“Free software” means software that respects users' freedom and community. Roughly, the users have the freedom to run, -copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. 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 controls the users. -This nonfree or “proprietary” program is therefore an -instrument of unjust power. +copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.
@@ -47,6 +37,16 @@
+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 “nonfree” or “proprietary” program +is an +instrument of unjust power. +
+ +A program is free software if the program's users have the four essential freedoms:
@@ -68,9 +68,17 @@-A program is free software if users have all of these freedoms. Thus, -you should be free to redistribute copies, either with or without -modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to +A program is free software if it gives users adequately all of these +freedoms. Otherwise, it is nonfree. While we can distinguish various +nonfree distribution schemes in terms of how far they fall short of +being free, we consider them all equally unethical.
+ +The rest of this page clarifies certain points about what makes +specific freedoms adequate or not.
+ +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 anyone anywhere. Being free to do these things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay for permission to do so. @@ -107,7 +115,7 @@
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 +freedom to publish the changed 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. Obfuscated “source code” is not real source code and does not count @@ -173,8 +181,8 @@
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. +If your right to modify a program is limited, in substance, to changes that +someone else considers an improvement, that program is not free.
@@ -190,15 +198,6 @@
-A special issue arises when a license requires changing the name by -which the program will be invoked from other programs. That -effectively hampers you from releasing your changed version so that it -can replace the original when invoked by those other programs. This -sort of requirement is acceptable only if there's a suitable aliasing -facility that allows you to specify the original program's name as an -alias for the modified version.
- -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. An example of such an acceptable rule is one @@ -211,6 +210,15 @@
+A special issue arises when a license requires changing the name by +which the program will be invoked from other programs. That +effectively hampers you from releasing your changed version so that it +can replace the original when invoked by those other programs. This +sort of requirement is acceptable only if there's a suitable aliasing +facility that allows you to specify the original program's name as an +alias for the modified version.
+ +In the GNU project, we use copyleft to protect these freedoms legally for everyone. But @@ -229,8 +237,18 @@ 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. Thus, free software licenses -must not require obedience to any export regulations as a condition of -any of the essential freedoms. +must not require obedience to any nontrivial export regulations as a +condition of exercising any of the essential freedoms. +
+ ++Merely mentioning the existence of export regulations, without making +them a condition of the license itself, is acceptable since it does +not restrict users. If an export regulation is actually trivial for +free software, then requiring it as a condition is not an actual +problem; however, it is a potential problem, since a later change in +export law could make the requirement nontrivial and thus render the +software nonfree.
@@ -335,11 +353,20 @@
From time to time we revise this Free Software Definition. Here is -the list of changes, along with links to show exactly what was -changed.
+the list of substantive changes, along with links to show exactly what +was changed.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. -These changes are in other parts of the page. You can review the -complete list of changes to the page through +other changes in this page that do not affect the definition or its +interpretations. For instance, the list does not include changes in +asides, formatting, spelling, punctuation, or other parts of the page. +You can review the complete list of changes to the page through the cvsweb interface.
- + - - - -