380    
381 th_g 1.149 <h4>Contract-based licenses</h4>
382    
383 rms 1.129 <p>
384 sinuhe 1.48 Most free software licenses are based on copyright, and there are limits
385     on what kinds of requirements can be imposed through copyright. If a
386     copyright-based license respects freedom in the ways described above, it
387     is unlikely to have some other sort of problem that we never anticipated
388     (though this does happen occasionally). However, some free software
389     licenses are based on contracts, and contracts can impose a much larger
390     range of possible restrictions. That means there are many possible ways
391 rms 1.88 such a license could be unacceptably restrictive and nonfree.
392 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
393    
394 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
395 rms 1.41 We can't possibly list all the ways that might happen. If a
396     contract-based license restricts the user in an unusual way that
397     copyright-based licenses cannot, and which isn't mentioned here as
398 sinuhe 1.48 legitimate, we will have to think about it, and we will probably conclude
399 rms 1.88 it is nonfree.
400 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
401    
402 th_g 1.149 <h4>Use the right words when talking about free software</h4>
403    
404 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
405 sinuhe 1.48 When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms
406 karl 1.91 like &ldquo;give away&rdquo; or &ldquo;for free,&rdquo; because those terms imply that
407 sinuhe 1.48 the issue is about price, not freedom. Some common terms such
408 karl 1.91 as &ldquo;piracy&rdquo; embody opinions we hope you won't endorse. See
409 sinuhe 1.48 <a href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html">Confusing Words and Phrases that
410     are Worth Avoiding</a> for a discussion of these terms. We also have
411 rms 1.88 a list of proper <a href="/philosophy/fs-translations.html">translations of
412 karl 1.91 &ldquo;free software&rdquo;</a> into various languages.
413 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
414    
415 th_g 1.149 <h4>How we interpret these criteria</h4>
416    
417 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
418 webcvs 1.2 Finally, note that criteria such as those stated in this free software
419 sinuhe 1.48 definition require careful thought for their interpretation. To decide
420     whether a specific software license qualifies as a free software license,
421     we judge it based on these criteria to determine whether it fits their
422     spirit as well as the precise words. If a license includes unconscionable
423     restrictions, we reject it, even if we did not anticipate the issue
424     in these criteria. Sometimes a license requirement raises an issue
425     that calls for extensive thought, including discussions with a lawyer,
426     before we can decide if the requirement is acceptable. When we reach
427     a conclusion about a new issue, we often update these criteria to make
428     it easier to see why certain licenses do or don't qualify.
429     </p>
430    
431 th_g 1.149 <h4>Get help with free licenses</h4>
432    
433 sinuhe 1.48 <p>
434     If you are interested in whether a specific license qualifies as a free
435     software license, see our <a href="/licenses/license-list.html">list
436     of licenses</a>. If the license you are concerned with is not
437     listed there, you can ask us about it by sending us email at
438     <a href="mailto:licensing@gnu.org">&lt;licensing@gnu.org&gt;</a>.
439     </p>
440    
441     <p>
442 rms 1.88 If you are contemplating writing a new license, please contact the
443     Free Software Foundation first by writing to that address. The
444     proliferation of different free software licenses means increased work
445     for users in understanding the licenses; we may be able to help you
446     find an existing free software license that meets your needs.
447 novalis 1.29 </p>
448 webcvs 1.2
449 novalis 1.29 <p>
450     If that isn't possible, if you really need a new license, with our
451 rms 1.88 help you can ensure that the license really is a free software license
452 novalis 1.29 and avoid various practical problems.
453     </p>
454 sinuhe 1.48
455 dora 1.117 <h3 id="beyond-software">Beyond Software</h3>
456 rms 1.57
457     <p>
458 yavor 1.61 <a href="/philosophy/free-doc.html">Software manuals must be free</a>,
459     for the same reasons that software must be free, and because the
460     manuals are in effect part of the software.
461 rms 1.57 </p>
462    
463     <p>
464     The same arguments also make sense for other kinds of works of
465 yavor 1.61 practical use &mdash; that is to say, works that embody useful knowledge,
466 rms 1.57 such as educational works and reference
467 jrasata 1.103 works. <a href="http://wikipedia.org">Wikipedia</a> is the best-known
468 rms 1.57 example.
469     </p>
470    
471     <p>
472     Any kind of work <em>can</em> be free, and the definition of free software
473     has been extended to a definition of <a href="http://freedomdefined.org/">
474     free cultural works</a> applicable to any kind of works.
475     </p>
476    
477 dora 1.117 <h3 id="open-source">Open Source?</h3>
478 webcvs 1.1
479 wkotwica 1.24 <p>
480 jrasata 1.143 Another group uses the term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; to mean
481 joeko 1.109 something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software&rdquo;. We
482 karl 1.91 prefer the term &ldquo;free software&rdquo; because, once you have heard that
483 yavor 1.61 it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom. The
484 karl 1.91 word &ldquo;open&rdquo; <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">
485 yavor 1.61 never refers to freedom</a>.
486 sinuhe 1.48 </p>
487 th_g 1.160 </div>
488 wkotwica 1.24
489 dora 1.117 <h3 id="History">History</h3>
490 brett 1.72
491 rms 1.110 <p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition. Here is
492 rms 1.121 the list of substantive changes, along with links to show exactly what
493     was changed.</p>
494 brett 1.72
495     <ul>
496    
497 rms 1.169 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.168&amp;r2=1.169">Version
498     1.169</a>: Explain why more clearly why the four freedoms must apply
499     to commercial activity. Explain why the four freedoms imply the
500     freedom not to run the program and the freedom to delete it, so there
501     is no need to state those as separate requirements.</li>
502    
503 rms 1.166 <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.164&amp;r2=1.165">Version
504     1.165</a>: Clarify that arbitrary annoyances in the code do not
505     negate freedom 0, and that freedoms 1 and 3 enable users to remove them.</li>
506 rms 1.163
507 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
508     1.153</a>: Clarify that freedom to run the program means nothing stops
509     you from making it run.</li>
510    
511 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
512     1.141</a>: Clarify which code needs to be free.</li>
513    
514 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
515     1.135</a>: Say each time that freedom 0 is the freedom to run the program
516     as you wish.</li>
517    
518 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
519     1.134</a>: Freedom 0 is not a matter of the program's functionality.</li>
520    
521 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
522     1.131</a>: A free license may not require compliance with a nonfree license
523     of another program.</li>
524    
525 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
526     1.129</a>: State explicitly that choice of law and choice of forum
527     specifications are allowed. (This was always our policy.)</li>
528    
529 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
530     1.122</a>: An export control requirement is a real problem if the
531     requirement is nontrivial; otherwise it is only a potential problem.</li>
532    
533 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
534     1.118</a>: Clarification: the issue is limits on your right to modify,
535     not on what modifications you have made. And modifications are not limited
536     to &ldquo;improvements&rdquo;</li>
537    
538 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
539     1.111</a>: Clarify 1.77 by saying that only
540     retroactive <em>restrictions</em> are unacceptable. The copyright
541     holders can always grant additional <em>permission</em> for use of the
542     work by releasing the work in another way in parallel.</li>
543    
544 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
545     1.105</a>: Reflect, in the brief statement of freedom 1, the point
546 rms 1.105 (already stated in version 1.80) that it includes really using your modified
547     version for your computing.</li>
548    
549 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
550     1.92</a>: Clarify that obfuscated code does not qualify as source code.</li>
551    
552 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
553     1.90</a>: Clarify that freedom 3 means the right to distribute copies
554     of your own modified or improved version, not a right to participate
555     in someone else's development project.</li>
556    
557 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
558     1.89</a>: Freedom 3 includes the right to release modified versions as
559     free software.</li>
560    
561 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
562     1.80</a>: Freedom 1 must be practical, not just theoretical;
563     i.e., no tivoization.</li>
564    
565 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
566     1.77</a>: Clarify that all retroactive changes to the license are
567     unacceptable, even if it's not described as a complete
568     replacement.</li>
569    
570 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
571 rms 1.75 1.74</a>: Four clarifications of points not explicit enough, or stated
572 rms 1.74 in some places but not reflected everywhere:
573     <ul>
574     <li>"Improvements" does not mean the license can
575     substantively limit what kinds of modified versions you can release.
576     Freedom 3 includes distributing modified versions, not just changes.</li>
577     <li>The right to merge in existing modules
578     refers to those that are suitably licensed.</li>
579     <li>Explicitly state the conclusion of the point about export controls.</li>
580 rms 1.75 <li>Imposing a license change constitutes revoking the old license.</li>
581 rms 1.74 </ul>
582     </li>
583 brett 1.72
584     <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
585     1.57</a>: Add &quot;Beyond Software&quot; section.</li>
586    
587     <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
588     1.46</a>: Clarify whose purpose is significant in the freedom to run
589     the program for any purpose.</li>
590    
591     <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
592     1.41</a>: Clarify wording about contract-based licenses.</li>
593    
594     <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
595     1.40</a>: Explain that a free license must allow to you use other
596 brett 1.73 available free software to create your modifications.</li>
597 brett 1.72
598     <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
599     1.39</a>: Note that it is acceptable for a license to require you to
600     provide source for versions of the software you put into public
601 brett 1.73 use.</li>
602 brett 1.72
603     <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
604     1.31</a>: Note that it is acceptable for a license to require you to
605     identify yourself as the author of modifications. Other minor
606     clarifications throughout the text.</li>
607    
608     <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
609     1.23</a>: Address potential problems related to contract-based
610     licenses.</li>
611    
612     <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
613     1.16</a>: Explain why distribution of binaries is important.</li>
614    
615     <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
616     1.11</a>: Note that a free license may require you to send a copy of
617 rms 1.148 versions you distribute to previous developers on request.</li>
618 brett 1.72
619     </ul>
620    
621 rms 1.110 <p>There are gaps in the version numbers shown above because there are
622 rms 1.126 other changes in this page that do not affect the definition or its
623     interpretations. For instance, the list does not include changes in
624     asides, formatting, spelling, punctuation, or other parts of the page.
625     You can review the complete list of changes to the page through
626 rms 1.110 the <a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;view=log">cvsweb
627 brett 1.72 interface</a>.</p>
628    
629 th_g 1.159 <h3 style="font-size:1em">Footnote</h3>
630     <ol>
631     <li id="f1">The reason they are numbered 0, 1, 2 and 3 is historical. Around
632     1990 there were three freedoms, numbered 1, 2 and 3. Then we realized that
633     the freedom to run the program needed to be mentioned explicitly.
634     It was clearly more basic than the other three, so it properly should
635     precede them. Rather than renumber the others, we made it freedom&nbsp;0.</li>
636     </ol>
637 alex_muntada 1.32
638 ineiev 1.123 </div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
639 mattl 1.52 <!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
640     <div id="footer">
641 ineiev 1.132 <div class="unprintable">
642 wkotwica 1.24
643 ineiev 1.123 <p>Please send general FSF &amp; GNU inquiries to
644 yavor 1.82 <a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org">&lt;gnu@gnu.org&gt;</a>.
645 ineiev 1.123 There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a>
646     the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent
647     to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org">&lt;webmasters@gnu.org&gt;</a>.</p>
648    
649     <p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph,
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666 ineiev 1.132 </div>
667 ineiev 1.123
668     <!-- Regarding copyright, in general, standalone pages (as opposed to
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684 wkotwica 1.24
685 gnun 1.171 <p>Copyright &copy; 1996, 2002, 2004-2007, 2009-2019, 2021
686 ineiev 1.123 Free Software Foundation, Inc.</p>
687 wkotwica 1.24
688 jturner 1.104 <p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
689 gnun 1.142 href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">Creative
690     Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p>
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693    
694 ineiev 1.133 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
695 paulv 1.3 <!-- timestamp start -->
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