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<title>Netscape and Free Software |
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- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title> |
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<h2>Netscape and Free Software</h2> |
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|
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<p><a href="/philosophy/netscape-npl.html">More recent news about Netscape</a></p> |
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<hr class="thin" /> |
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<p>People have been writing with joy to tell us that Netscape has |
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announced a plan to make its browser free software, under the GNU GPL.</p> |
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<p>That is getting a bit ahead of events. The announcement Netscape made |
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does not actually say that they will use the GNU GPL, and does not |
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assert that the program will |
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be <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a> as we define |
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it in our community. It's clear that Netscape will take a big step in |
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the direction of free software, but we don't know whether they will |
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get all the way there or fall substantially short. In fact, Netscape |
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is still deciding what to do.</p> |
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<p>When they decide, two crucial questions will be whether people will be |
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free to distribute copies for a fee (on free software CD-ROM |
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collections, for example) and whether people will be free to |
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redistribute modified versions just like the original version. If |
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either of those freedoms is lacking, the program won't be free |
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software.</p> |
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<p>If Netscape does release the Netscape browser as free software, that |
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will be a great day for the free software movement. But rather than |
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rejoicing or criticizing now, let's see what actually happens, and |
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then we'll know whether to celebrate. What we can usefully do now is |
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urge Netscape, calmly and politely, to make the software free, and to |
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copyleft it with the <a href="/licenses/gpl.html">GNU General Public |
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License</a>.</p> |
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<p>Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to |
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<a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. |
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There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a> |
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the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent |
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to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>.</p> |
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<p class="unprintable">Updated: |
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$Date: 2021/09/05 09:34:35 $ |
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