From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Generally speaking, free software license is a phrase used by the free software movement to mean any software license that grants users of the software the following four freedoms:
A license which preserves those freedoms for modified works is a copyleft license. See Free software movement for more information.
The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free software licenses at their web site. The list distinguishes between free software licenses that are compatible or incompatible with the FSF license of choice, the GNU General Public License, which is a copyleft license. The list also contains licenses which the FSF considers non-free for various reasons. The list, which differs slightly from the open source license list, can be found at http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html
The Debian Free Software Guidelines are also frequently used to determine whether a license is a free software license.
See also:
 Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman |
 Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software |
 Free Software Handbook 1984-85 |
 Free software for the IBM PC | ||||
 Free Software for Your Apple |
 Free Software for Your TI Home Computer |
 Free Software for Your Atari |
 Free Software for Your Commodore 64, Vic 20/Pet, Cbm | ||||
 Finding (Almost Free Software: A Guide to the Most Popular Shareware and Public domAin Software for the Cost Conscious PC User) |
