| 1 |
webcvs |
1.1 |
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//IETF//DTD HTML 2.0//EN"> |
| 2 |
|
|
<HTML> |
| 3 |
|
|
<HEAD> |
| 4 |
webcvs |
1.2 |
<TITLE>The Free Software Definition - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</TITLE> |
| 5 |
webcvs |
1.1 |
<LINK REV="made" HREF="mailto:webmasters@www.gnu.org"> |
| 6 |
|
|
</HEAD> |
| 7 |
|
|
<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#1F00FF" ALINK="#FF0000" VLINK="#9900DD"> |
| 8 |
webcvs |
1.2 |
<H3>The Free Software Definition</H3> |
| 9 |
webcvs |
1.1 |
|
| 10 |
|
|
<A HREF="/graphics/philosophicalgnu.html"><IMG SRC="/graphics/philosophical-gnu-sm.jpg" |
| 11 |
|
|
ALT=" [image of a Philosophical Gnu] " |
| 12 |
|
|
WIDTH="160" HEIGHT="200"></A> |
| 13 |
|
|
|
| 14 |
|
|
[ |
| 15 |
|
|
<A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.nl.html">Dutch</A> |
| 16 |
|
|
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.html">English</A> |
| 17 |
|
|
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.fr.html">French</A> |
| 18 |
|
|
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.it.html">Italian</A> |
| 19 |
|
|
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ja.html">Japanese</A> |
| 20 |
|
|
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ko.html">Korean</A> |
| 21 |
|
|
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.no.html">Norwegian</A> |
| 22 |
|
|
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pt.html">Portuguese</A> |
| 23 |
|
|
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ru.html">Russian</A> |
| 24 |
|
|
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.es.html">Spanish</A> |
| 25 |
|
|
| <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.tr.html">Turkish</A> |
| 26 |
|
|
] |
| 27 |
|
|
<P> |
| 28 |
|
|
|
| 29 |
webcvs |
1.2 |
We maintain this free software definition to show clearly what must be |
| 30 |
|
|
true about a particular software program for it to be considered |
| 31 |
|
|
``free software''. |
| 32 |
|
|
|
| 33 |
|
|
<P> |
| 34 |
|
|
|
| 35 |
paulv |
1.3 |
``Free software'' is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the |
| 36 |
|
|
concept, you should think of ``free'' as in ``free speech,'' not as in |
| 37 |
|
|
``free beer.'' |
| 38 |
webcvs |
1.1 |
<P> |
| 39 |
|
|
``Free software'' refers to the users' freedom to run, copy, |
| 40 |
|
|
distribute, study, change and improve the software. More precisely, |
| 41 |
|
|
it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software: |
| 42 |
|
|
<P> |
| 43 |
|
|
|
| 44 |
|
|
<UL> |
| 45 |
|
|
<LI>The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0). |
| 46 |
|
|
<LI>The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs |
| 47 |
|
|
(freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this. |
| 48 |
|
|
<LI>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor |
| 49 |
|
|
(freedom 2). |
| 50 |
|
|
<LI>The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements |
| 51 |
|
|
to the public, so that the whole community benefits. |
| 52 |
|
|
(freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this. |
| 53 |
|
|
</UL> |
| 54 |
|
|
|
| 55 |
|
|
<P> |
| 56 |
|
|
A program is free software if users have all of these freedoms. |
| 57 |
|
|
Thus, you should be free to redistribute copies, either with or |
| 58 |
|
|
without modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for |
| 59 |
|
|
distribution, to <A HREF="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</A>. Being |
| 60 |
|
|
free to do these things means (among other things) that you do not |
| 61 |
|
|
have to ask or pay for permission. |
| 62 |
|
|
|
| 63 |
|
|
<P> |
| 64 |
|
|
You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them |
| 65 |
|
|
privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they |
| 66 |
|
|
exist. If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to |
| 67 |
|
|
notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way. |
| 68 |
|
|
|
| 69 |
|
|
<P> |
| 70 |
|
|
The freedom to use a program means the freedom for any kind of person |
| 71 |
|
|
or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind |
| 72 |
|
|
of overall job, and without being required to communicate subsequently |
| 73 |
|
|
with the developer or any other specific entity. |
| 74 |
|
|
|
| 75 |
|
|
<P> |
| 76 |
|
|
The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable |
| 77 |
|
|
forms of the program, as well as source code. (It is ok if there is |
| 78 |
|
|
no way to produce a binary or executable form, but people must have |
| 79 |
|
|
the freedom to redistribute such forms should they find a way to make |
| 80 |
|
|
them.) |
| 81 |
|
|
|
| 82 |
|
|
<P> |
| 83 |
|
|
In order for the freedoms to make changes, and to publish improved |
| 84 |
|
|
versions, to be meaningful, you must have access to the source code of |
| 85 |
|
|
the program. Therefore, accessibility of source code is a necessary |
| 86 |
|
|
condition for free software. |
| 87 |
|
|
|
| 88 |
|
|
<P> |
| 89 |
|
|
In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be irrevocable as |
| 90 |
|
|
long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the software has the |
| 91 |
|
|
power to revoke the license, without your doing anything to give |
| 92 |
|
|
cause, the software is not free. |
| 93 |
|
|
|
| 94 |
|
|
<P> |
| 95 |
|
|
However, certain kinds of rules about the manner of distributing free |
| 96 |
|
|
software are acceptable, when they don't conflict with the central |
| 97 |
|
|
freedoms. For example, copyleft (very simply stated) is the rule that |
| 98 |
|
|
when redistributing the program, you cannot add restrictions to deny |
| 99 |
|
|
other people the central freedoms. This rule does not conflict with |
| 100 |
|
|
the central freedoms; rather it protects them. |
| 101 |
|
|
|
| 102 |
|
|
<P> |
| 103 |
|
|
Thus, you may have paid money to get copies of GNU software, or you |
| 104 |
|
|
may have obtained copies at no charge. But regardless of how you got |
| 105 |
|
|
your copies, you always have the freedom to copy and change the |
| 106 |
|
|
software, even to <A HREF="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</A>. |
| 107 |
|
|
|
| 108 |
|
|
<P> |
| 109 |
|
|
``Free software'' does not mean ``non-commercial''. A free program |
| 110 |
|
|
must be available for commercial use. Commercial development of free |
| 111 |
|
|
software is no longer unusual; such programs are free commercial |
| 112 |
|
|
software. |
| 113 |
|
|
|
| 114 |
|
|
<P> |
| 115 |
|
|
Rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable, if they |
| 116 |
|
|
don't effectively block your freedom to release modified versions. |
| 117 |
|
|
Rules that ``if you make the program available in this way, you must |
| 118 |
|
|
make it available in that way also'' can be acceptable too, on the |
| 119 |
|
|
same condition. (Note that such a rule still leaves you the choice of |
| 120 |
|
|
whether to publish the program or not.) |
| 121 |
|
|
|
| 122 |
|
|
<P> |
| 123 |
|
|
In the GNU project, we use <A HREF="/copyleft/copyleft.html"> |
| 124 |
|
|
``copyleft''</A> to protect these freedoms legally for everyone. But |
| 125 |
|
|
<A HREF="/philosophy/categories.html#Non-CopyleftedFreeSoftware"> |
| 126 |
|
|
non-copylefted free software</A> also exists. We believe there are |
| 127 |
|
|
important reasons why <A HREF="/philosophy/pragmatic.html"> it is |
| 128 |
|
|
better to use copyleft</A>, but if your program is non-copylefted free |
| 129 |
|
|
software, we can still use it. |
| 130 |
|
|
|
| 131 |
|
|
<P> |
| 132 |
|
|
See <A HREF="/philosophy/categories.html">Categories of Free Software |
| 133 |
|
|
(18k characters)</A> |
| 134 |
|
|
for a description of how ``free software,'' ``copylefted software'' and |
| 135 |
|
|
other categories of software relate to each other. |
| 136 |
|
|
|
| 137 |
|
|
<P> |
| 138 |
|
|
Sometimes government <A NAME="exportcontrol">export control |
| 139 |
|
|
regulations</A> and trade sanctions can constrain your freedom to |
| 140 |
|
|
distribute copies of programs internationally. Software developers do |
| 141 |
|
|
not have the power to eliminate or override these restrictions, but |
| 142 |
|
|
what they can and must do is refuse to impose them as conditions of |
| 143 |
|
|
use of the program. In this way, the restrictions will not affect |
| 144 |
|
|
activities and people outside the jurisdictions of these governments. |
| 145 |
|
|
|
| 146 |
|
|
<P> |
| 147 |
|
|
When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms like |
| 148 |
|
|
``give away'' or ``for free'', because those terms imply that the |
| 149 |
|
|
issue is about price, not freedom. Some common terms such as |
| 150 |
|
|
``piracy'' embody opinions we hope you won't endorse. See <A |
| 151 |
|
|
HREF="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html">Confusing Words and Phrases |
| 152 |
|
|
that are Worth Avoiding</A> for a discussion of these terms. |
| 153 |
|
|
We also have a list of <A HREF="/philosophy/fs-translations.html">translations |
| 154 |
|
|
of "free software"</A> into various languages. |
| 155 |
webcvs |
1.2 |
|
| 156 |
|
|
<P> |
| 157 |
|
|
|
| 158 |
|
|
Finally, note that criteria such as those stated in this free software |
| 159 |
|
|
definition require careful thought for their interpretation. To |
| 160 |
|
|
decide whether a specific software license qualifies as a free |
| 161 |
|
|
software license, we judge it based on these criteria to determine |
| 162 |
|
|
whether it fits their spirit as well as the precise words. If a |
| 163 |
|
|
license includes unconscionable restrictions, we reject it, even if we |
| 164 |
|
|
did not anticipate the issue in these criteria. Sometimes a license |
| 165 |
|
|
requirement raises an issue that calls for extensive thought before we |
| 166 |
|
|
can decide if the requirement is acceptable, including discussions |
| 167 |
|
|
with a lawyer. When we reach a conclusion, we sometimes update these |
| 168 |
|
|
criteria to make it easier to see why certain licenses do or don't |
| 169 |
|
|
qualify. |
| 170 |
|
|
|
| 171 |
|
|
<P> |
| 172 |
|
|
|
| 173 |
|
|
If you are interested in whether a specific license qualifies as a |
| 174 |
|
|
free software license, see our <A |
| 175 |
|
|
HREF="/philosophy/license-list.html"> list of licenses </A>. If the |
| 176 |
|
|
license you are concerned with is not listed there, you can ask us |
| 177 |
|
|
about it by sending us email at <A |
| 178 |
|
|
HREF="mailto:licensing@gnu.org"><licensing@gnu.org></A>. |
| 179 |
|
|
|
| 180 |
webcvs |
1.1 |
<HR> |
| 181 |
|
|
|
| 182 |
|
|
<H4><A HREF="/philosophy/philosophy.html">Other Texts to Read</A></H4> |
| 183 |
|
|
|
| 184 |
|
|
<P> |
| 185 |
|
|
Another group has started using the term <A |
| 186 |
|
|
HREF="free-software-for-freedom.html"> open source</A> to mean |
| 187 |
|
|
something close (but not identical) to "free software". |
| 188 |
|
|
|
| 189 |
|
|
<HR> |
| 190 |
|
|
|
| 191 |
|
|
Return to <A HREF="/home.html">GNU's home page</A>. |
| 192 |
|
|
<P> |
| 193 |
|
|
FSF & GNU inquiries & questions to |
| 194 |
|
|
<A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>. |
| 195 |
|
|
Other <A HREF="/home.html#ContactInfo">ways to contact</A> the FSF. |
| 196 |
|
|
<P> |
| 197 |
|
|
Comments on these web pages to |
| 198 |
|
|
<A HREF="mailto:webmasters@www.gnu.org"><EM>webmasters@www.gnu.org</EM></A>, |
| 199 |
|
|
send other questions to |
| 200 |
|
|
<A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>. |
| 201 |
|
|
<P> |
| 202 |
webcvs |
1.2 |
Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc., |
| 203 |
webcvs |
1.1 |
59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111, USA |
| 204 |
|
|
<P> |
| 205 |
|
|
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is |
| 206 |
|
|
permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.<P> |
| 207 |
|
|
Updated: |
| 208 |
paulv |
1.3 |
<!-- timestamp start --> |
| 209 |
|
|
$Date:$ $Author:$ |
| 210 |
|
|
<!-- timestamp end --> |
| 211 |
webcvs |
1.1 |
<HR> |
| 212 |
|
|
</BODY> |
| 213 |
|
|
</HTML> |