-We maintain this free software definition to show clearly what must -be true about a particular software program for it to be considered -free software. +We maintain this free software definition to show clearly what must be +true about a particular software program for it to be considered free +software. From time to time we revise this definition to clarify it. +If you would like to review the changes we've made, please see +the History section below for more information.
@@ -25,20 +27,21 @@
Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, -study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it refers to -four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software: +study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it means that the +program's users have the four essential freedoms:
@@ -66,7 +69,7 @@ overall job and purpose, without being required to communicate about it with the developer or any other specific entity. In this freedom, it is the user's purpose that matters, not the developer's -purpose; you as a user are free to run a program for your purposes, +purpose; you as a user are free to run the program for your purposes, and if you distribute it to someone else, she is then free to run it for her purposes, but you are not entitled to impose your purposes on her.
@@ -75,7 +78,7 @@ The freedom to redistribute copies must include binary or executable forms of the program, as well as source code, for both modified and unmodified versions. (Distributing programs in runnable form is necessary -for conveniently installable free operating systems.) It is ok if there +for conveniently installable free operating systems.) It is OK if there is no way to produce a binary or executable form for a certain program (since some languages don't support that feature), but you must have the freedom to redistribute such forms should you find or develop a way to @@ -83,25 +86,46 @@-In order for the freedoms to make changes, and to publish improved -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. +In order for freedoms 1 and 3 (the freedom to make changes and the +freedom to publish improved 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.
-One important way to modify a program is by merging in available -free subroutines and modules. If the program's license says that you -cannot merge in an existing module, such as if it requires you to be the -copyright holder of any code you add, then the license is too restrictive -to qualify as free. +Freedom 1 includes the freedom to use your changed version in place of +the original. If the program is delivered in a product designed to +run someone else's modified versions but refuse to run yours — +a practice known as “tivoization” or (through +blacklisting) as “secure boot” — freedom 1 becomes a +theoretical fiction rather than a practical freedom. This is not +sufficient. In other words, these binaries are not free software +even if the source code they are compiled from is free.
-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. +One important way to modify a program is by merging in available free +subroutines and modules. If the program's license says that you +cannot merge in a suitably licensed existing module — for instance, if it +requires you to be the copyright holder of any code you add — then the +license is too restrictive to qualify as free. +
+ ++Freedom 3 includes the freedom to use release your modified versions +as free software. A free license may also permit other ways of +releasing them; in other words, it does not have to be +a copyleft license. However, a +license that requires modified versions to be nonfree does not qualify +as a free license. +
+ ++In order for these freedoms to be real, they must be permanent and +irrevocable as long as you do nothing wrong; if the developer of the +software has the power to revoke the license, or retroactively change +its terms, without your doing anything wrong to give cause, the +software is not free.
@@ -114,6 +138,10 @@
+Free software
does not mean noncommercial.
A free
+program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,
+and commercial distribution. Commercial development of free software
+is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.
You may have paid money to get copies of free software, or you may have
obtained copies at no charge. But regardless of how you got your copies,
you always have the freedom to copy and change the software, even to
@@ -121,24 +149,24 @@
-Free software
does not mean non-commercial.
A free
-program must be available for commercial use, commercial development,
-and commercial distribution. Commercial development of free software
-is no longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important.
+Whether a change constitutes an improvement is a subjective matter.
+If your modifications are limited, in substance, to changes that
+someone else considers an improvement, that is not freedom.
-Rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable, if they
-don't substantively block your freedom to release modified versions, or
+However, rules about how to package a modified version are acceptable, if they
+don't substantively limit your freedom to release modified versions, or
your freedom to make and use modified versions privately. Rules that if
you make your version available in this way, you must make it available in
that way also
can be acceptable too, on the same condition. (Note that
such a rule still leaves you the choice of whether to publish your version
at all.) Rules that require release of source code to the users for
versions that you put into public use are also acceptable. It is also
-acceptable for the license to require that, if you have distributed a
-modified version and a previous developer asks for a copy of it, you
-must send one, or that you identify yourself on your modifications.
+acceptable for the license to require that you identify
+your modifications as yours, or that, if you have distributed a modified
+version and a previous developer asks for a copy of it, you must send
+one.
@@ -147,9 +175,9 @@ to protect these freedoms legally for everyone. But non-copylefted free software also exists. We believe there are important reasons why - it is better to use copyleft, -but if your program is non-copylefted free software, we can still -use it. +it is better to use copyleft, +but if your program is non-copylefted free software, it is still basically +ethical.
@@ -165,7 +193,9 @@ eliminate or override these restrictions, but what they can and must do is refuse to impose them as conditions of use of the program. In this way, the restrictions will not affect activities and people outside the -jurisdictions of these governments. +jurisdictions of these governments. Thus, free software licenses +must not require obedience to any export regulations as a condition of +any of the essential freedoms.
@@ -176,7 +206,7 @@ (though this does happen occasionally). However, some free software licenses are based on contracts, and contracts can impose a much larger range of possible restrictions. That means there are many possible ways -such a license could be unacceptably restrictive and non-free. +such a license could be unacceptably restrictive and nonfree.
@@ -184,7 +214,7 @@ contract-based license restricts the user in an unusual way that copyright-based licenses cannot, and which isn't mentioned here as legitimate, we will have to think about it, and we will probably conclude -it is non-free. +it is nonfree.
@@ -194,7 +224,7 @@
as piracy
embody opinions we hope you won't endorse. See
Confusing Words and Phrases that
are Worth Avoiding for a discussion of these terms. We also have
-a list of translations of
+a list of proper translations of
free software
into various languages.
-If you are contemplating writing a new license, please contact the FSF -by writing to that address. The proliferation of different free software -licenses means increased work for users in understanding the licenses; -we may be able to help you find an existing Free Software license that -meets your needs. +If you are contemplating writing a new license, please contact the +Free Software Foundation first by writing to that address. The +proliferation of different free software licenses means increased work +for users in understanding the licenses; we may be able to help you +find an existing free software license that meets your needs.
If that isn't possible, if you really need a new license, with our -help you can ensure that the license really is a Free Software license +help you can ensure that the license really is a free software license and avoid various practical problems.
@@ -267,8 +297,88 @@ never refers to freedom. - +From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition to +clarify it. Here we provide a list of those modifications, along with +links to illustrate exactly what changed, so that others can review +them if they like.
+ +There are gaps in the version numbers because there are many other +changes that do not affect the substance of the definition at all. +Instead, they fix links, add translations, and so on. If you would +like to review the complete list of changes, you can do so on +our cvsweb +interface.
+ + @@ -276,12 +386,12 @@
Please send FSF & GNU inquiries to
-gnu@gnu.org.
-There are also other ways to contact
+<gnu@gnu.org>.
+There are also other ways to contact
the FSF.
-Please send broken links and other corrections (or suggestions) to
-webmasters@gnu.org.
+Please send broken links and other corrections or suggestions to
+<webmasters@gnu.org>.
@@ -293,9 +403,8 @@
Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, -2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc., +2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved. @@ -304,7 +413,7 @@
Updated: -$Date: 2007/06/19 00:03:01 $ +$Date: 2009/12/12 14:56:55 $
@@ -325,6 +434,8 @@