Subject: Re: The [email-masked] mailing list
From: [email-masked] (Richard Stallman)

17 Feb 1997 21:37:44 -0800
Approved: [email-masked]
Distribution: cygnus
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
References: <[email-masked]>
Reply-To: [email-masked]
Original-To: [email-masked]
Original-Cc: gnu-win32 <[email-masked]>
Original-cc: [email-masked]
In-reply-to: <[email-masked]> (message from
	Bill Mann/US/Praxis on 15 Feb 97 11: 14:54 EDT)
Original-Sender: [email-masked]

I don't see a problem with the fact that cygwin32 is distributed under
the GPL.  This is less helpful than it could be to development of
proprietary software; however, helping that is not one of the goals of
the GNU project.  Our goal is to replace proprietary software, not
facilitate it.

There is no general GNU policy that libraries should never be
distributed under the ordinary GPL.  I decided to use the Library GPL
for GNU libc because using the ordinary GPL would have made it
impossible to have proprietary software on a GNU system.  If GNU libc
were distributed under the GPL, that would discourage use of GNU
systems, rather than discouraging development of proprietary software.
It could have caused a serious problem for GNU.

Windows NT is a different matter.  It isn't the GNU system, and it
isn't free software.  We don't have a reason to be concerned with
helping it succeed overall.  (It is succeeding well enough, anyway.)

The alternate release of cygwin32 under non-free terms is a separate
issue from its release under the GPL.  This non-free distribution does
cause problems for the free software community.  It sets the wrong
tone, conveys a bad idea.  It also undermines some of the aims of the
GPL.  For example, it means that some end users will get the software
without getting the freedom that "free software" stands for.  And when
the companies that get the non-free licenses make modifications, these
are likely not to be released ever as free software.

While serious, these problems don't prevent us from using the
software.  It is better, overall, that cygwin32 exists and is
available under the GPL, than if it did not exist.

Still, I hope that this example will not be widely imitated.
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