[Linux4christians] Re: Weighing in on the Freespire debate

[David Fierbaugh]

On Wednesday 10 May 2006 15:23, Rachel Ramey wrote:
> << If freedom, as a concept, is what is intended, that
>  brings up a whole new area for discussion, and I'm afraid I don't really
>  see the issue, since surely the creator of a software application has
>  the right to say how it can or cannot be used and/or modified.  >>
>
> Ben, I'm with you on this one.  I think that Free (as a concept) software
> is wonderful, and I wouldn't mind seeing more of it, but I think it's
> ridiculous to expect that *every* application should be Free.  If we
> believe that software *must* be Free, we defeat the whole purpose of the
> concept in the first place, as we are destroying the creator's natural
> copyright.  Only if the creator *has* a copyright to willingly surrender is
> there any "Freedom" in the provision of the program.
>

Nothing in the GPL says ALL software has to be free, in fact it is VERY 
careful to say just the opposite. It just says that 'Free' (freedom) software 
must stay 'Free'.