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revision 1.11 by rms, Fri Dec 21 17:06:31 2001 UTC revision 1.23 by rms, Tue Feb 17 12:12:30 2004 UTC
# Line 14  Line 14 
14  [  [
15  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->
16  <!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! -->  <!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! -->
17    <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hr.html">Croatian</A>  <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hr.html">Croatian</A>
18    | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.cs.html">Czech</A>
19    | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.da.html">Danish</A>
20  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.nl.html">Dutch</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.nl.html">Dutch</A>
21  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.html">English</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.html">English</A>
22  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.fr.html">French</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.fr.html">French</A>
23  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.gl.html">Galician</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.gl.html">Galician</A>
24    | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.de.html">German</A>
25  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hu.html">Hungarian</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hu.html">Hungarian</A>
26  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.id.html">Indonesian</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.id.html">Indonesian</A>
27  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.it.html">Italian</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.it.html">Italian</A>
# Line 27  Line 30 
30  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.no.html">Norwegian</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.no.html">Norwegian</A>
31  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pl.html">Polish</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pl.html">Polish</A>
32  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pt.html">Portuguese</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pt.html">Portuguese</A>
33    | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ro.html">Romanian</A>
34  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ru.html">Russian</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ru.html">Russian</A>
35    | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.sl.html">Slovenian</A>
36  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.es.html">Spanish</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.es.html">Spanish</A>
37    | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.sv.html">Swedish</A>  
38  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.tr.html">Turkish</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.tr.html">Turkish</A>
39  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->
40  <!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! -->  <!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! -->
# Line 57  it refers to four kinds of freedom, for Line 63  it refers to four kinds of freedom, for
63    <LI>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor    <LI>The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
64        (freedom 2).        (freedom 2).
65    <LI>The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements    <LI>The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements
66       to the public, so that the whole community benefits.       to the public, so that the whole community benefits
67        (freedom 3).   Access to the source code is a precondition for this.        (freedom 3).   Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
68  </UL>  </UL>
69    
# Line 84  with the developer or any other specific Line 90  with the developer or any other specific
90  <P>  <P>
91  The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable  The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable
92  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
93  unmodified versions.  It is ok if there is no way to produce a binary  unmodified versions.  (Distributing programs in runnable form is
94  or executable form (since some languages don't support that feature),  necessary for conveniently installable free operating systems.)  It is
95  but you must have the freedom to redistribute such forms should you  ok if there is no way to produce a binary or executable form for a
96  find or develop a way to make them.  certain program (since some languages don't support that feature), but
97    you must have the freedom to redistribute such forms should you find
98    or develop a way to make them.
99    
100  <P>  <P>
101  In order for the freedoms to make changes, and to publish improved  In order for the freedoms to make changes, and to publish improved
# Line 110  other people the central freedoms.  This Line 118  other people the central freedoms.  This
118  the central freedoms; rather it protects them.  the central freedoms; rather it protects them.
119    
120  <P>  <P>
121  Thus, you may have paid money to get copies of GNU software, or you  Thus, you may have paid money to get copies of free software, or you
122  may have obtained copies at no charge.  But regardless of how you got  may have obtained copies at no charge.  But regardless of how you got
123  your copies, you always have the freedom to copy and change the  your copies, you always have the freedom to copy and change the
124  software, even to <A HREF="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</A>.  software, even to <A HREF="/philosophy/selling.html">sell copies</A>.
# Line 156  use of the program.  In this way, the re Line 164  use of the program.  In this way, the re
164  activities and people outside the jurisdictions of these governments.  activities and people outside the jurisdictions of these governments.
165    
166  <P>  <P>
167    Most free software licenses are based on copyright, and there are
168    limits on what kinds of requirements can be imposed through copyright.
169    If a copyright-based license respects freedom in the ways described
170    above, it is unlikely to have some other sort of problem that we never
171    anticipated (though this does happen occasionally).  However, some
172    free software licenses are based on contracts, and contracts can
173    impose a much larger range of possible restrictions.  That means there
174    are many possible ways such a license could be unacceptably
175    restrictive and non-free.
176    <P>
177    We can't possibly list all the possible contract restrictions that
178    would be unacceptable.  If a contract-based license restricts the user
179    in an unusual way that copyright-based licenses cannot, and which
180    isn't mentioned here as legitimate, we will have to think about it,
181    and we will probably decide it is non-free.
182    <P>
183  When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms like  When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms like
184  ``give away'' or ``for free'', because those terms imply that the  ``give away'' or ``for free'', because those terms imply that the
185  issue is about price, not freedom.  Some common terms such as  issue is about price, not freedom.  Some common terms such as
# Line 204  to mind freedom</A>. Line 228  to mind freedom</A>.
228  [  [
229  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->
230  <!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! -->  <!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! -->
231    <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hr.html">Croatian</A>  <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hr.html">Croatian</A>
232    | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.cs.html">Czech</A>
233    | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.da.html">Danish</A>
234  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.nl.html">Dutch</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.nl.html">Dutch</A>
235  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.html">English</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.html">English</A>
236  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.fr.html">French</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.fr.html">French</A>
237  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.gl.html">Galician</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.gl.html">Galician</A>
238    | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.de.html">German</A>
239  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hu.html">Hungarian</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.hu.html">Hungarian</A>
240  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.id.html">Indonesian</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.id.html">Indonesian</A>
241  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.it.html">Italian</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.it.html">Italian</A>
# Line 217  to mind freedom</A>. Line 244  to mind freedom</A>.
244  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.no.html">Norwegian</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.no.html">Norwegian</A>
245  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pl.html">Polish</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pl.html">Polish</A>
246  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pt.html">Portuguese</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.pt.html">Portuguese</A>
247    | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ro.html">Romanian</A>
248  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ru.html">Russian</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.ru.html">Russian</A>
249    | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.sl.html">Slovenian</A>      
250  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.es.html">Spanish</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.es.html">Spanish</A>
251  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.tr.html">Turkish</A>  | <A HREF="/philosophy/free-sw.tr.html">Turkish</A>
252  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->  <!-- Please keep this list alphabetical -->
# Line 240  Please send comments on these web pages Line 269  Please send comments on these web pages
269  send other questions to  send other questions to
270  <A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>.  <A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>.
271  <P>  <P>
272  Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.,  Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, Free
273  59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111,  USA  Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA
274    02111,  USA
275  <P>  <P>
276  Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is  Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is
277  permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.  permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.
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