Free software

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Transcript

I do nearly all of my computer work with free and open source software. I use very few non-free, proprietary applications.

Software represents ideas, like mathematics, philosophy, and science. As an engineering discipline, software development can apply ideas in ways that help people. Like scientific discoveries, computer algorithms should belong to everyone, not to individuals or corporations. Free software licenses maintain the scientific integrity of algorithms by giving everyone the liberty to use, critique, modify, and share discoveries and creative work.

In the United States authors and inventors are granted limited rights concerning their creative work. In the Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 says that The Congress shall have the Power ...

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

(http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/article01/)

The purpose of patents and copyrights is to promote progress, not to give people or companies unlimited control of ideas.

Exclusive short-term rights motivate creative work for the benefit of everyone, not to guarantee long-term ownership. Eventually all so-called intellectual property belongs to everyone. Unfortunately, some governments allow software patents and very long-term copyright. That might make some people richer, but it slows down social, technical, and cultural development.

But there is also another, more healthy, trend. Along with open content and open technical standards, free and open source software is now very popular. When everyone has the freedom to use, share, and modify computer software, technical development can be very rapid, and people don't need a lot of money to use it. That helps people everywhere. Much of the best computer software is free. Without free software and open standards, the Internet and the Web could not exist.

The Internet and other new communication technologies have enabled the rapid distribution of creative work. Hopefully, more and more people will come to appreciate the many advantages of using and developing free software.