/[www]/www/philosophy/free-sw.html

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-revision 1.123 by ineiev,
Tue Jun 18 05:16:52 2013 UTC
+revision 1.126 by rms,
Fri Dec 20 09:31:03 2013 UTC
 Line 5
  <meta http-equiv="Keywords" content="GNU, FSF, Free Software Foundation, Linux, Emacs, GCC, Unix, Free Software, Operating System, GNU Kernel, HURD, GNU HURD, Hurd" />
  <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." />
- <link rel="alternate" title="What's New" href="http://www.gnu.org/rss/whatsnew.rss" type="application/rss+xml" />
- <link rel="alternate" title="New Free Software" href="http://www.gnu.org/rss/quagga.rss" type="application/rss+xml" />
  <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/free-sw.translist" -->
  <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
-Line 29 
 software.
+Line 27 
 software.
  <p>
  &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; means software that respects users'
  freedom and community.  Roughly, <b>the users have the freedom to run,
- copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software</b>.  With these
+ copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software</b>.
- freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control the
- program and what it does for them.
- </p>
- <p>
- When users don't control the program, the program controls the users.
- The developer controls the program, and through it controls the users.
- This nonfree or &ldquo;proprietary&rdquo; program is therefore an
- instrument of unjust power.
  </p>
  <p>
-Line 48 
 in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo; not as in
+Line 37 
 in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo; not as in
  </p>
  <p>
+ With these freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively)
+ control the program and what it does for them.  When users don't
+ control the program, the program controls the users.  The developer
+ controls the program, and through it exercises power over the users.
+ Therefore, a &ldquo;nonfree&rdquo; or &ldquo;proprietary&rdquo; program
+ is <a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html"> an
+ instrument of unjust power</a>.
+ </p>
+ <p>
  A program is free software if the program's users have the
  four essential freedoms:
  </p>
-Line 69 
 four essential freedoms:
+Line 68 
 four essential freedoms:
  </ul>
  <p>
- A program is free software if users have all of these freedoms.  Thus,
+ A program is free software if it gives users adequately all of these
- you should be free to redistribute copies, either with or without
+ freedoms.  Otherwise, it is nonfree.  While we can distinguish various
- modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
+ nonfree distribution schemes in terms of how far they fall short of
+ being free, we consider them all equally unethical.</p>
+ <p>The rest of this page clarifies certain points about what makes
+ specific freedoms adequate or not.</p>
+ <p>Freedom to distribute (freedoms 2 and 3) means you are free to
+ redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either
+ gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
  <a href="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</a>.  Being free to do these
  things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay
  for permission to do so.
-Line 355 
 was changed.</p>
+Line 362 
 was changed.</p>
 .122</a>: An export control requirement is a real problem if the
  requirement is nontrivial; otherwise it is only a potential problem.</li>
+ <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
+.118</a>: Clarification: the issue is limits on your right to modify,
+ not on what modifications you have made.  And modifications are not limited
+ to &ldquo;improvements&rdquo;</li>
  <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
 .111</a>: Clarify 1.77 by saying that only
  retroactive <em>restrictions</em> are unacceptable.  The copyright
-Line 439 
 versions you distribute to the author.</
+Line 451 
 versions you distribute to the author.</
  </ul>
  <p>There are gaps in the version numbers shown above because there are
- other changes in this page that do not affect the definition as such.
+ other changes in this page that do not affect the definition or its
- These changes are in other parts of the page.  You can review the
+ interpretations.  For instance, the list does not include changes in
- complete list of changes to the page through
+ asides, formatting, spelling, punctuation, or other parts of the page.
+ You can review the complete list of changes to the page through
  the <a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;view=log">cvsweb
  interface</a>.</p>

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