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3  <HEAD>  <title>What is free software?
4  <TITLE>The Free Software Definition - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</TITLE>  - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
5  <LINK REV="made" HREF="mailto:webmasters@www.gnu.org">  
6  </HEAD>  <meta http-equiv="Keywords" content="GNU, FSF, Free Software Foundation, Linux, Emacs, GCC, Unix, Free Software, Operating System, GNU Kernel, HURD, GNU HURD, Hurd" />
7  <BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#1F00FF" ALINK="#FF0000" VLINK="#9900DD">  <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." />
8  <H3>The Free Software Definition</H3>  
9    <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/free-sw.translist" -->
10  <A HREF="/graphics/philosophicalgnu.html"><IMG SRC="/graphics/philosophical-gnu-sm.jpg"  <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
11     ALT=" [image of a Philosophical Gnu] "  
12     WIDTH="160" HEIGHT="200"></A>  <h2>What is free software?</h2>
13    
14  [  <blockquote class="note" id="fsf-licensing"><p style="font-size: 80%">
15  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->  Have a question about free software licensing not answered here?
16  <!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! -->  See our other <a href="http://www.fsf.org/licensing">licensing resources</a>,
17  <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hr.html">Croatian</A>  and if necessary contact the FSF Compliance Lab
18  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.cs.html">Czech</A>  at <a href="mailto:licensing@fsf.org">licensing@fsf.org</a>.</p>
19  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.nl.html">Dutch</A>  </blockquote>
20  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.html">English</A>  
21  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.fr.html">French</A>  <h3>The Free Software Definition</h3>
22  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.gl.html">Galician</A>  
23  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.de.html">German</A>  <blockquote>
24  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hu.html">Hungarian</A>  <p>
25  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.id.html">Indonesian</A>  The free software definition presents the criteria for whether a
26  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.it.html">Italian</A>  particular software program qualifies as free software.  From time to
27  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ja.html">Japanese</A>  time we revise this definition, to clarify it or to resolve questions
28  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ko.html">Korean</A>  about subtle issues.  See the <a href="#History">History section</a>
29  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.no.html">Norwegian</A>  below for a list of changes that affect the definition of free
30  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pl.html">Polish</A>  software.
31  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pt.html">Portuguese</A>  </p>
32  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ru.html">Russian</A>  </blockquote>
33  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.sl.html">Slovenian</A>  
34  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.es.html">Spanish</A>  <p>
35  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.tr.html">Turkish</A>  &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; means software that respects users'
36  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->  freedom and community.  Roughly, it means that <b>the users have the
37  <!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! -->  freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the
38  ]  software</b>.  Thus, &ldquo;free software&rdquo; is a matter of
39  <P>  liberty, not price.  To understand the concept, you should think of
40    &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in &ldquo;free speech,&rdquo; not as in
41  We maintain this free software definition to show clearly what must be  &ldquo;free beer&rdquo;.  We sometimes call it &ldquo;libre
42  true about a particular software program for it to be considered  software,&rdquo; borrowing the French or Spanish word for
43  free software.  &ldquo;free&rdquo; as in freedom, to show we do not mean the software
44    is gratis.
45  <P>  </p>
46    
47  ``Free software'' is a matter of liberty, not price.  To understand the  <p>
48  concept, you should think of ``free'' as in ``free speech,'' not as in  We campaign for these freedoms because everyone deserves them.  With
49  ``free beer.''  these freedoms, the users (both individually and collectively) control
50  <P>  the program and what it does for them.  When users don't control the
51  Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy,  program, we call it a &ldquo;nonfree&rdquo; or
52  distribute, study, change and improve the software.  More precisely,  &ldquo;proprietary&rdquo; program.  The nonfree program controls the
53  it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software:  users, and the developer controls the program; this makes the
54  <P>  program <a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">
55    an instrument of unjust power</a>.
56  <UL>  </p>
57    <LI>The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).  
58    <LI>The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs  <h4> The four essential freedoms</h4>
59        (freedom 1).   Access to the source code is a precondition for this.  
60    <LI>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor  <p>
61    A program is free software if the program's users have the
62    four essential freedoms:
63    </p>
64    
65    <ul>
66      <li>The freedom to run the program as you wish,
67          for any purpose (freedom 0).</li>
68      <li>The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it
69          does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source
70          code is a precondition for this.
71      </li>
72      <li>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
73        (freedom 2).        (freedom 2).
74    <LI>The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements    </li>
75       to the public, so that the whole community benefits.    <li>The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions
76        (freedom 3).   Access to the source code is a precondition for this.        to others (freedom 3).  By doing this you can give the whole
77  </UL>        community a chance to benefit from your changes.
78          Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
79  <P>    </li>
80  A program is free software if users have all of these freedoms.  </ul>
81  Thus, you should be free to redistribute copies, either with or  
82  without modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for  <p>
83  distribution, to <A HREF="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</A>.  Being  A program is free software if it gives users adequately all of these
84  free to do these things means (among other things) that you do not  freedoms.  Otherwise, it is nonfree.  While we can distinguish various
85  have to ask or pay for permission.  nonfree distribution schemes in terms of how far they fall short of
86    being free, we consider them all equally unethical.</p>
87    
88    <p>In any given scenario, these freedoms must apply to whatever code
89    we plan to make use of, or lead others to make use of.  For instance,
90    consider a program A which automatically launches a program B to
91    handle some cases.  If we plan to distribute A as it stands, that
92    implies users will need B, so we need to judge whether both A and B
93    are free.  However, if we plan to modify A so that it doesn't use B,
94    only A needs to be free; B is not pertinent to that plan.</p>
95    
96    <p>
97    &ldquo;Free software&rdquo; does not mean &ldquo;noncommercial&rdquo;.  A free
98    program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,
99    and commercial distribution.  Commercial development of free software
100    is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.
101    You may have paid money to get copies of free software, or you may have
102    obtained copies at no charge.  But regardless of how you got your copies,
103    you always have the freedom to copy and change the software, even to
104    <a href="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</a>.
105    </p>
106    
107    <p>The rest of this page clarifies certain points about what makes
108    specific freedoms adequate or not.</p>
109    
110    <h4>The freedom to run the program as you wish</h4>
111    
112    <p>
113    The freedom to run the program means the freedom for any kind of person
114    or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind of
115    overall job and purpose, without being required to communicate about it
116    with the developer or any other specific entity.  In this freedom, it is
117    the <em>user's</em> purpose that matters, not the <em>developer's</em>
118    purpose; you as a user are free to run the program for your purposes,
119    and if you distribute it to someone else, she is then free to run it
120    for her purposes, but you are not entitled to impose your purposes on her.
121    </p>
122    
123    <p>
124    The freedom to run the program as you wish means that you are not
125    forbidden or stopped from doing so.  It has nothing to do with what
126    functionality the program has, or whether it is useful for what you
127    want to do.</p>
128    
129    <h4>The freedom to study the source code and make changes</h4>
130    
131    <p>
132    In order for freedoms 1 and 3 (the freedom to make changes and the
133    freedom to publish the changed versions) to be meaningful, you must have
134    access to the source code of the program.  Therefore, accessibility of
135    source code is a necessary condition for free software.  Obfuscated
136    &ldquo;source code&rdquo; is not real source code and does not count
137    as source code.
138    </p>
139    
140    <p>
141    Freedom 1 includes the freedom to use your changed version in place of
142    the original.  If the program is delivered in a product designed to
143    run someone else's modified versions but refuse to run yours &mdash; a
144    practice known as &ldquo;tivoization&rdquo; or &ldquo;lockdown&rdquo;,
145    or (in its practitioners' perverse terminology) as &ldquo;secure
146    boot&rdquo; &mdash; freedom 1 becomes an empty pretense rather than a
147    practical reality.  These binaries are not free
148    software even if the source code they are compiled from is free.
149    </p>
150    
151    <p>
152    One important way to modify a program is by merging in available free
153    subroutines and modules.  If the program's license says that you
154    cannot merge in a suitably licensed existing module &mdash; for instance, if it
155    requires you to be the copyright holder of any code you add &mdash; then the
156    license is too restrictive to qualify as free.
157    </p>
158    
159    <p>
160    Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.
161    If your right to modify a program is limited, in substance, to changes that
162    someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
163    </p>
164    
165    <h4>The freedom to redistribute if you wish: basic requirements</h4>
166    
167    <p>Freedom to distribute (freedoms 2 and 3) means you are free to
168    redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either
169    gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to
170    <a href="#exportcontrol">anyone anywhere</a>.  Being free to do these
171    things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay
172    for permission to do so.
173    </p>
174    
175  <P>  <p>
176  You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them  You should also have the freedom to make modifications and use them
177  privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they  privately in your own work or play, without even mentioning that they
178  exist.  If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to  exist.  If you do publish your changes, you should not be required to
179  notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way.  notify anyone in particular, or in any particular way.
180    </p>
181    
182  <P>  <p>
183  The freedom to use a program means the freedom for any kind of person  Freedom 3 includes the freedom to release your modified versions
184  or organization to use it on any kind of computer system, for any kind  as free software.  A free license may also permit other ways of
185  of overall job, and without being required to communicate subsequently  releasing them; in other words, it does not have to be
186  with the developer or any other specific entity.  a <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a> license.  However, a
187    license that requires modified versions to be nonfree does not qualify
188    as a free license.
189    </p>
190    
191  <P>  <p>
192  The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable  The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable
193  forms of the program, as well as source code, for both modified and  forms of the program, as well as source code, for both modified and
194  unmodified versions.  (Distributing programs in runnable form is  unmodified versions.  (Distributing programs in runnable form is necessary
195  necessary for conveniently installable free operating systems.)  It is  for conveniently installable free operating systems.)  It is OK if there
196  ok if there is no way to produce a binary or executable form for a  is no way to produce a binary or executable form for a certain program
197  certain program (since some languages don't support that feature), but  (since some languages don't support that feature), but you must have the
198  you must have the freedom to redistribute such forms should you find  freedom to redistribute such forms should you find or develop a way to
199  or develop a way to make them.  make them.
200    </p>
201  <P>  
202  In order for the freedoms to make changes, and to publish improved  <h4>Copyleft</h4>
 versions, to be meaningful, you must have access to the source code of  
 the program.  Therefore, accessibility of source code is a necessary  
 condition for free software.  
   
 <P>  
 In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be irrevocable as  
 long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the software has the  
 power to revoke the license, without your doing anything to give  
 cause, the software is not free.  
203    
204  <P>  <p>
205  However, certain kinds of rules about the manner of distributing free  Certain kinds of rules about the manner of distributing free
206  software are acceptable, when they don't conflict with the central  software are acceptable, when they don't conflict with the central
207  freedoms.  For example, copyleft (very simply stated) is the rule that  freedoms.  For example, <a href="/copyleft/copyleft.html">copyleft</a>
208  when redistributing the program, you cannot add restrictions to deny  (very simply stated) is the rule that when redistributing the program,
209  other people the central freedoms.  This rule does not conflict with  you cannot add restrictions to deny other people the central freedoms.
210  the central freedoms; rather it protects them.  This rule does not conflict with the central freedoms; rather it
211    protects them.
212  <P>  </p>
213  Thus, you may have paid money to get copies of GNU software, or you  
214  may have obtained copies at no charge.  But regardless of how you got  <p>
215  your copies, you always have the freedom to copy and change the  In the GNU project, we use copyleft to protect the four freedoms
216  software, even to <A HREF="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</A>.  legally for everyone.  We believe there are important reasons why
217  <P>  <a href="/philosophy/pragmatic.html">it is better to use
218    copyleft</a>.  However,
219  ``Free software'' does not mean ``non-commercial''.  A free program  <a href="/philosophy/categories.html#Non-CopyleftedFreeSoftware">
220  must be available for commercial use, commercial development, and  noncopylefted free software</a> is ethical
221  commercial distribution.  Commercial development of free software is  too.  See <a href="/philosophy/categories.html">Categories of Free
222  no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.  Software</a> for a description of how &ldquo;free software,&rdquo;
223    &ldquo;copylefted software&rdquo; and other categories of software
224  <P>  relate to each other.
225  Rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable, if they  </p>
226  don't effectively block your freedom to release modified versions.  
227  Rules that ``if you make the program available in this way, you must  <h4>Rules about packaging and distribution details</h4>
228  make it available in that way also'' can be acceptable too, on the  
229  same condition.  (Note that such a rule still leaves you the choice of  <p>
230  whether to publish the program or not.)  It is also acceptable for the  Rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable,
231  license to require that, if you have distributed a modified version  if they don't substantively limit your freedom to release modified
232  and a previous developer asks for a copy of it, you must send one.  versions, or your freedom to make and use modified versions privately.
233    Thus, it is acceptable for the license to require that you change the
234  <P>  name of the modified version, remove a logo, or identify your
235  In the GNU project, we use <A HREF="/copyleft/copyleft.html">  modifications as yours.  As long as these requirements are not so
236  ``copyleft''</A> to protect these freedoms legally for everyone.  But  burdensome that they effectively hamper you from releasing your
237  <A HREF="/philosophy/categories.html#Non-CopyleftedFreeSoftware">  changes, they are acceptable; you're already making other changes to
238  non-copylefted free software</A> also exists.  We believe there are  the program, so you won't have trouble making a few more.
239  important reasons why <A HREF="/philosophy/pragmatic.html"> it is  </p>
240  better to use copyleft</A>, but if your program is non-copylefted free  
241  software, we can still use it.  <p>
242    Rules that &ldquo;if you make your version available in this way, you
243  <P>  must make it available in that way also&rdquo; can be acceptable too,
244  See <A HREF="/philosophy/categories.html">Categories of Free Software  on the same condition.  An example of such an acceptable rule is one
245         (18k characters)</A>  saying that if you have distributed a
246  for a description of how ``free software,'' ``copylefted software'' and  modified version and a previous developer asks for a copy of it, you
247  other categories of software relate to each other.  must send one.  (Note that such a rule still leaves you the choice of
248    whether to distribute your version at all.)  Rules that require release
249  <P>  of source code to the users for versions that you put into public use
250  Sometimes government <A NAME="exportcontrol">export control  are also acceptable.
251  regulations</A> and trade sanctions can constrain your freedom to  </p>
252  distribute copies of programs internationally.  Software developers do  
253  not have the power to eliminate or override these restrictions, but  <p>
254  what they can and must do is refuse to impose them as conditions of  A special issue arises when a license requires changing the name by
255  use of the program.  In this way, the restrictions will not affect  which the program will be invoked from other programs.  That
256  activities and people outside the jurisdictions of these governments.  effectively hampers you from releasing your changed version so that it
257    can replace the original when invoked by those other programs.  This
258  <P>  sort of requirement is acceptable only if there's a suitable aliasing
259  When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms like  facility that allows you to specify the original program's name as an
260  ``give away'' or ``for free'', because those terms imply that the  alias for the modified version.</p>
261  issue is about price, not freedom.  Some common terms such as  
262  ``piracy'' embody opinions we hope you won't endorse.  See <A  <h4>Export regulations</h4>
263  HREF="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html">Confusing Words and Phrases  
264  that are Worth Avoiding</A> for a discussion of these terms.  <p>
265  We also have a list of <A HREF="/philosophy/fs-translations.html">translations  Sometimes government <a id="exportcontrol">export control regulations</a>
266  of "free software"</A> into various languages.  and trade sanctions can constrain your freedom to distribute copies of
267    programs internationally.  Software developers do not have the power to
268    eliminate or override these restrictions, but what they can and must do
269    is refuse to impose them as conditions of use of the program.  In this
270    way, the restrictions will not affect activities and people outside the
271    jurisdictions of these governments.  Thus, free software licenses
272    must not require obedience to any nontrivial export regulations as a
273    condition of exercising any of the essential freedoms.
274    </p>
275    
276    <p>
277    Merely mentioning the existence of export regulations, without making
278    them a condition of the license itself, is acceptable since it does
279    not restrict users.  If an export regulation is actually trivial for
280    free software, then requiring it as a condition is not an actual
281    problem; however, it is a potential problem, since a later change in
282    export law could make the requirement nontrivial and thus render the
283    software nonfree.
284    </p>
285    
286    <h4>Legal considerations</h4>
287    
288    <p>
289    In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and
290    irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the
291    software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively add
292    restrictions to its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give
293    cause, the software is not free.
294    </p>
295    
296    <p>
297    A free license may not require compliance with the license of a
298    nonfree program.  Thus, for instance, if a license requires you to
299    comply with the licenses of &ldquo;all the programs you use&rdquo;, in
300    the case of a user that runs nonfree programs this would require
301    compliance with the licenses of those nonfree programs; that makes the
302    license nonfree.
303    </p>
304    
305    <p>
306    It is acceptable for a free license to specify which jurisdiction's
307    law applies, or where litigation must be done, or both.
308    </p>
309    
310    <h4>Contract-based licenses</h4>
311    
312    <p>
313    Most free software licenses are based on copyright, and there are limits
314    on what kinds of requirements can be imposed through copyright.  If a
315    copyright-based license respects freedom in the ways described above, it
316    is unlikely to have some other sort of problem that we never anticipated
317    (though this does happen occasionally).  However, some free software
318    licenses are based on contracts, and contracts can impose a much larger
319    range of possible restrictions.  That means there are many possible ways
320    such a license could be unacceptably restrictive and nonfree.
321    </p>
322    
323    <p>
324    We can't possibly list all the ways that might happen.  If a
325    contract-based license restricts the user in an unusual way that
326    copyright-based licenses cannot, and which isn't mentioned here as
327    legitimate, we will have to think about it, and we will probably conclude
328    it is nonfree.
329    </p>
330    
331    <h4>Use the right words when talking about free software</h4>
332    
333    <p>
334    When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms
335    like &ldquo;give away&rdquo; or &ldquo;for free,&rdquo; because those terms imply that
336    the issue is about price, not freedom.  Some common terms such
337    as &ldquo;piracy&rdquo; embody opinions we hope you won't endorse.  See
338    <a href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html">Confusing Words and Phrases that
339    are Worth Avoiding</a> for a discussion of these terms.  We also have
340    a list of proper <a href="/philosophy/fs-translations.html">translations of
341    &ldquo;free software&rdquo;</a> into various languages.
342    </p>
343    
344  <P>  <h4>How we interpret these criteria</h4>
345    
346    <p>
347  Finally, note that criteria such as those stated in this free software  Finally, note that criteria such as those stated in this free software
348  definition require careful thought for their interpretation.  To  definition require careful thought for their interpretation.  To decide
349  decide whether a specific software license qualifies as a free  whether a specific software license qualifies as a free software license,
350  software license, we judge it based on these criteria to determine  we judge it based on these criteria to determine whether it fits their
351  whether it fits their spirit as well as the precise words.  If a  spirit as well as the precise words.  If a license includes unconscionable
352  license includes unconscionable restrictions, we reject it, even if we  restrictions, we reject it, even if we did not anticipate the issue
353  did not anticipate the issue in these criteria.  Sometimes a license  in these criteria.  Sometimes a license requirement raises an issue
354  requirement raises an issue that calls for extensive thought,  that calls for extensive thought, including discussions with a lawyer,
355  including discussions with a lawyer, before we can decide if the  before we can decide if the requirement is acceptable.  When we reach
356  requirement is acceptable.  When we reach a conclusion about a new  a conclusion about a new issue, we often update these criteria to make
357  issue, we often update these criteria to make it easier to see why  it easier to see why certain licenses do or don't qualify.
358  certain licenses do or don't qualify.  </p>
359    
360  <P>  <h4>Get help with free licenses</h4>
361    
362  If you are interested in whether a specific license qualifies as a  <p>
363  free software license, see our <A  If you are interested in whether a specific license qualifies as a free
364  HREF="/licenses/license-list.html">list of licenses</A>.  If the  software license, see our <a href="/licenses/license-list.html">list
365  license you are concerned with is not listed there, you can ask us  of licenses</a>.  If the license you are concerned with is not
366  about it by sending us email at <A  listed there, you can ask us about it by sending us email at
367  HREF="mailto:licensing@gnu.org">&lt;licensing@gnu.org&gt;</A>.  <a href="mailto:licensing@gnu.org">&lt;licensing@gnu.org&gt;</a>.
368    </p>
369  <HR>  
370    <p>
371  <H4><A HREF="/philosophy/philosophy.html">Other Texts to Read</A></H4>  If you are contemplating writing a new license, please contact the
372    Free Software Foundation first by writing to that address. The
373  <P>  proliferation of different free software licenses means increased work
374  Another group has started using the term "open source" to mean  for users in understanding the licenses; we may be able to help you
375  something close (but not identical) to "free software".  We prefer the  find an existing free software license that meets your needs.
376  term "free software" because, once you have heard it refers to freedom  </p>
377  rather than price, <A HREF="free-software-for-freedom.html">it calls  
378  to mind freedom</A>.  <p>
379    If that isn't possible, if you really need a new license, with our
380  <HR>  help you can ensure that the license really is a free software license
381  [  and avoid various practical problems.
382  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->  </p>
383  <!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! -->  
384  <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hr.html">Croatian</A>  <h3 id="beyond-software">Beyond Software</h3>
385  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.cs.html">Czech</A>  
386  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.nl.html">Dutch</A>  <p>
387  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.html">English</A>  <a href="/philosophy/free-doc.html">Software manuals must be free</a>,
388  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.fr.html">French</A>  for the same reasons that software must be free, and because the
389  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.gl.html">Galician</A>  manuals are in effect part of the software.
390  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.de.html">German</A>  </p>
391  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hu.html">Hungarian</A>  
392  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.id.html">Indonesian</A>  <p>
393  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.it.html">Italian</A>  The same arguments also make sense for other kinds of works of
394  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ja.html">Japanese</A>  practical use &mdash; that is to say, works that embody useful knowledge,
395  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ko.html">Korean</A>  such as educational works and reference
396  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.no.html">Norwegian</A>  works.  <a href="http://wikipedia.org">Wikipedia</a> is the best-known
397  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pl.html">Polish</A>  example.
398  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pt.html">Portuguese</A>  </p>
399  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ru.html">Russian</A>  
400  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.sl.html">Slovenian</A>        <p>
401  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.es.html">Spanish</A>  Any kind of work <em>can</em> be free, and the definition of free software
402  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.tr.html">Turkish</A>  has been extended to a definition of <a href="http://freedomdefined.org/">
403  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->  free cultural works</a> applicable to any kind of works.
404  <!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! -->  </p>
405  ]  
406  <P>  <h3 id="open-source">Open Source?</h3>
407  Return to <A HREF="/home.html">GNU's home page</A>.  
408  <P>  <p>
409    Another group uses the term &ldquo;open source&rdquo; to mean
410  Please send FSF &amp; GNU inquiries &amp; questions to  something close (but not identical) to &ldquo;free software&rdquo;.  We
411    prefer the term &ldquo;free software&rdquo; because, once you have heard that
412  <A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>.  it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom.  The
413  There are also <A HREF="/home.html#ContactInfo">other ways to  word &ldquo;open&rdquo; <a href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">
414  contact</A> the FSF.  never refers to freedom</a>.
415  <P>  </p>
416    
417  Please send comments on these web pages to  <h3 id="History">History</h3>
418    
419  <A HREF="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><EM>webmasters@gnu.org</EM></A>,  <p>From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition.  Here is
420  send other questions to  the list of substantive changes, along with links to show exactly what
421  <A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>.  was changed.</p>
422  <P>  
423  Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.,  <ul>
424  59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111,  USA  
425  <P>  <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
426  Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is  1.141</a>: Clarify which code needs to be free.</li>
427  permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.  
428  <P>  <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
429  Updated:  1.135</a>: Say each time that freedom 0 is the freedom to run the program
430    as you wish.</li>
431    
432    <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
433    1.134</a>: Freedom 0 is not a matter of the program's functionality.</li>
434    
435    <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
436    1.131</a>: A free license may not require compliance with a nonfree license
437    of another program.</li>
438    
439    <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
440    1.129</a>: State explicitly that choice of law and choice of forum
441    specifications are allowed.  (This was always our policy.)</li>
442    
443    <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
444    1.122</a>: An export control requirement is a real problem if the
445    requirement is nontrivial; otherwise it is only a potential problem.</li>
446    
447    <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
448    1.118</a>: Clarification: the issue is limits on your right to modify,
449    not on what modifications you have made.  And modifications are not limited
450    to &ldquo;improvements&rdquo;</li>
451    
452    <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
453    1.111</a>: Clarify 1.77 by saying that only
454    retroactive <em>restrictions</em> are unacceptable.  The copyright
455    holders can always grant additional <em>permission</em> for use of the
456    work by releasing the work in another way in parallel.</li>
457    
458    <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
459    1.105</a>: Reflect, in the brief statement of freedom 1, the point
460    (already stated in version 1.80) that it includes really using your modified
461    version for your computing.</li>
462    
463    <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
464    1.92</a>: Clarify that obfuscated code does not qualify as source code.</li>
465    
466    <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
467    1.90</a>: Clarify that freedom 3 means the right to distribute copies
468    of your own modified or improved version, not a right to participate
469    in someone else's development project.</li>
470    
471    <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
472    1.89</a>: Freedom 3 includes the right to release modified versions as
473    free software.</li>
474    
475    <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
476    1.80</a>: Freedom 1 must be practical, not just theoretical;
477    i.e., no tivoization.</li>
478    
479    <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
480    1.77</a>: Clarify that all retroactive changes to the license are
481    unacceptable, even if it's not described as a complete
482    replacement.</li>
483    
484    <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
485    1.74</a>: Four clarifications of points not explicit enough, or stated
486    in some places but not reflected everywhere:
487    <ul>
488    <li>"Improvements" does not mean the license can
489    substantively limit what kinds of modified versions you can release.
490    Freedom 3 includes distributing modified versions, not just changes.</li>
491    <li>The right to merge in existing modules
492    refers to those that are suitably licensed.</li>
493    <li>Explicitly state the conclusion of the point about export controls.</li>
494    <li>Imposing a license change constitutes revoking the old license.</li>
495    </ul>
496    </li>
497    
498    <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
499    1.57</a>: Add &quot;Beyond Software&quot; section.</li>
500    
501    <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
502    1.46</a>: Clarify whose purpose is significant in the freedom to run
503    the program for any purpose.</li>
504    
505    <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
506    1.41</a>: Clarify wording about contract-based licenses.</li>
507    
508    <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
509    1.40</a>: Explain that a free license must allow to you use other
510    available free software to create your modifications.</li>
511    
512    <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
513    1.39</a>: Note that it is acceptable for a license to require you to
514    provide source for versions of the software you put into public
515    use.</li>
516    
517    <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
518    1.31</a>: Note that it is acceptable for a license to require you to
519    identify yourself as the author of modifications.  Other minor
520    clarifications throughout the text.</li>
521    
522    <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
523    1.23</a>: Address potential problems related to contract-based
524    licenses.</li>
525    
526    <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
527    1.16</a>: Explain why distribution of binaries is important.</li>
528    
529    <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
530    1.11</a>: Note that a free license may require you to send a copy of
531    versions you distribute to previous developers on request.</li>
532    
533    </ul>
534    
535    <p>There are gaps in the version numbers shown above because there are
536    other changes in this page that do not affect the definition or its
537    interpretations.  For instance, the list does not include changes in
538    asides, formatting, spelling, punctuation, or other parts of the page.
539    You can review the complete list of changes to the page through
540    the <a href="http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/www/philosophy/free-sw.html?root=www&amp;view=log">cvsweb
541    interface</a>.</p>
542    
543    
544    </div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
545    <!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
546    <div id="footer">
547    <div class="unprintable">
548    
549    <p>Please send general FSF &amp; GNU inquiries to
550    <a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org">&lt;gnu@gnu.org&gt;</a>.
551    There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a>
552    the FSF.  Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent
553    to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org">&lt;webmasters@gnu.org&gt;</a>.</p>
554    
555    <p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph,
556            replace it with the translation of these two:
557    
558            We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality
559            translations.  However, we are not exempt from imperfection.
560            Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard
561            to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org">
562            &lt;web-translators@gnu.org&gt;</a>.</p>
563    
564            <p>For information on coordinating and submitting translations of
565            our web pages, see <a
566            href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
567            README</a>. -->
568    Please see the <a
569    href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
570    README</a> for information on coordinating and submitting translations
571    of this article.</p>
572    </div>
573    
574    <!-- Regarding copyright, in general, standalone pages (as opposed to
575         files generated as part of manuals) on the GNU web server should
576         be under CC BY-ND 4.0.  Please do NOT change or remove this
577         without talking with the webmasters or licensing team first.
578         Please make sure the copyright date is consistent with the
579         document.  For web pages, it is ok to list just the latest year the
580         document was modified, or published.
581        
582         If you wish to list earlier years, that is ok too.
583         Either "2001, 2002, 2003" or "2001-2003" are ok for specifying
584         years, as long as each year in the range is in fact a copyrightable
585         year, i.e., a year in which the document was published (including
586         being publicly visible on the web or in a revision control system).
587        
588         There is more detail about copyright years in the GNU Maintainers
589         Information document, www.gnu.org/prep/maintain. -->
590    
591    <p>Copyright &copy; 1996, 2002, 2004-2007, 2009-2016
592    Free Software Foundation, Inc.</p>
593    
594    <p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
595    href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">Creative
596    Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p>
597    
598    <!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" -->
599    
600    <p class="unprintable">Updated:
601  <!-- timestamp start -->  <!-- timestamp start -->
602  $Date$ $Author$  $Date$
603  <!-- timestamp end -->  <!-- timestamp end -->
604  <HR>  </p>
605  </BODY>  </div>
606  </HTML>  </div>
607    </body>
608    </html>
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