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# Line 7  Line 7 
7  <link rel="alternate" title="What's New" href="http://www.gnu.org/rss/whatsnew.rss" type="application/rss+xml" />  <link rel="alternate" title="What's New" href="http://www.gnu.org/rss/whatsnew.rss" type="application/rss+xml" />
8  <link rel="alternate" title="New Free Software" href="http://www.gnu.org/rss/quagga.rss" type="application/rss+xml" />  <link rel="alternate" title="New Free Software" href="http://www.gnu.org/rss/quagga.rss" type="application/rss+xml" />
9    
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10  <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/free-sw.translist" -->  <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/free-sw.translist" -->
11    <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
12    
13  <h2>What is free software?</h2>  <h2>What is free software?</h2>
14    
15  <h3>The Free Software Definition</h3>  <h3>The Free Software Definition</h3>
16    
17    <blockquote>
18  <p>  <p>
19  We maintain this free software definition to show clearly what must be  The free software definition presents the criteria for whether a
20  true about a particular software program for it to be considered free  particular software program qualifies as free software.  From time to
21  software.  From time to time we revise this definition to clarify it.  time we revise this definition, to clarify it or to resolve questions
22  If you would like to review the changes we've made, please see  about subtle issues.  See the <a href="#History">History section</a>
23  the <a href="#History">History section</a> below for more information.  below for a list of changes that affect the definition of free
24    software.
25  </p>  </p>
26    </blockquote>
27    
28  <p>  <p>
29  &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; is a matter of liberty, not price.  To understand  &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; means software that respects users'
30  the concept, you should think of &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo;  freedom and community.  Roughly, <b>the users have the freedom to run,
31  not as in &ldquo;free beer.&rdquo;  copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software</b>.  With these
32    freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control the
33    program and what it does for them.
34  </p>  </p>
35    
36  <p>  <p>
37  Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute,  When users don't control the program, the program controls the users.
38  study, change and improve the software.  More precisely, it means that the  The developer controls the program, and through it controls the users.
39  program's users have the four essential freedoms:  This nonfree or &ldquo;proprietary&rdquo; program is therefore an
40    instrument of unjust power.
41    </p>
42    
43    <p>
44    Thus, &ldquo;free software&rdquo; is a matter of liberty, not price.
45    To understand the concept, you should think of &ldquo;free&rdquo; as
46    in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo; not as in &ldquo;free beer&rdquo;.
47    </p>
48    
49    <p>
50    A program is free software if the program's users have the
51    four essential freedoms:
52  </p>  </p>
53    
54  <ul>  <ul>
# Line 90  make them. Line 107  make them.
107    
108  <p>  <p>
109  In order for freedoms 1 and 3 (the freedom to make changes and the  In order for freedoms 1 and 3 (the freedom to make changes and the
110  freedom to publish improved versions) to be meaningful, you must have  freedom to publish the changed versions) to be meaningful, you must have
111  access to the source code of the program.  Therefore, accessibility of  access to the source code of the program.  Therefore, accessibility of
112  source code is a necessary condition for free software.  Obfuscated  source code is a necessary condition for free software.  Obfuscated
113  &ldquo;source code&rdquo; is not real source code and does not count  &ldquo;source code&rdquo; is not real source code and does not count
# Line 129  as a free license. Line 146  as a free license.
146  <p>  <p>
147  In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and  In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and
148  irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the  irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the
149  software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively change  software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively add
150  its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give cause, the  restrictions to its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give
151  software is not free.  cause, the software is not free.
152  </p>  </p>
153    
154  <p>  <p>
# Line 144  the central freedoms; rather it protects Line 161  the central freedoms; rather it protects
161  </p>  </p>
162    
163  <p>  <p>
164  &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial.&rdquo;  A free  &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial&rdquo;.  A free
165  program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,  program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,
166  and commercial distribution.  Commercial development of free software  and commercial distribution.  Commercial development of free software
167  is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.  is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.
# Line 156  you always have the freedom to copy and Line 173  you always have the freedom to copy and
173    
174  <p>  <p>
175  Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.  Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.
176  If your modifications are limited, in substance, to changes that  If your right to modify a program is limited, in substance, to changes that
177  someone else considers an improvement, that is not freedom.  someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
178  </p>  </p>
179    
180  <p>  <p>
# Line 185  are also acceptable. Line 202  are also acceptable.
202  </p>  </p>
203    
204  <p>  <p>
205    A special issue arises when a license requires changing the name by
206    which the program will be invoked from other programs.  That
207    effectively hampers you from releasing your changed version so that it
208    can replace the original when invoked by those other programs.  This
209    sort of requirement is acceptable only if there's a suitable aliasing
210    facility that allows you to specify the original program's name as an
211    alias for the modified version.</p>
212    
213    <p>
214  In the GNU project, we use  In the GNU project, we use
215  <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a>  <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a>
216  to protect these freedoms legally for everyone.  But  to protect these freedoms legally for everyone.  But
# Line 273  help you can ensure that the license rea Line 299  help you can ensure that the license rea
299  and avoid various practical problems.  and avoid various practical problems.
300  </p>  </p>
301    
302  <h2 id="beyond-software">Beyond Software</h2>  <h3 id="beyond-software">Beyond Software</h3>
303    
304  <p>  <p>
305  <a href="/philosophy/free-doc.html">Software manuals must be free</a>,  <a href="/philosophy/free-doc.html">Software manuals must be free</a>,
# Line 295  has been extended to a definition of <a Line 321  has been extended to a definition of <a
321  free cultural works</a> applicable to any kind of works.  free cultural works</a> applicable to any kind of works.
322  </p>  </p>
323    
324  <h2 id="open-source">Open Source?</h2>  <h3 id="open-source">Open Source?</h3>
325    
326  <p>  <p>
327  Another group has started using the term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; to mean  Another group has started using the term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; to mean
328  something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software.&rdquo;  We  something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software&rdquo;.  We
329  prefer the term &ldquo;free software&rdquo; because, once you have heard that  prefer the term &ldquo;free software&rdquo; because, once you have heard that
330  it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom.  The  it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom.  The
331  word &ldquo;open&rdquo; <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">  word &ldquo;open&rdquo; <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">
332  never refers to freedom</a>.  never refers to freedom</a>.
333  </p>  </p>
334    
335  <h2 id="History">History</h2>  <h3 id="History">History</h3>
336    
337  <p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition to  <p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition.  Here is
338  clarify it.  Here we provide a list of those modifications, along with  the list of substantive changes, along with links to show exactly what
339  links to illustrate exactly what changed, so that others can review  was changed.</p>
 them if they like.</p>  
340    
341  <ul>  <ul>
342    
343  <li><a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;r1=1.103&amp;r2=1.104">Version  <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
344  1.104</a>: Reflect, in the brief statement of freedom 1, the point  1.111</a>: Clarify 1.77 by saying that only
345    retroactive <em>restrictions</em> are unacceptable.  The copyright
346    holders can always grant additional <em>permission</em> for use of the
347    work by releasing the work in another way in parallel.</li>
348    
349    <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
350    1.105</a>: Reflect, in the brief statement of freedom 1, the point
351  (already stated in version 1.80) that it includes really using your modified  (already stated in version 1.80) that it includes really using your modified
352  version for your computing.</li>  version for your computing.</li>
353    
# Line 392  versions you distribute to the author.</ Line 423  versions you distribute to the author.</
423    
424  </ul>  </ul>
425    
426  <p>There are gaps in the version numbers because there are many other  <p>There are gaps in the version numbers shown above because there are
427  changes that do not affect the substance of the definition at all.  other changes in this page that do not affect the definition as such.
428  Instead, they fix links, add translations, and so on.  If you would  These changes are in other parts of the page.  You can review the
429  like to review the complete list of changes, you can do so on  complete list of changes to the page through
430  our <a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;view=log">cvsweb  the <a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;view=log">cvsweb
431  interface</a>.</p>  interface</a>.</p>
432    
433  </div>  </div>
# Line 423  translations of this article. Line 454  translations of this article.
454  </p>  </p>
455    
456  <p>  <p>
457  Copyright &copy; 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004,  Copyright &copy; 1996-2002, 2004-2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 Free Software
458  2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  Foundation, Inc.
459  </p>  </p>
460  <p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"  <p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
461  href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/">Creative  href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/">Creative
462  Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License</a>.  Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License</a>.
463  </p>  </p>
464    
465  <p>  <!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" -->
466  Updated:  
467    <p>Updated:
468  <!-- timestamp start -->  <!-- timestamp start -->
469  $Date$  $Date$
470  <!-- timestamp end -->  <!-- timestamp end -->
471  </p>  </p>
472  </div>  </div>
473    
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474    
475  </div>  </div>
476    
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