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The best license to choose to make your program free is to [https://www.gnu.org/licenses/rms-why-gplv3.html choose the GPLv3 or later]. This license adds protections against patents and also other things that could threaten user freedom.
== Choosing ==
If you are copyrighting documentation, wikis, databases or free culture / artistic content such drawings, photos, music, video etc. then choose the [[Creative Commons]] license.
== NOT free ==
All the major software companies have 'open source' software. This is because
# The Open Source model benefits them (getting development, Quality Control and distribution for free).
# It enables them to win the hearts and minds of the public/developers by portraying themselves as acting altruistically. In other words, they've co-opted the term 'free' and equate it with 'open source'. But '''open source does not mean Free Software'''. Open Source, ('proprietary-friendly') licenses like The MIT license and the Apache Software License allow a commercial interest to take 'your' code, and turn it into a proprietary version that they don't share with you. It's been done time and time again. So, if you like the idea of some company standing on your shoulders and you getting nothing in return, then choose 'open source'.
=== Examples ===
== Comparison ==
[[wp:Comparison of free and open-source software licenses]]
More info on various licenses and comments about them are at https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html
The Mozilla Foundation publishes some information on software patents e.g. https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/patents/license/ as well as software licensing e.g. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/Overlay_Extensions/Firefox_addons_developer_guide/Appendix:_What_you_should_know_about_open-source_software_licenses
{{References}}
[[Category:Free Software]]