https://writefreesoftware.org/learn/ Recent content in About Free Software on Write Free Software Hugo -- gohugo.io en https://writefreesoftware.org/learn/four-freedoms/ Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000 https://writefreesoftware.org/learn/four-freedoms/ The freedom to use the software for any purpose. The freedom to study and improve the software. The freedom to share the software. The freedom to collaborate on the software. Let’s examine each of the four freedoms in more detail. 0: Use the software The “zeroth” freedom guarantees the right for everyone to use the software for any purpose. You are entitled to the use of any free software for any purpose, including commercial use – counter-intuitively, you can sell free software. https://writefreesoftware.org/learn/licenses/ Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000 https://writefreesoftware.org/learn/licenses/ The four freedoms are generally guaranteed through the use of a free software license. There are many different kinds of licenses with many different trade-offs to suit each software project’s unique situation. How a free software license works A free software license grants the necessary rights, perhaps subject to some caveats (e.g. attribution), to establish the four freedoms for recipients of the software. Any software license can be a free software license if it upholds the four freedoms, but in practice most projects pick one of the many popular licenses established for general use. https://writefreesoftware.org/learn/copyleft/ Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000 https://writefreesoftware.org/learn/copyleft/ Copyleft is a licensing tool unique to free software. It is designed to encourage the proliferation of free software and protect free software from being incorporated into non-free works. This works by giving you not only the right to share your improvements, but the obligation to share your improvements under the same conditions when the software is distributed. It is very important to understand these obligations when re-using copyleft software in your own work.